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sensations, it follows that there is no idea of existence.”
“I maintain the contrary,” began Sergey Ivanovitch.
But here it seemed to Levin that just as they were close upon the
real point of the matter, they were again retreating, and he made up his
mind to put a question to the professor.
“According to that, if my senses are annihilated, if my body is dead,
I can have no existence of any sort?” he queried.
The professor, in annoyance, and, as it were, mental suffering at the
interruption, looked round at the strange inquirer, more like a barge-
man than a philosopher, and turned his eyes upon Sergey Ivanovitch,
as though to ask: What’s one to say to him? But Sergey Ivanovitch,
who had been talking with far less heat and one-sidedness than the
professor, and who had sufficient breadth of mind to answer the pro-
fessor, and at the same time to comprehend the simple and natural
point of view from which the question was put, smiled and said:
“That question we have no right to answer as yet.”
“We have not the requisite data,” chimed in the professor, and he
went back to his argument. “No,” he said; “I would point out the fact
that if, as Pripasov directly asserts, perception is based on sensation,
then we are bound to distinguish sharply between these two concep-
tions.”
Levin listened no more, and simply waited for the professor to go.
Chapter 8.
When the professor had gone, Sergey Ivanovitch turned to his
brother.
“Delighted that you’ve come. For some time, is it? How’s your
farming getting on?”
Levin knew that his elder brother took little interest in farming,
and only put the question in deference to him, and so he only told him
about the sale of his wheat and money matters.
Levin had meant to tell his brother of his determination to get
married, and to ask his advice; he had indeed firmly resolved to do so.
But after seeing his brother, listening to his conversation with the pro-
fessor, hearing afterwards the unconsciously patronizing tone in which
his brother questioned him about agricultural matters (their mother’s
property had not been divided, and Levin took charge of both their
shares), Levin felt that he could not for some reason begin to talk to
him of his intention of marrying. He felt that his brother would not
look at it as he would have wished him to.
“Well, how is your district council doing?” asked Sergey Ivanovitch,
who was greatly interested in these local boards and attached great
importance to them.
“I really don’t know.”
“What! Why, surely you’re a member of the board?”