Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART TWO CHAPTER 31
The next day, as she watched her unknown friend, Kitty noticed that Mademoiselle
Varenka was already on the same terms with Levin and his companion as with
her other protégés. She went up to them, entered into conversation with them, and
served as interpreter for the woman, who could not speak any foreign language.
Kitty began to entreat her mother still more urgently to let her make friends with
Varenka. And, disagreeable as it was to the princess to seem to take the first step in
wishing to make the acquaintance of Madame Stahl, who thought fit to give herself
airs, she made inquiries about Varenka, and, having ascertained particulars about
her tending to prove that there could be no harm though little good in the acquaintance,
she herself approached Varenka and made acquaintance with her.
Choosing a time when her daughter had gone to the spring, while Varenka had
stopped outside the baker’s, the princess went up to her.
“Allow me to make your acquaintance,” she said, with her dignified smile. “My
daughter has lost her heart to you,” she said. “Possibly you do not know me. I am...”
“That feeling is more than reciprocal, princess,” Varenka answered hurriedly.
“What a good deed you did yesterday to our poor compatriot!” said the princess.
Varenka flushed a little. “I don’t remember. I don’t think I did anything,” she said.
“Why, you saved that Levin from disagreeable consequences.”
“Yes, sa compagne called me, and I tried to pacify him, he’s very ill, and was dissatisfied
with the doctor. I’m used to looking after such invalids.”
“Yes, I’ve heard you live at Mentone with your aunt–I think– Madame Stahl: I
used to know her belle-soeur.”
“No, she’s not my aunt. I call her mamma, but I am not related to her; I was
brought up by her,” answered Varenka, flushing a little again.
This was so simply said, and so sweet was the truthful and candid expression of
her face, that the princess saw why Kitty had taken such a fancy to Varenka.
“Well, and what’s this Levin going to do?” asked the princess.
“He’s going away,” answered Varenka.
At that instant Kitty came up from the spring beaming with delight that her
mother had become acquainted with her unknown friend.
“Well, see, Kitty, your intense desire to make friends with Mademoiselle. . .”
“Varenka,” Varenka put in smiling, “that’s what everyone calls me.”
Kitty blushed with pleasure, and slowly, without speaking, pressed her new
friend’s hand, which did not respond to her pressure, but lay motionless in her hand.
The hand did not respond to her pressure, but the face of Mademoiselle Varenka
glowed with a soft, glad, though rather mournful smile, that showed large but handsome
teeth.
“I have long wished for this too,” she said.
“But you are so busy.”
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