Page 1275 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

There had arisen of late something like a secret
antagonism between the two brothers-in-law; as though,
since they had married sisters, a kind of rivalry had sprung
up between them as to which was ordering his life best,

and now this hostility showed itself in the conversation, as
it began to take a personal note.
‘I don’t give it away, because no one demands that
from me, and if I wanted to, I could not give it away,’
answered Levin, ‘and have no one to give it to.’
‘Give it to this peasant, he would not refuse it.’
‘Yes, but how am I to give it up? Am I to go to him
and make a deed of conveyance?’
‘I don’t know; but if you are convinced that you have
no right..’
‘I’m not at all convinced. On the contrary, I feel I have
no right to give it up, that I have duties both to the land
and to my family.’
‘No, excuse me, but if you consider this inequality is
unjust, why is it you don’t act accordingly?..’
‘Well, I do act negatively on that idea, so far as not
trying to increase the difference of position existing
between him and me.’
‘No, excuse me, that’s a paradox.’

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