And just as always he returned in July and at once fell to work as usual with increased energy.

As usual, too, his wife had moved for the summer to a villa out of town, while he remained in Petersburg.

From the date of their conversation after the party at Princess Tverskaya's he had never spoken again to Anna of his suspicions and his jealousies, and that habitual tone of his bantering mimicry was the most convenient tone possible for his present attitude to his wife.

He was a little colder to his wife.

He simply seemed to be slightly displeased with her for that first midnight conversation, which she had repelled.