Emma Watson Pussy
Books:
Anna Karenina
War And Peace
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persons was for some reason considered unseemly; it
was ridiculed by every one, and by the princess herself. But how
girls were to be married, and how parents were to marry them, no
one knew. Everyone with whom the princess had chanced to discuss
the matter said the same thing: "Mercy on us, its high time in
our day to cast off all that old-fashioned business. Its the
young people have to marry; and not their parents; and so we
ought to leave the young people to arrange it as they choose." It
was very easy for anyone to say that who had no daughters, but
the princess realized that in the process of getting to know each
other, her daughter might fall in love, and fall in love with
someone who did not care to marry her or who was quite unfit to
be her husband. And, however much it was instilled into the
princess that in our times young people ought to arrange their
lives for themselves, she was unable to believe it, just as she
would have been unable to believe that, at any time whatever, the
most suitable playthings for children five years old ought to be
loaded pistols. And so the princess was more uneasy over Kitty
than she had been over her elder sisters.
Now she was afraid that Vronsky might confine himself to simply
flirting with her daughter. She saw that her daughter was in
love with him, but tried to comfort herself with the thought that
he was an honorable man, and would not do this. But at the same
time she knew how easy it is, with the freedom of manners of
today, to turn a girls head, and how lightly men generally
regard such a crime. The week before, Kitty had told her mother
of a conversation she had with Vronsky during a mazurka. This
conversation had partly reassured the princess; but perfectly at
ease she could not be. Vronsky had told Kitty that both he and
his brother were so used to obeying their mother that they never
made up their minds to any important undertaking without
consulting her. "And just now, I am impatiently awaiting my
mothers arrival from Petersburg, as peculiarly fortunate," he
told her.
Kitty had repeated this without attaching any significance to the
words. But her mother saw them in a different light. She knew
that the old lady was expected from day to day, that she would be
pleased at her sons choice, and she felt it strange that he
should not make his offer through fear of vexing his mother.
However, she was so anxious for the marriage itself, and still
more for relief from her fears, that she believed it was so.
Bitter as it was for the princess to see the unhappiness of her
eldest daughter, Dolly, on the point of leaving her husband, her
anxiety over the decision of her youngest daughters fate
engrossed all her feelings. Today, with Levins reappearance, a
fresh source of anxiety arose. She was afraid that her daughter,
who had at one time, as she fancied, a feeling for Levin, might,
from extreme sense of honor, refuse Vronsky, and that Levins
arrival might generally complicate and delay the affair so near
being concluded.
"Why, has he been here long?" the princess asked about Levin, as
they returned home.
"He came today, mamma."
"Theres one thing I want to say..." began the princess, and from
her serious and alert face, Kitty guessed what it would be.
"Mamma," she said, flushing hotly and turning quickly to her,
"please, please dont say anything about that. I know, I know
all about it."
She wished for what her mother wished for, but the motives of her
mothers wishes wounded her.
"I only want to say that to raise hopes..."
"Mamma, darling, for goodness sake, dont talk about it. Its
so horrible to talk about it."
"I wont," said her mother, seeing the tears in her daughters
eyes; "but one thing, my love; you promised me you would have no
secrets from me. You wont?"
"Never, mamma, none," answered Kitty, flushing a little, and
looking her mother straight in the face, "but theres no use in
my telling you anything, and I...I...if I wanted to, I dont know
what to say or how...I dont know..."
"No, she could not tell an untruth with those eyes," thought the
mother, smiling at her agitation and happiness. The princess
smiled that what was taking place just
Anna Karenina page 25 Anna Karenina page 27
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