Part One: Chapter 14

by Leo Tolstoy

　　But at that very moment the princess came in. There was a lookof horror on her face when she saw them alone, and theirdisturbed faces. Levin bowed to her, and said nothing. Kittydid not speak nor lift her eyes. "Thank God, she has refusedhim," thought the mother, and her face lighted up with thehabitual smile with which she greeted her guests on Thursdays.She sat down and began questioning Levin about his life in thecountry. He sat down again, waiting for other visitors toarrive, in order to retreat unnoticed.

　　Five minutes later there came in a friend of Kitty's, married thepreceding winter, Countess Nordston.

　　She was a thin, sallow, sickly, and nervous woman, with brilliantblack eyes. She was fond of Kitty, and her affection for hershowed itself, as the affection of married women for girls alwaysdoes, in the desire to make a match for Kitty after her own idealof married happiness; she wanted her to marry Vronsky. Levin shehad often met at the Shtcherbatskys' early in the winter, and shehad always disliked him. Her invariable and favorite pursuit,when they met, consisted in making fun of him.

　　"I do like it when he looks down at me from the height of hisgrandeur, or breaks off his learned conversation with me becauseI'm a fool, or is condescending to me. I like that so; to seehim condescending! I am so glad he can't bear me," she used tosay of him.

　　She was right, for Levin actually could not bear her, anddespised her for what she was proud of and regarded as a finecharacteristic--her nervousness, her delicate contempt andindifference for everything coarse and earthly.

　　The Countess Nordston and Levin got into that relation with oneanother not seldom seen in society, when two persons, who remainexternally on friendly terms, despise each other to such a degreethat they cannot even take each other seriously, and cannot evenbe offended by each other.

　　The Countess Nordston pounced upon Levin at once.

　　"Ah, Konstantin Dmitrievitch! So you've come back to our corruptBabylon," she said, giving him her tiny, yellow hand, andrecalling what he had chanced to say early in the winter, thatMoscow was a Babylon. "Come, is Babylon reformed, or have youdegenerated?" she added, glancing with a simper at Kitty.

　　"It's very flattering for me, countess, that you remember mywords so well," responded Levin, who had succeeded in recoveringhis composure, and at once from habit dropped into his tone ofjoking hostility to the Countess Nordston. "They must certainlymake a great impression on you."

　　"Oh, I should think so! I always note them all down. Well,Kitty, have you been skating again?...

　　And she began talking to Kitty. Awkward as it was for Levin towithdraw now, it would still have been easier for him toperpetrate this awkwardness than to remain all the evening andsee Kitty, who glanced at him now and then and avoided his eyes.He was on the point of getting up, when the princess, noticingthat he was silent, addressed him.

　　"Shall you be long in Moscow? You're busy with the districtcouncil, though, aren't you, and can't be away for long?"

　　"No, princess, I'm no longer a member of the council," he said."I have come up for a few days."

　　"There's something the matter with him," thought CountessNordston, glancing at his stern, serious face. "He isn't in hisold argumentative mood. But I'll draw him out. I do love makinga fool of him before Kitty, and I'll do it."

　　"Konstantin Dmitrievitch," she said to him, "do explain to me,please, what's the meaning of it. You know all about suchthings. At home in our village of Kaluga all the peasants andall the women have drunk up all they possessed, and now theycan't pay us any rent. What's the meaning of that? You alwayspraise the peasants so."

　　At that instant another lady came into the room, and Levin gotup.

　　"Excuse me, countess, but I really know nothing about it, andcan't tell you anything," he said, and looked round at theofficer who came in behind the lady.

　　"That must be Vronsky," thought Levin, and, to be sure of it,glanced at Kitty. She had already had time to look at Vronsky,and looked round at Levin. And simply from the look in her eyes,that grew unconsciously brighter, Levin knew that she loved thatman, knew it as surely as if she had told him so in words. Butwhat sort of a man was he? Now, whether for good or for ill,Levin could not choose but remain; he must find out what the manwas like whom she loved.

