Page 200 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

he cried suddenly. ‘These new institutions, these justices
of the peace, rural councils, what hideousness it all is!’
And he began to enlarge on his encounters with the
new institutions.

Konstantin Levin heard him, and the disbelief in the
sense of all public institutions, which he shared with him,
and often expressed, was distasteful to him now from his
brother’s lips.
‘In another world we shall understand it all,’ he said
lightly.
‘In another world! Ah, I don’t like that other world! I
don’t like it,’ he said, letting his scared eyes rest on his
brother’s eyes. ‘Here one would think that to get out of all
the baseness and the mess, one’s own and other people’s,
would be a good thing, and yet I’m afraid of death,
awfully afraid of death.’ He shuddered. ‘But do drink
something. Would you like some champagne? Or shall we
go somewhere? Let’s go to the Gypsies! Do you know I
have got so fond of the Gypsies and Russian songs.’
His speech had begun to falter, and he passed abruptly
from one subject to another. Konstantin with the help of
Masha persuaded him not to go out anywhere, and got
him to bed hopelessly drunk.

199 of 1759