Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/763

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ANNA KARENINA
81

he. "We are going along in due order by the book. Only, now that Stiva is coming, we shall be going hunting, so we shall have to neglect them."

And Levin went to find Grisha.

Varenka was saying almost the same thing to Kitty. Varenka had found the way of being useful even in the Levins' happy, well-ordered household.

"I will go and see about supper, and you keep your seat," said she, and she joined Agafya Mikhaïlovna.

"Yes, yes! but you won't find the chickens. Then ...." said Kitty.

"Agafya Mikhaïlovna and I will settle the difficulty," said Varenka, and disappeared with her.

"What a pretty girl!" exclaimed the princess.

"Not pretty, maman, but the charmingest girl in the world."

"And so you are expecting Stepan Arkadyevitch, are you?" said Sergyeï Ivanovitch, evidently not liking to have the conversation about Varenka prolonged. "It would be hard to find two brothers-in-law less alike," said he, with a sly smile. "One versatile, living only in society, like a fish in the water; the other, our Kostia. full of life and activity, quick at everything, but as soon as he gets into society he either gives up the ghost or flops about aimlessly, like a fish on dry land!"

"Yes, he is very heedless," said the princess, addressing Sergyeï Ivanovitch. "I wanted especially to ask you to persuade him that it is impossible for her"—she was referring to Kitty—"to stay here; she certainly ought to be taken to Moscow. He says write for a doctor...."

"Maman, he is doing everything; he agrees to all you want," said Kitty, vexed with her mother for drawing Sergyeï Ivanovitch into this matter as a judge.

While they were talking, the whinnying of a horse on the driveway was heard, and the sound of wheels on the stones.

Before Dolly could jump up to go and meet her husband. Levin jumped out of the window of the room downstairs where he was teaching Grisha, and put Grisha out