Part Six: Chapter 6

by Leo Tolstoy

　　During the time of the children's tea the grown-up people sat inthe balcony and talked as though nothing had happened, thoughthey all, especially Sergey Ivanovitch and Varenka, were verywell aware that there had happened an event which, thoughnegative, was of very great importance. They both had the samefeeling, rather like that of a schoolboy after an examination,which has left him in the same class or shut him out of theschool forever. Everyone present, feeling too that somethinghad happened, talked eagerly about extraneous subjects. Levinand Kitty were particularly happy and conscious of their lovethat evening. And their happiness in their love seemed to implya disagreeable slur on those who would have liked to feel thesame and could not--and they felt a prick of conscience.

　　"Mark my words, Alexander will not come," said the old princess.

　　That evening they were expecting Stepan Arkadyevitch to come downby train, and the old prince had written that possibly he mightcome too.

　　"And I know why," the princess went on; "he says that youngpeople ought to be left alone for a while at first."

　　"But papa has left us alone. We've never seen him," said Kitty."Besides, we're not young people!--we're old, married people bynow."

　　"Only if he doesn't come, I shall say good-bye to you children,"said the princess, sighing mournfully.

　　"What nonsense, mamma!" both the daughters fell upon her at once.

　　"How do you suppose he is feeling? Why, now..."

　　And suddenly there was an unexpected quiver in the princess'svoice. Her daughters were silent, and looked at one another."Maman always finds something to be miserable about," they saidin that glance. They did not know that happy as the princess wasin her daughter's house, and useful as she felt herself to bethere, she had been extremely miserable, both on her own accountand her husband's, ever since they had married their last andfavorite daughter, and the old home had been left empty.

　　"What is it, Agafea Mihalovna?" Kitty asked suddenly of AgafeaMihalovna, who was standing with a mysterious air, and a facefull of meaning.

　　"About supper."

　　"Well, that's right," said Dolly; "you go and arrange about it,and I'll go and hear Grisha repeat his lesson, or else he willhave nothing done all day."

　　"That's my lesson! No, Dolly, I'm going," said Levin, jumpingup.

　　Grisha, who was by now at a high school, had to go over thelessons of the term in the summer holidays. Darya Alexandrovna,who had been studying Latin with her son in Moscow before, hadmade it a rule on coming to the Levins' to go over with him, atleast once a day, the most difficult lessons of Latin andarithmetic. Levin had offered to take her place, but the mother,having once overheard Levin's lesson, and noticing that it wasnot given exactly as the teacher in Moscow had given it, saidresolutely, though with much embarrassment and anxiety not tomortify Levin, that they must keep strictly to the book as theteacher had done, and that she had better undertake it againherself. Levin was amazed both at Stepan Arkadyevitch, who, byneglecting his duty, threw upon the mother the supervision ofstudies of which she had no comprehension, and at the teachersfor teaching the children so badly. But he promised hissister-in-law to give the lessons exactly as she wished. And hewent on teaching Grisha, not in his own way, but by the book, andso took little interest in it, and often forgot the hour of thelesson. So it had been today.

　　"No, I'm going, Dolly, you sit still," he said. "We'll do it allproperly, like the book. Only when Stiva comes, and we go outshooting, then we shall have to miss it."

　　And Levin went to Grisha.

　　Varenka was saying the same thing to Kitty. Even in the happy,well-ordered household of the Levins Varenka had succeeded inmaking herself useful.

　　"I'll see to the supper, you sit still," she said, and got up togo to Agafea Mihalovna.

　　"Yes, yes, most likely they've not been able to get chickens. Ifso, ours..."

　　"Agafea Mihalovna and I will see about it," and Varenka vanishedwith her.

　　"What a nice girl!" said the princess.

　　"Not nice, maman; she's an exquisite girl; there's no one elselike her."

　　"So you are expecting Stepan Arkadyevitch today?" said SergeyIvanovitch, evidently not disposed to pursue the conversationabout Varenka. "It would be difficult to find two sons-in-lawmore unlike than yours," he said with a subtle smile. "One allmovement, only living in society, like a fish in water; the otherour Kostya, lively, alert, quick in everything, but as soon as heis in society, he either sinks into apathy, or struggleshelplessly like a fish on land."

