Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART SEVEN CHAPTER 14
“In a minute.”
Two minutes more passed while the doctor was putting on his boots, and two
minutes more while the doctor put on his coat and combed his hair.
“Pyotr Dmitrievitch!” Levin was beginning again in a plaintive voice, just as the
doctor came in dressed and ready. “These people have no conscience,” thought
Levin. “Combing his hair, while we’re dying!”
“Good morning!” the doctor said to him, shaking hands, and, as it were, teasing
him with his composure. “There’s no hurry. Well now?”
Trying to be as accurate as possible, Levin began to tell him every unnecessary
detail of his wife’s condition, interrupting his account repeatedly with entreaties that
the doctor would come with him at once.
“Oh, you needn’t be in any hurry. You don’t understand, you know. I’m certain
I’m not wanted, still I’ve promised, and if you like, I’ll come. But there’s no hurry.
Please sit down; won’t you have some coffee?”
Levin stared at him with eyes that asked whether he was laughing at him; but the
doctor had no notion of making fun of him.
“I know, I know,” the doctor said, smiling; “I’m a married man myself; and at these
moments we husbands are very much to be pitied. I’ve a patient whose husband
always takes refuge in the stables on such occasions.”
“But what do you think, Pyotr Dmitrievitch? Do you suppose it may go all right?”
“Everything points to a favorable issue.”
“So you’ll come immediately?” said Levin, looking wrathfully at the servant who
was bringing in the coffee.
“In an hour’s time.”
“Oh, for mercy’s sake!”
“Well, let me drink my coffee, anyway.”
The doctor started upon his coffee. Both were silent.
Did you read yesterday’s tele-
“The Turks are really getting beaten, though.
grams?” said the doctor, munching some roll.
“No, I can’t stand it!” said Levin, jumping up. “So you’ll be with us in a quarter
of an hour.”
“In half an hour.”
“On your honor?”
When Levin got home, he drove up at the same time as the princess, and they
went up to the bedroom door together. The princess had tears in her eyes, and her
hands were shaking. Seeing Levin, she embraced him, and burst into tears.
“Well, my dear Lizaveta Petrovna?” she queried, clasping the hand of the midwife,
who came out to meet them with a beaming and anxious face.
“She’s going on well,” she said; “persuade her to lie down. She will be easier so.”
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