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almost alternately.) “I didn’t expect you! I’m going through my ward-
robe to see what’s for whom...”
“Oh! that’s very nice!” he said gloomily, looking at the maid.
“You can go, Dunyasha, I’ll call you presently,” said Kitty. “Kostya,
what’s the matter?” she asked, definitely adopting this familiar name
as soon as the maid had gone out. She noticed his strange face, agi-
tated and gloomy, and a panic came over her.
“Kitty! I’m in torture. I can’t suffer alone,” he said with despair in
his voice, standing before her and looking imploringly into her eyes.
He saw already from her loving, truthful face, that nothing could come
of what he had meant to say, but yet he wanted her to reassure him
herself. “I’ve come to say that there’s still time. This can all be stopped
and set right.”
“What? I don’t understand. What is the matter?”
“What I have said a thousand times over, and can’t help thinking
...that I’m not worthy of you. You couldn’t consent to marry me. Think
a little. You’ve made a mistake. Think it over thoroughly. You can’t love
me.... If...better say so,” he said, not looking at her. “I shall be wretched.
Let people say what they like; anything’s better than misery.... Far
better now while there’s still time....”
“I don’t understand,” she answered, panic-stricken; “you mean you
want to give it up...don’t want it?”
“Yes, if you don’t love me.”
“You’re out of your mind!” she cried, turning crimson with vexation.
But his face was so piteous, that she restrained her vexation, and
flinging some clothes off an arm-chair, she sat down beside him. “What
are you thinking? tell me all.”
“I am thinking you can’t love me. What can you love me for?”
“My God! what can I do?...” she said, and burst into tears.
“Oh! what have I done?” he cried, and kneeling before her, he fell
to kissing her hands.
When the princess came into the room five minutes later, she found
them completely reconciled. Kitty had not simply assured him that she
loved him, but had gone so far—in answer to his question, what she
loved him for—as to explain what for. She told him that she loved him
because she understood him completely, because she knew what he
would like, and because everything he liked was good. And this seemed
to him perfectly clear. When the princess came to them, they were
sitting side by side on the chest, sorting the dresses and disputing over
Kitty’s wanting to give Dunyasha the brown dress she had been wear-
ing when Levin proposed to her, while he insisted that that dress must
never be given away, but Dunyasha must have the blue one.
“How is it you don’t see? She’s a brunette, and it won’t suit her....
I’ve worked it all out.”
Hearing why he had come, the princess was half humorously, half
seriously angry with him, and sent him home to dress and not to hinder
Kitty’s hair-dressing, as Charles the hair-dresser was just coming.
“As it is, she’s been eating nothing lately and is losing her looks, and
then you must come and upset her with your nonsense,” she said to
him. “Get along with you, my dear!”
Levin, guilty and shamefaced, but pacified, went back to his hotel.
His brother, Darya Alexandrovna, and Stepan Arkadyevitch, all in full
dress, were waiting for him to bless him with the holy picture. There
was no time to lose. Darya Alexandrovna had to drive home again to
fetch her curled and pomaded son, who was to carry the holy pictures
after the bride. Then a carriage had to be sent for the best man, and
another that would take Sergey Ivanovitch away would have to be sent
back.... Altogether there were a great many most complicated matters