　　"Yes, he's very heedless," said the princess, addressing SergeyIvanovitch. "I've been meaning, indeed, to ask you to tell himthat it's out of the question for her" (she indicated Kitty) "tostay here; that she positively must come to Moscow. He talks ofgetting a doctor down..."

　　"Maman, he'll do everything; he has agreed to everything," Kittysaid, angry with her mother for appealing to Sergey Ivanovitch tojudge in such a matter.

　　In the middle of their conversation they heard the snorting ofhorses and the sound of wheels on the gravel. Dolly had not timeto get up to go and meet her husband, when from the window of theroom below, where Grisha was having his lesson, Levin leaped outand helped Grisha out after him.

　　"It's Stiva!" Levin shouted from under the balcony. "We'vefinished, Dolly, don't be afraid!" he added, and started runninglike a boy to meet the carriage.

　　"Is ea id, ejus, ejus, ejus!" shouted Grisha, skipping along theavenue.

　　"And some one else too! Papa, of course!" cried Levin, stoppingat the entrance of the avenue. "Kitty, don't come down the steepstaircase, go round."

　　But Levin had been mistaken in taking the person sitting in thecarriage for the old prince. As he got nearer to the carriage hesaw beside Stepan Arkadyevitch not the prince but a handsome,stout young man in a Scotch cap, with long ends of ribbon behind.This was Vassenka Veslovsky, a distant cousin of theShtcherbatskys, a brilliant young gentleman in Petersburg andMoscow society. "A capital fellow, and a keen sportsman," asStepan Arkadyevitch said, introducing him.

　　Not a whit abashed by the disappointment caused by his havingcome in place of the old prince, Veslovsky greeted Levin gaily,claiming acquaintance with him in the past, and snatching upGrisha into the carriage, lifted him over the pointer that StepanArkadyevitch had brought with him.

　　Levin did not get into the carriage, but walked behind. He wasrather vexed at the non-arrival of the old prince, whom he likedmore and more the more he saw of him, and also at the arrival ofthis Vassenka Veslovsky, a quite uncongenial and superfluousperson. He seemed to him still more uncongenial and superfluouswhen, on approaching the steps where the whole party, childrenand grown-up, were gathered together in much excitement, Levinsaw Vassenka Veslovsky, with a particularly warm and gallant air,kissing Kitty's hand.

　　"Your wife arid I are cousins and very old friends," saidVassenka Veslovsky, once more shaking Levin's hand with greatwarmth.

　　"Well, are there plenty of birds?" Stepan Arkadyevitch said toLevin, hardly leaving time for everyone to utter their greetings."We've come with the most savage intentions. Why, maman, they'venot been in Moscow since! Look, Tanya, here's something for you!Get it, please, it's in the carriage, behind!" he talked in alldirections. "How pretty you've grown, Dolly," he said to hiswife, once more kissing her hand, holding it in one of his, andpatting it with the other.

　　Levin, who a minute before had been in the happiest frame ofmind, now looked darkly at everyone, and everything displeasedhim.

　　"Who was it he kissed yesterday with those lips?" he thought,looking at Stepan Arkadyevitch's tender demonstrations to hiswife. He looked at Dolly, and he did not like her either.

　　"She doesn't believe in his love. So what is she so pleasedabout? Revolting!" thought Levin.

　　He looked at the princess, who had been so dear to him a minutebefore, and he did not like the manner in which she welcomed thisVassenka, with his ribbons, just as though she were in her ownhouse.

　　Even Sergey Ivanovitch, who had come out too onto the steps,seemed to him unpleasant with the show of cordiality with whichhe met Stepan Arkadyevitch, though Levin knew that his brotherneither liked nor respected Oblonsky.

　　And Varenka, even she seemed hateful, with her air saintenitouche making the acquaintance of this gentleman, while all thewhile she was thinking of nothing but getting married.

　　And more hateful than anyone was Kitty for falling in with thetone of gaiety with which this gentleman regarded his visit inthe country, as though it were a holiday for himself and everyoneelse. And, above all, unpleasant was that particular smile withwhich she responded to his smile.

　　Noisily talking, they all went into the house; but as soon asthey were all seated, Levin turned and went out.

　　Kitty saw something was wrong with her husband. She tried toseize a moment to speak to him alone, but he made haste to getaway from her, saying he was wanted at the counting-house. Itwas long since his own work on the estate had seemed to him soimportant as at that moment. "It's all holiday for them," hethought; "but these are no holiday matters, they won't wait, andthere's no living without them."