Part Two: Chapter 2

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Soon after the doctor, Dolly had arrived. She knew that therewas to be a consultation that day, and though she was only justup after her confinement (she had another baby, a little girl,born at the end of the winter), though she had trouble andanxiety enough of her own, she had left her tiny baby and a sickchild, to come and hear Kitty's fate, which was to be decidedthat day.

　　"Well, well?" she said, coming into the drawing room, withouttaking off her hat. "You're all in good spirits. Good news,then?"

　　They tried to tell her what the doctor had said, but it appearedthat though the doctor had talked distinctly enough and at greatlength, it was utterly impossible to report what he had said.The only point of interest was that it was settled they should goabroad.

　　Dolly could not help sighing. Her dearest friend, her sister,was going away. And her life was not a cheerful one. Herrelations with Stepan Arkadyevitch after their reconciliation hadbecome humiliating. The union Anna had cemented turned out to beof no solid character, and family harmony was breaking down againat the same point. There had been nothing definite, but StepanArkadyevitch was hardly ever at home; money, too, was hardly everforthcoming, and Dolly was continually tortured by suspicions ofinfidelity, which she tried to dismiss, dreading the agonies ofjealousy she had been through already. The first onslaught ofjealousy, once lived through, could never come back again, andeven the discovery of infidelities could never now affect her asit had the first time. Such a discovery now would only meanbreaking up family habits, and she let herself be deceived,despising him and still more herself, for the weakness. Besidesthis, the care of her large family was a constant worry to her:first, the nursing of her young baby did not go well, then thenurse had gone away, now one of the children had fallen ill.

　　"Well, how are all of you?" asked her mother.

　　"Ah, mamma, we have plenty of troubles of our own. Lili is ill,And I'm afraid it's scarlatina. I have come here now to hearabout Kitty, And then I shall shut myself up entirely, if--Godforbid--it should be scarlatina."

　　The old prince too had come in from his study after the doctor'sdeparture, and after presenting his cheek to Dolly, and saying afew words to her, he turned to his wife:

　　"How have you settled it? you're going? Well, and what do youmean to do with me?"

　　"I suppose you had better stay here, Alexander," said his wife.

　　"That's as you like."

　　"Mamma, why shouldn't father come with us?" said Kitty. "Itwould be nicer for him and for us too."

　　The old prince got up and stroked Kitty's hair. She lifted herhead and looked at them with a forced smile. It always seemed toher that he understood her better than anyone in the family,though he did not say much about her. Being the youngest, shewas her father's favorite, and she fancied that his love gave himinsight. When now her glance meet his blue kindly eyes lookingintently at her, it seemed to her that he saw right through her,and understood all that was not good that was passing within her.Reddening, she stretched out towards him expecting a kiss, but heonly patted her hair and said:

　　"These stupid chignons! There's no getting at the real daughter.One simply strokes the bristles of dead women. Well, Dolinka,"he turned to his elder daughter, "what's your young buck about,hey?"

　　"Nothing, father," answered Dolly, understanding that her husbandwas meant. "He's always out; I scarcely ever see him," she couldnot resist adding with a sarcastic smile.

　　"Why, hasn't he gone into the country yet--to see about sellingthat forest?"

　　"No, he's still getting ready for the journey."

　　"Oh, that's it!" said the prince. "And so am I to be gettingready for a journey too? At your service," he said to his wife,sitting down. "And I tell you what, Katia," he went on to hisyounger daughter, "you must wake up one fine day and say toyourself: Why, I'm quite well, and merry, and going out againwith father for an early morning walk in the frost. Hey?"

　　What her father said seemed simple enough, yet at these wordsKitty became confused and overcome like a detected criminal."Yes, he sees it all, he understands it all, and in these wordshe's telling me that though I'm ashamed, I must get over myshame." She could not pluck up spirit to make any answer. Shetried to begin, and all at once burst into tears, and rushed outof the room.

　　"See what comes of your jokes!" the princess pounced down on herhusband. "You're always..." she began a string of reproaches.

　　The prince listened to the princess's scolding rather a longwhile without speaking, but his face was more and more frowning.

　　"She's so much to be pitied, poor child, so much to be pitied,and you don't feel how it hurts her to hear the slightestreference to the cause of it. Ah! to be so mistaken in people!"said the princess, and by the change in her tone both Dolly andthe prince knew she was speaking of Vronsky. "I don't know whythere aren't laws against such base, dishonorable people."

　　"Ah, I can't bear to hear you!" said the prince gloomily, gettingup from his low chair, and seeming anxious to get away, yetstopping in the doorway. "There are laws, madam, and sinceyou've challenged me to it, I'll tell you who's to blame for itall: you and you, you and nobody else. Laws against such younggallants there have always been, and there still are! Yes, ifthere has been nothing that ought not to have been, old as I am,I'd have called him out to the barrier, the young dandy. Yes,and now you physic her and call in these quacks."

　　The prince apparently had plenty more to say, but as soon as theprincess heard his tone she subsided at once, and becamepenitent, as she always did on serious occasions.

　　"Alexander, Alexander," she whispered, moving to him andbeginning to weep.

　　As soon as she began to cry the prince too calmed down. He wentup to her.

　　"There, that's enough, that's enough! You're wretched too, Iknow. It can't be helped. There's no great harm done. God ismerciful...thanks..." he said, not knowing what he was saying, ashe responded to the tearful kiss of the princess that he felt onhis hand. And the prince went out of the room.

　　Before this, as soon as Kitty went out of the room in tears,Dolly, with her motherly, family instincts, had promptlyperceived that here a woman's work lay before her, and sheprepared to do it. She took of her hat, and, morally speaking,tucked up her sleeves and prepared for action. While her motherwas attacking her father, she tried to restrain her mother, sofar as filial reverence would allow. During the prince'soutburst she was silent; she felt ashamed for her mother, andtender towards her father for so quickly being kind again. Butwhen her father left them she made ready for what was the chiefthing needful--to go to Kitty and console her.

　　"I'd been meaning to tell you something for a long while, mamma:did you know that Levin meant to make Kitty an offer when he washere the last time? He told Stiva so."

　　"Well, what then? I don't understand..."

　　"So did Kitty perhaps refuse him?... She didn't tell you so?"

　　"No, she has said nothing to me either of one or the other; she'stoo proud. But I know it's all on account of the other."

　　"Yes, but suppose she has refused Levin, and she wouldn't haverefused him if it hadn't been for the other, I know. And then,he has deceived her so horribly."

　　It was too terrible for the princess to think how she had sinnedagainst her daughter, and she broke out angrily.

　　"Oh, I really don't understand! Nowadays they will all go theirown way, and mothers haven't a word to say in anything, andthen..."

　　"Mamma, I'll go up to her."

　　"Well, do. Did I tell you not to?" said her mother.