　　There are people who, on meeting a successful rival, no matter inwhat, are at once disposed to turn their backs on everything goodin him, and to see only what is bad. There are people, on theother hand, who desire above all to find in that lucky rival thequalities by which he has outstripped them, and seek with athrobbing ache at heart only what is good. Levin belonged to thesecond class. But he had no difficulty in finding what was goodand attractive in Vronsky. It was apparent at the first glance.Vronsky was a squarely built, dark man, not very tall, with agood-humored, handsome, and exceedingly calm and resolute face.Everything about his face and figure, from his short-croppedblack hair and freshly shaven chin down to his loosely fitting,brand-new uniform, was simple and at the same time elegant.Making way for the lady who had come in, Vronsky went up to theprincess and then to Kitty.

　　As he approached her, his beautiful eyes shone with a speciallytender light, and with a faint, happy, and modestly triumphantsmile (so it seemed to Levin), bowing carefully and respectfullyover her, he held out his small broad hand to her.

　　Greeting and saying a few words to everyone, he sat down withoutonce glancing at Levin, who had never taken his eyes off him.

　　"Let me introduce you," said the princess, indicating Levin."Konstantin Dmitrievitch Levin, Count Alexey KirillovitchVronsky."

　　Vronsky got up and, looking cordially at Levin, shook hands withhim.

　　"I believe I was to have dined with you this winter," he said,smiling his simple and open smile; "but you had unexpectedly leftfor the country."

　　"Konstantin Dmitrievitch despises and hates town and ustownspeople," said Countess Nordston.

　　"My words must make a deep impression on you, since you rememberthem so well," said Levin, and suddenly conscious that he hadsaid just the same thing before, he reddened.

　　Vronsky looked at Levin and Countess Nordston, and smiled.

　　"Are you always in the country?" he inquired. "I should think itmust be dull in the winter."

　　"It's not dull if one has work to do; besides, one's not dull byoneself," Levin replied abruptly.

　　"I am fond of the country," said Vronsky, noticing, and affectingnot to notice, Levin's tone.

　　"But I hope, count, you would not consent to live in the countryalways," said Countess Nordston.

　　"I don't know; I have never tried for long. I experience a queerfeeling once," he went on. "I never longed so for the country,Russian country, with bast shoes and peasants, as when I wasspending a winter with my mother in Nice. Nice itself is dullenough, you know. And indeed, Naples and Sorrento are onlypleasant for a short time. And it's just there that Russia comesback to me most vividly, and especially the country. It's asthough..."

　　He talked on, addressing both Kitty and Levin, turning hisserene, friendly eyes from one to the other, and saying obviouslyjust what came into his head.

　　Noticing that Countess Nordston wanted to say something, hestopped short without finishing what he had begun, and listenedattentively to her.

　　The conversation did not flag for an instant, so that theprincess, who always kept in reserve, in case a subject should belacking, two heavy guns--the relative advantages of classicaland of modern education, and universal military service--had notto move out either of them, while Countess Nordston had not achance of chaffing Levin.

　　Levin wanted to, and could not, take part in the generalconversation; saying to himself every instant, "Now go," he stilldid not go, as though waiting for something.

　　The conversation fell upon table-turning and spirits, andCountess Nordston, who believed in spiritualism, began todescribe the marvels she had seen.

　　"Ah, countess, you really must take me, for pity's sake do takeme to see them! I have never seen anything extraordinary, thoughI am always on the lookout for it everywhere," said Vronsky,smiling.

　　"Very well, next Saturday," answered Countess Nordston. "Butyou, Konstantin Dmitrievitch, do you believe in it?" she askedLevin.

　　"Why do you ask me? You know what I shall say."

　　"But I want to hear your opinion."

　　"My opinion," answered Levin, "is only that this table-turningsimply proves that educated society--so called--is no higherthan the peasants. They believe in the evil eye, and inwitchcraft and omens, while we..."

　　"Oh, then you don't believe in it?"

　　"I can't believe in it, countess."

　　"But if I've seen it myself?"

