Emma Watson Pussy
Books:
Anna Karenina
War And Peace
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out here--hes
a cultivated man, too, and very intelligent; hes a man wholl
make his mark."
Levin scowled and was dumb.
"Well, he turned up here soon after youd gone, and as I can see,
hes over head and ears in love with Kitty, and you know that her
mother..."
"Excuse me, but I know nothing," said Levin, frowning gloomily.
And immediately he recollected his brother Nikolay and how
hateful he was to have been able to forget him.
"You wait a bit, wait a bit," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, smiling
and touching his hand. "Ive told you what I know, and I repeat
that in this delicate and tender matter, as far as one can
conjecture, I believe the chances are in your favor."
Levin dropped back in his chair; his face was pale.
"But I would advise you to settle the thing as soon as may be,"
pursued Oblonsky, filling up his glass.
"No, thanks, I cant drink any more," said Levin, pushing away
his glass. "I shall be drunk.... Come, tell me how are you
getting on?" he went on, obviously anxious to change the
conversation.
"One word more: in any case I advise you to settle the question
soon. Tonight I dont advise you to speak," said Stepan
Arkadyevitch. "Go round tomorrow morning, make an offer in due
form, and God bless you..."
"Oh, do you still think of coming to me for some shooting? Come
next spring, do," said Levin.
Now his whole soul was full of remorse that he had begun this
conversation with Stepan Arkadyevitch. A feeling such as his was
profaned by talk of the rivalry of some Petersburg officer, of
the suppositions and the counsels of Stepan Arkadyevitch.
Stepan Arkadyevitch smiled. He knew what was passing in Levins
soul.
"Ill come some day," he said. "But women, my boy, theyre the
pivot everything turns upon. Things are in a bad way with me,
very bad. And its all through women. Tell me frankly now," he
pursued, picking up a cigar and keeping one hand on his glass;
"give me your advice."
"Why, what is it?"
"Ill tell you. Suppose youre married, you love your wife, but
youre fascinated by another woman..."
"Excuse me, but Im absolutely unable to comprehend how...just as
I cant comprehend how I could now, after my dinner, go straight
to a bakers shop and steal a roll."
Stepan Arkadyevitchs eyes sparkled more than usual.
"Why not? A roll will sometimes smell so good one cant resist
it."
"Himmlisch ists, wenn ich bezwungen
Meine irdische Begier;
Aber doch wenns nich gelungen
Hatt ich auch recht huebsch Plaisir!"
As he said this, Stepan Arkadyevitch smiled subtly. Levin, too,
could not help smiling.
"Yes, but joking apart," resumed Stepan Arkadyevitch, "you must
understand that the woman is a sweet, gentle loving creature,
poor and lonely, and has sacrificed everything. Now, when the
things done, dont you see, can one possibly cast her off? Even
supposing one parts from her, so as not to break up ones family
life, still, can one help feeling for her, setting her on her
feet, softening her lot?"
"Well, you must excuse me there. You know to me all women are
divided into two classes...at least no...truer to say: there are
women and there are...Ive never seen exquisite fallen beings,
and I never shall see them, but such creatures as that painted
Frenchwoman at the counter with the ringlets are vermin to my
mind, and all fallen women are the same."
"But the Magdalen?"
"Ah, drop that! Christ would never have said those words if He
had known how they would be abused. Of all the Gospel those
words are the only ones remembered. However, Im not saying so
much what I think, as what I feel. I have a loathing for fallen
women. Youre afraid of spiders, and I of these vermin. Most
likely youve not made a study of spiders and dont know their
character; and so it is with me."
"Its very well for you to talk like that; its very much like
that gentleman in Dickens who used to fling all difficult
questions over his right shoulder. But to deny the facts is no
answer. Whats to be done--you tell me that, whats to be done?
Your wife gets older, while youre full of life. Before youve
time to look round, you feel that you
Anna Karenina page 22 Anna Karenina page 24
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