1028 1029
“Why, Kostya, you here too! I suppose you’re converted, eh?” he
added, turning to Levin and drawing his arm through his. Levin would
have been glad indeed to be converted, but could not make out what
the point was, and retreating a few steps from the speakers, he ex-
plained to Stepan Arkadyevitch his inability to understand why the
marshal of the province should be asked to stand.
“O sancta simplicitas!” said Stepan Arkadyevitch, and briefly and
clearly he explained it to Levin. If, as at previous elections, all the
districts asked the marshal of the province to stand, then he would be
elected without a ballot. That must not be. Now eight districts had
agreed to call upon him: if two refused to do so, Snetkov might decline
to stand at all; and then the old party might choose another of their
party, which would throw them completely out in their reckoning. But
if only one district, Sviazhsky’s, did not call upon him to stand, Snetkov
would let himself be balloted for. They were even, some of them, going
to vote for him, and purposely to let him get a good many votes, so that
the enemy might be thrown off the scent, and when a candidate of the
other side was put up, they too might give him some votes. Levin
understood to some extent, but not fully, and would have put a few
more questions, when suddenly everyone began talking and making a
noise and they moved towards the big room.
“What is it? eh? whom?” “No guarantee? whose? what?” “They
won’t pass him?” “No guarantee?” “They won’t let Flerov in?” “Eh,
because of the charge against him?” “Why, at this rate, they won’t
admit anyone. It’s a swindle!” “The law!” Levin heard exclamations on
all sides, and he moved into the big room together with the others, all
hurrying somewhere and afraid of missing something. Squeezed by
the crowding noblemen, he drew near the high table where the mar-
shal of the province, Sviazhsky, and the other leaders were hotly dis-
puting about something.
Chapter 28.
Levin was standing rather far off. A nobleman breathing heavily
and hoarsely at his side, and another whose thick boots were creaking,
prevented him from hearing distinctly. He could only hear the soft
voice of the marshal faintly, then the shrill voice of the malignant gentle-
man, and then the voice of Sviazhsky. They were disputing, as far as he
could make out, as to the interpretation to be put on the act and the
exact meaning of the words: “liable to be called up for trial.”
The crowd parted to make way for Sergey Ivanovitch approaching
the table. Sergey Ivanovitch, waiting till the malignant gentleman had
finished speaking, said that he thought the best solution would be to
refer to the act itself, and asked the secretary to find the act. The act
said that in case of difference of opinion, there must be a ballot.
Sergey Ivanovitch read the act and began to explain its meaning,
but at that point a tall, stout, round-shouldered landowner, with dyed
whiskers, in a tight uniform that cut the back of his neck, interrupted
him. He went up to the table, and striking it with his finger ring, he
shouted loudly: “A ballot! Put it to the vote! No need for more talking!”
Then several voices began to talk all at once, and the tall nobleman
with the ring, getting more and more exasperated, shouted more and
more loudly. But it was impossible to make out what he said.
He was shouting for the very course Sergey Ivanovitch had pro-