Page 1726 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

different from before. He fancied that now his relations
with all men would be different.
‘With my brother there will be none of that aloofness
there always used to be between us, there will be no

disputes; with Kitty there shall never be quarrels; with the
visitor, whoever he may be, I will be friendly and nice;
with the servants, with Ivan, it will all be different.’
Pulling the stiff rein and holding in the good horse that
snorted with impatience and seemed begging to be let go,
Levin looked round at Ivan sitting beside him, not
knowing what to do with his unoccupied hand,
continually pressing down his shirt as it puffed out, and he
tried to find something to start a conversation about with
him. He would have said that Ivan had pulled the saddle-
girth up too high, but that was like blame, and he longed
for friendly, warm talk. Nothing else occurred to him.
‘Your honor must keep to the right and mind that
stump,’ said the coachman, pulling the rein Levin held.
‘Please don’t touch and don’t teach me!’ said Levin,
angered by this interference. Now, as always, interference
made him angry, and he felt sorrowfully at once how
mistaken had been his supposition that his spiritual
condition could immediately change him in contact with
reality.

1725 of 1759