From that time a new life began for
Alexey Alexandrovitch and for his wife.  Nothing
special happened.  Anna went out into society,
as she had always done, was particularly often at Princess
Betsy’s, and met Vronsky everywhere.  Alexey
Alexandrovitch saw this, but could do nothing. 
All his efforts to draw her into open discussion
she confronted with a barrier which he could not penetrate,
made up of a sort of amused perplexity.  Outwardly
everything was the same, but their inner relations
were completely changed.  Alexey Alexandrovitch,
a man of great power in the world of politics, felt
himself helpless in this.  Like an ox with head
bent, submissively he awaited the blow which he felt
was lifted over him.  Every time he began to think
about it, he felt that he must try once more, that
by kindness, tenderness, and persuasion there was
still hope of saving her, of bringing her back to
herself, and every day he made ready to talk to her. 
But every time he began talking to her, he felt that
the spirit of evil and deceit, which had taken possession
of her, had possession of him too, and he talked to
her in a tone quite unlike that in which he had meant
to talk.  Involuntarily he talked to her in his
habitual tone of jeering at anyone who should say
what he was saying.  And in that tone it was
impossible to say what needed to be said to her.