Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART SIX CHAPTER 11
Everyone got up to greet Darya Alexandrovna. Vassenka only rose for an instant,
and with the lack of courtesy to ladies characteristic of the modern young man, he
scarcely bowed, and resumed his conversation again, laughing at something.
“I’ve been worried about Masha. She did not sleep well, and is dreadfully tiresome
today,” said Dolly.
The conversation Vassenka had started with Kitty was running on the same lines
as on the previous evening, discussing Anna, and whether love is to be put higher
than worldly considerations. Kitty disliked the conversation, and she was disturbed
both by the subject and the tone in which it was conducted, and also by the knowledge
of the effect it would have on her husband. But she was too simple and innocent
to know how to cut short this conversation, or even to conceal the superficial
pleasure afforded her by the young man’s very obvious admiration. She wanted to
stop it, but she did not know what to do. Whatever she did she knew would be
observed by her husband, and the worst interpretation put on it. And, in fact, when
she asked Dolly what was wrong with Masha, and Vassenka, waiting till this uninteresting
conversation was over, began to gaze indifferently at Dolly, the question
struck Levin as an unnatural and disgusting piece of hypocrisy.
“What do you say, shall we go and look for mushrooms today?” said Dolly.
“By all means, please, and I shall come too,” said Kitty, and she blushed. She
wanted from politeness to ask Vassenka whether he would come, and she did not
ask him. “Where are you going, Kostya?” she asked her husband with a guilty face,
as he passed by her with a resolute step. This guilty air confirmed all his suspicions.
“The mechanician came when I was away; I haven’t seen him yet,” he said, not
looking at her.
He went downstairs, but before he had time to leave his study he heard his wife’s
familiar footsteps running with reckless speed to him.
“What do you want?” he said to her shortly. “We are busy.”
“I beg your pardon,” she said to the German mechanician; “I want a few words
with my husband.”
The German would have left the room, but Levin said to him:
“Don’t disturb yourself.”
“The train is at three?” queried the German. “I mustn’t be late.”
Levin did not answer him, but walked out himself with his wife.
“Well, what have you to say to me?” he said to her in French.
He did not look her in the face, and did not care to see that she in her condition
was trembling all over, and had a piteous, crushed look.
“I...I want to say that we can’t go on like this; that this is misery...” she said.
“The servants are here at the sideboard,” he said angrily; “don’t make a scene.”
“Well, let’s go in here!”
They were standing in the passage. Kitty would have gone into the next room, but
there the English governess was giving Tanya a lesson.
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