Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART THREE CHAPTER 9
Chapter 9
ON the drive home, as Darya Alexandrovna, with all her children round her, their
heads still wet from their bath, and a kerchief tied over her own head, was
getting near the house, the coachman said, “There’s some gentleman coming: the
master of Pokrovskoe, I do believe.”
Darya Alexandrovna peeped out in front, and was delighted when she recognized
in the gray hat and gray coat the familiar figure of Levin walking to meet them. She
was glad to see him at any time, but at this moment she was specially glad he should
see her in all her glory. No one was better able to appreciate her grandeur than Levin.
Seeing her, he found himself face to face with one of the pictures of his daydream
of family life.
“You’re like a hen with your chickens, Darya Alexandrovna.”
“Ah, how glad I am to see you!” she said, holding out her hand to him.
“Glad to see me, but you didn’t let me know. My brother’s staying with me. I got
a note from Stiva that you were here.”
“From Stiva?” Darya Alexandrovna asked with surprise.
“Yes; he writes that you are here, and that he thinks you might allow me to be
of use to you,” said Levin, and as he said it he became suddenly embarrassed, and,
stopping abruptly, he walked on in silence by the wagonette, snapping off the buds
of the lime trees and nibbling them. He was embarrassed through a sense that Darya
Alexandrovna would be annoyed by receiving from an outsider help that should by
rights have come from her own husband. Darya Alexandrovna certainly did not like
this little way of Stepan Arkadyevitch’s of foisting his domestic duties on others.
And she was at once aware that Levin was aware of this. It was just for this fineness
of perception, for this delicacy, that Darya Alexandrovna liked Levin.
“I know, of course,” said Levin, “that that simply means that you would like to see
me, and I’m exceedingly glad. Though I can fancy that, used to town housekeeping
as you are, you must feel in the wilds here, and if there’s anything wanted, I’m
altogether at your disposal.”
“Oh, no!” said Dolly. “At first things were rather uncomfortable, but now we’ve
settled everything capitally– thanks to my old nurse,” she said, indicating Marya
Philimonovna, who, seeing that they were speaking of her, smiled brightly and cordially
to Levin. She knew him, and knew that he would be a good match for her
young lady, and was very keen to see the matter settled.
“Won’t you get in, sir, we’ll make room this side!” she said to him.
“No, I’ll walk. Children, who’d like to race the horses with me?” The children
knew Levin very little, and could not remember when they had seen him, but they
experienced in regard to him none of that strange feeling of shyness and hostility
which children so often experience towards hypocritical, grown-up people, and for
which they are so often and miserably punished. Hypocrisy in anything whatever
may deceive the cleverest and most penetrating man, but the least wide-awake of
children recognizes it, and is revolted by it, however ingeniously it may be disguised.
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