Anna Karenina (Penguin) - Leo Tolstoy [76]
‘These stupid chignons! You can’t even get to your real daughter, but only caress the hair of dead wenches. Well, Dolinka,’ he turned to his eldest daughter, ‘what’s your trump up to?’
‘Nothing, papa,’ answered Dolly, understanding that he meant her husband. ‘He goes out all the time, I almost never see him,’ she could not help adding with a mocking smile.
‘So he hasn’t gone to the country yet to sell the wood?’
‘No, he keeps getting ready to.’
‘Really!’ said the prince. ‘And I, too, must get myself ready? I’m listening, ma’am,’ he turned to his wife as he sat down. ‘And as for you, Katia,’ he added to his youngest daughter, ‘sometime or other, you’ll have to wake up one fine morning and say to yourself: “Why, I’m perfectly well and cheerful, and I’m going to go with papa again for an early morning walk in the frost.” Eh?’
What her father said seemed so simple, yet Kitty became confused and bewildered at these words, like a caught criminal. ‘Yes, he knows everything, understands everything, and with these words he’s telling me that, though I’m ashamed, I must get over my shame.’ She could not pluck up her spirits enough to make any reply. She tried to begin, but suddenly burst into tears and rushed from the room.
‘You and your jokes!’ The princess flew at her husband. ‘You always ...’ she began her reproachful speech.
The prince listened for quite a long time to her rebukes and kept silent, but his face frowned more and more.
‘She’s so pitiful, the poor dear, so pitiful, and you don’t feel how any hint at the cause of it hurts her. Ah, to be so mistaken about other people!’ said the princess, and by the change in her tone Dolly and the prince realized that she was speaking of Vronsky. ‘I don’t understand why there are no laws against such vile, ignoble people.’
‘Ah, I can’t listen!’ the prince said gloomily, getting up from his armchair and making as if to leave, but stopping in the doorway. ‘There are laws, dearest, and since you’re calling me out on it, I’ll tell you who is to blame for it all: you, you and you alone. There are and always have been laws against such young devils! Yes, ma’am, and if it hadn’t been for what should never have been, I, old as I am, would have challenged him to a duel, that fop. Yes, so treat her now, bring in your charlatans.’
The prince seemed to have much more to say, but as soon as the princess heard his tone, she humbled herself and repented, as always with serious questions.
‘Alexandre, Alexandre,’ she whispered, moving closer, and burst into tears.
As soon as she began to cry, the prince also subsided. He went over to her.
‘Well, there, there! It’s hard for you, too, I know. What can we do? It’s no great calamity. God is merciful ... give thanks ...’ he said, no longer knowing what he was saying, in response to the princess’s wet kiss, which he felt on his hand, and he left the room.
When Kitty left the room in tears, Dolly, with her motherly, family habit of mind, saw at once that there was woman’s work to be done, and she prepared to do it. She took off her hat and, morally rolling up her sleeves, prepared for action. During her mother’s attack on her father, she tried to restrain her mother as far as daughterly respect permitted. During the prince’s outburst, she kept silent; she felt shame for her mother and tenderness towards her father for the instant return of his kindness; but when her father went out, she got ready to do the main thing necessary - to go to Kitty and comfort her.
‘I’ve long been meaning to tell you, maman: do you know that Levin was going to propose to Kitty when he was here the last time?