Page 1507 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

drawn to the work. You speak of energy. Energy rests
upon love; and come as it will, there’s no forcing it. I took
to this child—I could not myself say why.’
And she glanced again at Levin. And her smile and her

glance— all told him that it was to him only she was
addressing her words, valuing his good opinion, and at the
same time sure beforehand that they understood each
other.
‘I quite understand that,’ Levin answered. ‘It’s
impossible to give one’s heart to a school or such
institutions in general, and I believe that’s just why
philanthropic institutions always give such poor results.’
she was silent for a while, then she smiled.
‘Yes, yes,’ she agreed; ‘I never could. Je n’ai pas le
coeur assez large to love a whole asylum of horrid little
girls. Cela ne m’a jamais reussi. There are so many women
who have made themselves une position sociale in that
way. And now more than ever,’ she said with a mournful,
confiding expression, ostensibly addressing her brother,
but unmistakably intending her words only for Levin,
‘now when I have such need of some occupation, I
cannot.’ And suddenly frowning (Levin saw that she was
frowning at herself for talking about herself) she changed
the subject. ‘I know about you,’ she said to Levin; ‘that

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