Her husband was simply a superfluous and tiresome person.

No doubt he was in a pitiable position, but how could that be helped? The one thing the husband had a right to was to demand satisfaction with a weapon in his hand, and Vronsky was prepared for this at any minute.

But of late new inner relations had arisen between him and her, which frightened Vronsky by their indefiniteness.

Only the day before she had told him that she was with child.

And he felt that this fact and what she expected of him called for something not fully defined in that code of principles by which he had hitherto steered his course in life.