(To SOPHIA KARENINA.) Sophia Karenina, please forgive me if what I am going to say offends you, but I don't know how to cover up what's in my heart. I came here to-day because Victor Karenin said--because he said that--because he--I mean because you wanted to see me. (With a catch in her voice.) It's rather difficult--but you're so sweet. PRINCE SERGIUS (very sympathetic). There, there, my dear child, I assure you there's nothing in the world to---- (He breaks off when he sees SOPHIA KARENINA pointing impatiently to the floor. She has dropped her handkerchief.) Permit me. (He picks it up, presenting it to her with a smile and a bow; then looks casually at his watch.) Ah, five o'clock already. (To SOPHIA KARENINA.) Madame, in your salon pleasure destroys the memory of time. You will excuse me. [He kisses her hand. SOPHIA KARENINA (smiling). Au revoir, mon ami. PRINCE SERGIUS (bowing and shaking hands with LISA). Elizaveta Protosova, au revoir. [He goes out R. SOPHIA KARENINA. Now listen, my child. Please believe how truly sorry for you I am and that you are most sympathetique to me. But I love my son alone in this world, and I know his soul as I do my own. He's very proud--oh I don't mean of his position and money--but of his high ideals, his purity. It may sound strange to you, but you must believe me when I tell you that at heart he is as pure as a young girl. LISA. I know. SOPHIA KARENINA. He's never loved a woman before. You're the first. I don't say I'm not a little jealous. I am. But that's something we mothers have to face. Oh, but your son's still a baby, you don't know. I was ready to give him up, though--but I wanted his wife to be as pure as himself. LISA (flushing hotly). And I, am I not---- SOPHIA KARENINA (interrupting her kindly). Forgive me, my dear. I know it's not your fault and that you've been most unhappy. And also I know my son. He will bear anything, and he'll bear it without saying a word, but his hurt pride will suffer and bring you infinite remorse. You must know how strongly he has always felt that the bond of marriage is indissoluble. LISA. Yes. I've thought of all that. SOPHIA KARENINA. Lisa, my dear, you're a wise woman and you're a good woman too. If you love him, you must want his happiness more than you want your own. You can't want to cripple him so that he'll be sorry all his life--yes, sorry even though he never says a word. LISA. I've thought about it so much. I've thought about it and I've talked to him about it. But what can I do when he says he can't live without me? I said to him only the other day, "Victor, let's just be friends. Don't spoil your life. Don't ruin yourself by trying to help me." And do you know what he did? He laughed. SOPHIA KARENINA. Of course he would, at the time.