Part Six: Chapter 1

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Darya Alexandrovna spent the summer with her children atPokrovskoe, at her sister Kitty Levin's. The house on her ownestate was quite in ruins, and Levin and his wife had persuadedher to spend the summer with them. Stepan Arkadyevitch greatlyapproved of the arrangement. He said he was very sorry hisofficial duties prevented him from spending the summer in thecountry with his family, which would have been the greatesthappiness for him; and remaining in Moscow, he came down to thecountry from time to time for a day or two. Besides theOblonskys, with all their children and their governess, the oldprincess too came to stay that summer with the Levins, as sheconsidered it her duty to watch over her inexperienced daughterin her interesting condition. Moreover, Varenka, Kitty's friendabroad, kept her promise to come to Kitty when she was married,and stayed with her friend. All of these were friends orrelations of Levin's wife. And though he liked them all, herather regretted his own Levin world and ways, which wassmothered by this influx of the "Shtcherbatsky element," as hecalled it to himself. Of his own relations there stayed with himonly Sergey Ivanovitch, but he too was a man of the Koznishev andnot the Levin stamp, so that the Levin spirit was utterlyobliterated.

　　In the Levins' house, so long deserted, there were now so manypeople that almost all the rooms were occupied, and almost everyday it happened that the old princess, sitting down to table,counted them all over, and put the thirteenth grandson orgranddaughter at a separate table. And Kitty, with her carefulhousekeeping, had no little trouble to get all the chickens,turkeys, and geese, of which so many were needed to satisfy thesummer appetites of the visitors and children.

　　The whole family were sitting at dinner. Dolly's children, withtheir governess and Varenka, were making plans for going to lookfor mushrooms. Sergey Ivanovitch, who was looked up to by allthe party for his intellect and learning, with a respect thatalmost amounted to awe, surprised everyone by joining in theconversation about mushrooms.

　　"Take me with you. I am very fond of picking mushrooms," hesaid, looking at Varenka; "I think it's a very nice occupation."

　　"Oh, we shall be delighted," answered Varenka, coloring a little.Kitty exchanged meaningful glances with Dolly. The proposal ofthe learned and intellectual Sergey Ivanovitch to go looking formushrooms with Varenka confirmed certain theories of Kitty's withwhich her mind had been very busy of late. She made haste toaddress some remark to her mother, so that her look should not benoticed. After dinner Sergey Ivanovitch sat with his cup ofcoffee at the drawing-room window, and while he took part in aconversation he had begun with his brother, he watched the doorthrough which the children would start on the mushroom-pickingexpedition. Levin was sitting in the window near his brother.

　　Kitty stood beside her husband, evidently awaiting the end of aconversation that had no interest for her, in order to tell himsomething.

　　"You have changed in many respects since your marriage, and forthe better," said Sergey Ivanovitch, smiling to Kitty, andobviously little interested in the conversation, "but you haveremained true to your passion for defending the most paradoxicaltheories."

　　"Katya, it's not good for you to stand," her husband said to her,putting a chair for her and looking significantly at her.

　　"Oh, and there's no time either," added Sergey Ivanovitch, seeingthe children running out.

　　At the head of them all Tanya galloped sideways, in her tightly-drawn stockings, and waving a basket and Sergey Ivanovitch's hat,she ran straight up to him.

　　Boldly running up to Sergey Ivanovitch with shining eyes, so likeher father's fine eyes, she handed him his hat and made as thoughshe would put it on for him, softening her freedom by a shy andfriendly smile.

　　"Varenka's waiting," she said, carefully putting his hat on,seeing from Sergey Ivanovitch's smile that she might do so.

　　Varenka was standing at the door, dressed in a yellow print gown,with a white kerchief on her head.

　　"I'm coming, I'm coming, Varvara Andreevna," said SergeyIvanovitch, finishing his cup of coffee, and putting into theirseparate pockets his handkerchief and cigar-case.

　　"And how sweet my Varenka is! eh?" said Kitty to her husband, assoon as Sergey Ivanovitch rose. She spoke so that SergeyIvanovitch could hear, and it was clear that she meant him to doso. "And how good-looking she is--such a refined beauty!Varenka!" Kitty shouted. "Shall you be in the mill copse? We'llcome out to you."

　　"You certainly forget your condition, Kitty," said the oldprincess, hurriedly coming out at the door. "You mustn't shoutlike that."

　　Varenka, hearing Kitty's voice and her mother's reprimand, wentwith light, rapid steps up to Kitty. The rapidity of hermovement, her flushed and eager face, everything betrayed thatsomething out of the common was going on in her. Kitty knew whatthis was, and had been watching her intently. She called Varenkaat that moment merely in order mentally to give her a blessingfor the important event which, as Kitty fancied, was bound tocome to pass that day after dinner in the wood.

　　"Varenka, I should be very happy if a certain something were tohappen," she whispered as she kissed her.

　　"And are you coming with us?" Varenka said to Levin in confusion,pretending not to have heard what had been said.

　　"I am coming, but only as far as the threshing-floor, and there Ishall stop."

　　"Why, what do you want there?" said Kitty.

　　"I must go to have a look at the new wagons, and to check theinvoice," said Levin; "and where will you be?"

　　"On the terrace."