Anna Karenina (Dole)/Part One/Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV
After the guests had gone, Kitty told her mother of her conversation with Levin; and, in spite of all the pain that she had caused him, the thought that he had asked her to marry him flattered her. She had no doubt that she had acted properly, but it was long before she could go to sleep. One memory constantly arose in her mind: it was Levin's face as, with contracted brow, he stood listening to her father, looking at her and Vronsky with his gloomy, melancholy, kind eyes. She felt so sorry for him that she could not keep back the tears. But, as she thought of him who had replaced Levin in her regards, she saw vividly his handsome, strong, and manly face, his aristocratic self- possession, his universal kindness to every one; she recalled his love for her, and how she loved him, and joy came back to her heart. She laid her head on the pillow, and smiled with happiness.
"It is too bad, too bad; but what can I do? It is not my fault," she said to herself, although an inward voice whispered the contrary. She did not know whether she ought to reproach herself for having been attracted to Levin, or for having refused him; but her happiness was not alloyed with doubts. "Lord, have mercy upon me! Lord, have mercy upon me! Lord, have mercy upon me!" she repeated until she went to sleep.
Meantime, down-stairs, in the prince's little library, there was going on one of those scenes which frequently occurred between the parents in regard to their favorite daughter.
"What? This is what!" cried the prince, waving his arms and immediately wrapping around him his squirrel-skin khalat. "You have neither pride nor dignity; you are ruining your daughter with this low and ridiculous manner of husband-hunting."
"But in the name of Heaven, prince, what have I done?" said the princess, almost ready to cry.
She had come as usual to say good-night to her husband, feeling very happy and satisfied over her conversation with her daughter; and, though she had not ventured to breathe a word of Levin's proposal and Kitty's rejection of him, she allowed herself to hint to her husband that she thought the affair with Vronsky was settled, that it would be decided as soon as the countess should arrive. At these words the prince had fallen into a passion, and had addressed her with unpleasant reproaches:—
"What have you done? This is what: In the first place you have decoyed a husband for her; and all Moscow will say so, and with justice. If you want to give receptions, give them, by all means, but invite every one, and not suitors of your own choice. Invite all these mashers,"—thus the prince called the young men of Moscow,—"have somebody to play and let 'em dance; but not like to-night, inviting only suitors! It seems to me shameful, shameful, the way you've pushed! You have turned the girl's head. Levin is a thousand times the better man. And as to this Petersburg dandy, he's one of those turned out by machinery, they are all on one pattern, and all trash! My daughter has no need of going out of her way, even for a prince of the blood."
"But what have I done?"
"Why, this .... " cried the prince, angrily.
"I know well enough that, if I listen to you," interrupted the princess, "we shall never see our daughter married; and, in that case, we might just as well go into the country."
"We'd better go!"
"Now wait! Have I made any advances? No, I have not. But a young man, and a very handsome young man, is in love with her; and she, it seems .... "
"Yes, so it seems to you. But suppose she should be in love with him, and he have as much intention of getting married as I myself? Okh! Have n't I eyes to see? 'Akh, spiritism! akh, Nice! akh, the ball!'" .... Here the prince, attempting to imitate his wife, made a courtesy at every word. "We shall be very proud when we have made our Kationka unhappy, and when she really takes it into her head .... "
"But what makes you think so?"
"I don't think so, I know so; and that's why we have eyes, and you mothers have n't. I see a man who has serious intentions,—Levin; and I see a fine bird, like this good-for-nothing, who is merely amusing himself."
"Well! now you have taken it into your head .... "
"You will remember what I have said, but too late, as you did with Dashenka."
"Very well, very well, we will not say anything more about it," said the princess, who was cut short by the remembrance of Dolly's unhappiness.
"So much the better, and good-night."
The husband and wife, as they separated, kissed each other good-night, making the sign of the cross, but with the consciousness that each remained unchanged in opinion.
The princess had at first been firmly convinced that Kitty's fate was decided by the events of the evening, and that there could be no doubt of Vronsky's designs; but her husband's words troubled her. On her return to her room, as she thought in terror of the unknown future, she did just as Kitty had done, and prayed from the bottom of her heart, "Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!"