　　"The peasant women too tell us they have seen goblins."

　　"Then you think I tell a lie?"

　　And she laughed a mirthless laugh.

　　"Oh, no, Masha, Konstantin Dmitrievitch said he could not believein it," said Kitty, blushing for Levin, and Levin saw this, and,still more exasperated, would have answered, but Vronsky with hisbright frank smile rushed to the support of the conversation,which was threatening to become disagreeable.

　　"You do not admit the conceivability at all?" he queried. "Butwhy not? We admit the existence of electricity, of which we knownothing. Why should there not be some new force, still unknownto us, which..."

　　"When electricity was discovered," Levin interrupted hurriedly,"it was only the phenomenon that was discovered, and it wasunknown from what it proceeded and what were its effects, andages passed before its applications were conceived. But thespiritualists have begun with tables writing for them, andspirits appearing to them, and have only later started sayingthat it is an unknown force."

　　Vronsky listened attentively to Levin, as he always did listen,obviously interested in his words.

　　"Yes, but the spiritualists say we don't know at present whatthis force is, but there is a force, and these are the conditionsin which it acts. Let the scientific men find out what the forceconsists in. Not, I don't see why there should not be a newforce, if it..."

　　"Why, because with electricity," Levin interrupted again, "everytime you rub tar against wool, a recognized phenomenon ismanifested, but in this case it does not happen every time, andso it follows it is not a natural phenomenon."

　　Feeling probably that the conversation was taking a tone tooserious for a drawing room, Vronsky made no rejoinder, but by wayof trying to change the conversation, he smiled brightly, andturned to the ladies.

　　"Do let us try at once, countess," he said; but Levin wouldfinish saying what he thought.

　　"I think," he went on, "that this attempt of the spiritualists toexplain their marvels as some sort of new natural force is mostfutile. They boldly talk of spiritual force, and then try tosubject it to material experiment."

　　Every one was waiting for him to finish, and he felt it.

　　"And I think you would be a first-rate medium," said CountessNordston; "there's something enthusiastic in you."

　　Levin opened his mouth, was about to say something, reddened, andsaid nothing.

　　"Do let us try table-turning at once, please," said Vronsky."Princess, will you allow it?"

　　And Vronsky stood up, looking for a little table.

　　Kitty got up to fetch a table, and as she passed, her eyes metLevin's. She felt for him with her whole heart, the more becauseshe was pitying him for suffering of which she was herself thecause. "If you can forgive me, forgive me," said her eyes, "I amso happy."

　　"I hate them all, and you, and myself," his eyes responded, andhe took up his hat. But he was not destined to escape. Just asthey were arranging themselves round the table, and Levin was onthe point of retiring, the old prince came in, and after greetingthe ladies, addressed Levin.

　　"Ah!" he began joyously. "Been here long, my boy? I didn't evenknow you were in town. Very glad to see you." The old princeembraced Levin, and talking to him did not observe Vronsky, whohad risen, and was serenely waiting till the prince should turnto him.

　　Kitty felt how distasteful her father's warmth was to Levin afterwhat had happened. She saw, too, how coldly her father respondedat last to Vronsky's bow, and how Vronsky looked with amiableperplexity at her father, as though trying and failing tounderstand how and why anyone could be hostilely disposed towardshim, and she flushed.

　　"Prince, let us have Konstantin Dmitrievitch," said CountessNordston; "we want to try an experiment."

　　"What experiment? Table-turning? Well, you must excuse me,ladies and gentlemen, but to my mind it is better fun to play thering game," said the old prince, looking at Vronsky, and guessingthat it had been his suggestion. "There's some sense in that,anyway."

　　Vronsky looked wonderingly at the prince with his resolute eyes,and, with a faint smile, began immediately talking to CountessNordston of the great ball that was to come off next week.

　　"I hope you will be there?" he said to Kitty. As soon as the oldprince turned away from him, Levin went out unnoticed, and thelast impression he carried away with him of that evening was thesmiling, happy face of Kitty answering Vronsky's inquiry aboutthe ball.