Emma Watson Pussy
Books:
Anna Karenina
War And Peace
|
with emotion as she answered:
"In the top part there is scarcely any difference, its in the
stalk."
And as soon as these words were uttered, both he and she felt
that it was over, that what was to have been said would not be
said; and their emotion, which had up to then been continually
growing more intense, began to subside.
"The birch mushrooms stalk suggests a dark mans chin after two
days without shaving," said Sergey Ivanovitch, speaking quite
calmly now.
"Yes, thats true," answered Varenka smiling, and unconsciously
the direction of their walk changed. They began to turn towards
the children. Varenka felt both sore and ashamed; at the same
time she had a sense of relief.
When he had got home again and went over the whole subject,
Sergey Ivanovitch thought his previous decision had been a
mistaken one. He could not be false to the memory of Marie.
"Gently, children, gently!" Levin shouted quite angrily to the
children, standing before his wife to protect her when the crowd
of children flew with shrieks of delight to meet them.
Behind the children Sergey Ivanovitch and Varenka walked out of
the wood. Kitty had no need to ask Varenka; she saw from the
calm and somewhat crestfallen faces of both that her plans had
not come off.
"Well?" her husband questioned her as they were going home again.
"It doesnt bite," said Kitty, her smile and manner of speaking
recalling her father, a likeness Levin often noticed with
pleasure.
"How doesnt bite?"
"Ill show you," she said, taking her husbands hand, lifting it
to her mouth, and just faintly brushing it with closed lips.
"Like a kiss on a priests hand."
"Which didnt it bite with?" he said, laughing.
"Both. But it should have been like this..."
"There are some peasants coming..."
"Oh, they didnt see."
Chapter 6
During the time of the childrens tea the grown-up people sat in
the balcony and talked as though nothing had happened, though
they all, especially Sergey Ivanovitch and Varenka, were very
well aware that there had happened an event which, though
negative, was of very great importance. They both had the same
feeling, rather like that of a schoolboy after an examination,
which has left him in the same class or shut him out of the
school forever. Everyone present, feeling too that something
had happened, talked eagerly about extraneous subjects. Levin
and Kitty were particularly happy and conscious of their love
that evening. And their happiness in their love seemed to imply
a disagreeable slur on those who would have liked to feel the
same and could not--and they felt a prick of conscience.
"Mark my words, Alexander will not come," said the old princess.
That evening they were expecting Stepan Arkadyevitch to come down
by train, and the old prince had written that possibly he might
come too.
"And I know why," the princess went on; "he says that young
people ought to be left alone for a while at first."
"But papa has left us alone. Weve never seen him," said Kitty.
"Besides, were not young people!--were old, married people by
now."
"Only if he doesnt come, I shall say good-bye to you children,"
said the princess, sighing mournfully.
"What nonsense, mamma!" both the daughters fell upon her at once.
"How do you suppose he is feeling? Why, now..."
And suddenly there was an unexpected quiver in the princesss
voice. Her daughters were silent, and looked at one another.
"Maman always finds something to be miserable about," they said
in that glance. They did not know that happy as the princess was
in her daughters house, and useful as she felt herself to be
there, she had been extremely miserable, both on her own account
and her husbands, ever since they had married their last and
favorite daughter, and the old home had been left empty.
"What is it, Agafea Mihalovna?" Kitty asked suddenly of Agafea
Mihalovna, who was standing with a mysterious air, and a face
full of meaning.
"About supper."
"Well, thats right," said Dolly; "you go and arrange about it,
and Ill go and hear Grisha repeat his lesson, or else he will
have nothing done all day."
"Thats my lesson! No, Dolly, Im going," said Levin, jumping
up.
Grisha, who was by now at a high school, had to go over the
lessons of the term in the summer holidays. Darya Alexandrovna,
who had been studying Latin with her son in Moscow before, had
made it a rule on coming to the Levins to go over with him, at
least once a
Anna Karenina page 324 Anna Karenina page 326
|
