774 775
things. Either I am loath to leave her, or I see she’s dull alone. And I
used to think that, before marriage, life was nothing much, somehow
didn’t count, but that after marriage, life began in earnest. And here
almost three months have passed, and I have spent my time so idly
and unprofitably. No, this won’t do; I must begin. Of course, it’s not her
fault. She’s not to blame in any way. I ought myself to be firmer, to
maintain my masculine independence of action; or else I shall get into
such ways, and she’ll get used to them too.... Of course she’s not to
blame,” he told himself.
But it is hard for anyone who is dissatisfied not to blame someone
else, and especially the person nearest of all to him, for the ground of
his dissatisfaction. And it vaguely came into Levin’s mind that she
herself was not to blame (she could not be to blame for anything), but
what was to blame was her education, too superficial and frivolous.
(“That fool Tcharsky: she wanted, I know, to stop him, but didn’t know
how to.”) “Yes, apart from her interest in the house (that she has), apart
from dress and broderie anglaise, she has no serious interests. No
interest in her work, in the estate, in the peasants, nor in music, though
she’s rather good at it, nor in reading. She does nothing, and is perfectly
satisfied.” Levin, in his heart, censured this, and did not as yet under-
stand that she was preparing for that period of activity which was to
come for her when she would at once be the wife of her husband and
mistress of the house, and would bear, and nurse, and bring up chil-
dren. He knew not that she was instinctively aware of this, and pre-
paring herself for this time of terrible toil, did not reproach herself for
the moments of carelessness and happiness in her love that she en-
joyed now while gaily building her nest for the future.
Chapter 16.
When Levin went upstairs, his wife was sitting near the new silver
samovar behind the new tea service, and, having settled old Agafea
Mihalovna at a little table with a full cup of tea, was reading a letter
from Dolly, with whom they were in continual and frequent correspon-
dence.
“You see, your good lady’s settled me here, told me to sit a bit with
her,” said Agafea Mihalovna, smiling affectionately at Kitty.
In these words of Agafea Mihalovna, Levin read the final act of
the drama which had been enacted of late between her and Kitty. He
saw that, in spite of Agafea Mihalovna’s feelings being hurt by a new
mistress taking the reins of government out of her hands, Kitty had yet
conquered her and made her love her.
“Here, I opened your letter too,” said Kitty, handing him an illiter-
ate letter. “It’s from that woman, I think, your brother’s...” she said. “I
did not read it through. This is from my people and from Dolly. Fancy!
Dolly took Tanya and Grisha to a children’s ball at the Sarmatskys’:
Tanya was a French marquise.”
But Levin did not hear her. Flushing, he took the letter from
Marya Nikolaevna, his brother’s former mistress, and began to read it.
This was the second letter he had received from Marya Nikolaevna. In
the first letter, Marya Nikolaevna wrote that his brother had sent her