Anna Karenina (Penguin) - Leo Tolstoy [348]
But the place where the fly had bitten Levin was evidently still sore, because he turned pale again when Stepan Arkadyich wanted to explain the reason and hastily interrupted him:
‘Please, don’t explain any reasons! I could not do otherwise! I am very ashamed before you and before him. But for him I don’t think it will be a great misfortune to leave, while for me and my wife his presence is disagreeable.’
‘But it’s insulting to him! Et puis c’est ridicule!’
‘And for me it’s both insulting and painful! And I’m not at fault in anything, and there’s no need for me to suffer!’
‘Well, I never expected this from you! On peut être jaloux, mais à ce point, c’est du dernier ridicule!’bn
Levin turned quickly, walked away from him into the depths of the alley and went on pacing back and forth alone. Soon he heard the clatter of the tarantass and through the trees saw Vasenka, sitting on some hay (as luck would have it there was no seat on the tarantass), in his Scotch cap, bobbing with the bumps as they rolled down the drive.
‘What’s this now?’ thought Levin, when a footman ran out of the house and stopped the tarantass. It was the mechanic, whom Levin had completely forgotten. The mechanic bowed and said something to Veslovsky; then he got into the tarantass and they drove off together.
Stepan Arkadyich and the princess were indignant at Levin’s act. And he himself felt that he was not only ridicule in the highest degree, but also guilty and disgraced all round; but, recalling what he and his wife had suffered through, he asked himself how he would act another time and replied that he would do exactly the same thing.
Despite all that, towards the end of the day everybody except the princess, who could not forgive Levin this act, became extremely animated and merry, like children after being punished or grown-ups after a difficult official reception, and that evening, in the princess’s absence, Vasenka’s banishment was talked about like a long-past event. And Dolly, who had inherited her father’s gift for comic storytelling, made Varenka roll with laughter when she told for the third or fourth time, always with new humorous additions, how she had been about to put on some new ribbons for the guest and come out to the drawing room, when she suddenly heard the noise of the old rattletrap. And who was in the old rattletrap but Vasenka himself, with his Scotch cap, and his romances, and his leggings, sitting on the hay.
‘You might at least have had the carriage harnessed! But no, and then I hear: “Wait!” Well, I think, they’ve taken pity on him. I look, and they put the fat German in with him and drive off ... And my ribbons all went for naught!...’
XVI
Darya Alexandrovna carried out her intention and went to see Anna. She was very sorry to upset her sister and cause her husband unpleasantness; she understood how right the Levins were in not wishing to have any connections with Vronsky; but she considered it her duty to visit Anna and show her that her feelings could not change, despite the change in Anna’s situation.
So as not to depend on the Levins for the trip, Darya Alexandrovna sent to the village to hire horses; but Levin, learning of it, came to reprimand her.
‘Why do you think your trip is unpleasant for me? And even if it was unpleasant, it is still more unpleasant that you’re not taking my horses,’ he said. ‘You never once told me you had decided on going. And to hire in the village is, first of all, unpleasant for me, but the main thing is that they’ll promise to get you there and won’t do it. I have horses. And if you don’t want to upset me, you’ll take mine.’
Darya Alexandrovna had to consent, and on the appointed day Levin prepared a four-in-hand and a relay, assembling it from work and saddle horses, not very handsome, but capable of getting Darya Alexandrovna there in a day. Now, when horses were needed both for the departing princess and for the midwife, this was difficult for Levin, but by the duty of hospitality he could