Page 346 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

laborers Levin seldom lost his temper. When Vassily came
up, Levin told him to lead the horse to the hedge.
‘It’s all right, sir, it’ll spring up again,’ responded
Vassily.

‘Please don’t argue,’ said Levin, ‘but do as you’re told.’
‘Yes, sir,’ answered Vassily, and he took the horse’s
head. ‘What a sowing, Konstantin Dmitrievitch,’ he said,
hesitating; ‘first rate. Only it’s a work to get about! You
drag a ton of earth on your shoes.’
‘Why is it you have earth that’s not sifted?’ said Levin.
‘Well, we crumble it up,’ answered Vassily, taking up
some seed and rolling the earth in his palms.
Vassily was not to blame for their having filled up his
cart with unsifted earth, but still it was annoying.
Levin had more than once already tried a way he knew
for stifling his anger, and turning all that seemed dark right
again, and he tried that way now. He watched how
Mishka strode along, swinging the huge clods of earth that
clung to each foot; and getting off his horse, he took the
sieve from Vassily and started sowing himself.
‘Where did you stop?’
Vassily pointed to the mark with his foot, and Levin
went forward as best he could, scattering the seed on the
land. Walking was a difficult as on a bog, and by the time

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