Page 350 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

Chapter 14

As he rode up to the house in the happiest frame of
mind, Levin heard the bell ring at the side of the principal
entrance of the house.
‘Yes, that’s someone from the railway station,’ he
thought, ‘just the time to be here from the Moscow
train...Who could it be? What if it’s brother Nikolay? He
did say: ‘Maybe I’ll go to the waters, or maybe I’ll come
down to you.’’ He felt dismayed and vexed for the first
minute, that his brother Nikolay’s presence should come
to disturb his happy mood of spring. But he felt ashamed
of the feeling, and at once he opened, as it were, the arms
of his soul, and with a softened feeling of joy and
expectation, now he hoped with all his heart that it was
his brother. He pricked up his horse, and riding out from
behind the acacias he saw a hired three-horse sledge from
the railway station, and a gentleman in a fur coat. It was
not his brother. ‘Oh, if it were only some nice person one
could talk to a little!’ he thought.
‘Ah,’ cried Levin joyfully, flinging up both his hands.
‘Here’s a delightful visitor! Ah, how glad I am to see you!’
he shouted, recognizing Stepan Arkadyevitch.

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