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“Do let us try table-turning at once, please,” said Vronsky. “Prin-
cess, will you allow it?”
And Vronsky stood up, looking for a little table.
Kitty got up to fetch a table, and as she passed, her eyes met
Levin’s. She felt for him with her whole heart, the more because she
was pitying him for suffering of which she was herself the cause. “If
you can forgive me, forgive me,” said her eyes, “I am so happy.”
“I hate them all, and you, and myself,” his eyes responded, and he
took up his hat. But he was not destined to escape. Just as they were
arranging themselves round the table, and Levin was on the point of
retiring, the old prince came in, and after greeting the ladies, addressed
Levin.
“Ah!” he began joyously. “Been here long, my boy? I didn’t even
know you were in town. Very glad to see you.” The old prince em-
braced Levin, and talking to him did not observe Vronsky, who had
risen, and was serenely waiting till the prince should turn to him.
Kitty felt how distasteful her father’s warmth was to Levin after
what had happened. She saw, too, how coldly her father responded at
last to Vronsky’s bow, and how Vronsky looked with amiable perplexity
at her father, as though trying and failing to understand how and why
anyone could be hostilely disposed towards him, and she flushed.
“Prince, let us have Konstantin Dmitrievitch,” said Countess
Nordston; “we want to try an experiment.”
“What experiment? Table-turning? Well, you must excuse me,
ladies and gentlemen, but to my mind it is better fun to play the ring
game,” said the old prince, looking at Vronsky, and guessing that it had
been his suggestion. “There’s some sense in that, anyway.”
Vronsky looked wonderingly at the prince with his resolute eyes,
and, with a faint smile, began immediately talking to Countess Nordston
of the great ball that was to come off next week.
“I hope you will be there?” he said to Kitty. As soon as the old
prince turned away from him, Levin went out unnoticed, and the last
impression he carried away with him of that evening was the smiling,
happy face of Kitty answering Vronsky’s inquiry about the ball.