Page 1305 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

‘Well, the covered trap, then, and make haste. Where’s
the visitor?’
‘The gentleman’s gone to his room.’
Levin came upon Veslovsky at the moment when the

latter, having unpacked his things from his trunk, and laid
out some new songs, was putting on his gaiters to go out
riding.
Whether there was something exceptional in Levin’s
face, or that Vassenka was himself conscious that ce petit
brin de cour he was making was out of place in this
family, but he was somewhat (as much as a young man in
society can be) disconcerted at Levin’s entrance.
‘You ride in gaiters?’
‘Yes, it’s much cleaner,’ said Vassenka, putting his fat
leg on a chair, fastening the bottom hook, and smiling
with simple-hearted good humor.
He was undoubtedly a good-natured fellow, and Levin
felt sorry for him and ashamed of himself, as his host,
when he saw the shy look on Vassenka’s face.
On the table lay a piece of stick which they had broken
together that morning, trying their strength. Levin took
the fragment in his hands and began smashing it up,
breaking bits off the stick, not knowing how to begin.

1304 of 1759