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princess, who could not pardon Levin’s action, became extraordinarily
lively and good humored, like children after a punishment or grown-up
people after a dreary, ceremonious reception, so that by the evening
Vassenka’s dismissal was spoken of, in the absence of the princess, as
though it were some remote event. And Dolly, who had inherited her
father’s gift of humorous storytelling, made Varenka helpless with laugh-
ter as she related for the third and fourth time, always with fresh
humorous additions, how she had only just put on her new shoes for
the benefit of the visitor, and on going into the drawing room, heard
suddenly the rumble of the trap. And who should be in the trap but
Vassenka himself, with his Scotch cap, and his songs and his gaiters,
and all, sitting in the hay.
“If only you’d ordered out the carriage! But no! and then I hear:
‘Stop!’ Oh, I thought they’ve relented. I look out, and behold a fat
German being sat down by him and driving away.... And my new
shoes all for nothing!...”
Chapter 16.
Darya Alexandrovna carried out her intention and went to see
Anna. She was sorry to annoy her sister and to do anything Levin
disliked. She quite understood how right the Levins were in not wish-
ing to have anything to do with Vronsky. But she felt she must go and
see Anna, and show her that her feelings could not be changed, in
spite of the change in her position. That she might be independent of
the Levins in this expedition, Darya Alexandrovna sent to the village
to hire horses for the drive; but Levin learning of it went to her to
protest.
“What makes you suppose that I dislike your going? But, even if
I did dislike it, I should still more dislike your not taking my horses,” he
said. “You never told me that you were going for certain. Hiring horses
in the village is disagreeable to me, and, what’s of more importance,
they’ll undertake the job and never get you there. I have horses. And
if you don’t want to wound me, you’ll take mine.”
Darya Alexandrovna had to consent, and on the day fixed Levin
had ready for his sister-in-law a set of four horses and relays, getting
them together from the farm- and saddle-horses—not at all a smart-
looking set, but capable of taking Darya Alexandrovna the whole dis-
tance in a single day. At that moment, when horses were wanted for
the princess, who was going, and for the midwife, it was a difficult