Page 66 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

said; and then, recollecting with what intention he was
trying to see her, he was promptly overcome with
confusion and blushed.
‘I didn’t know you could skate, and skate so well.’

She looked at him earnestly, as though wishing to make
out the cause of his confusion.
‘Your praise is worth having. The tradition is kept up
here that you are the best of skaters,’ she said, with her
little black-gloved hand brushing a grain of hoarfrost off
her muff.
‘Yes, I used once to skate with passion; I wanted to
reach perfection.’
‘You do everything with passion, I think,’ she said
smiling. ‘I should so like to see how you skate. Put on
skates, and let us skate together.’
‘Skate together! Can that be possible?’ thought Levin,
gazing at her.
‘I’ll put them on directly,’ he said.
And he went off to get skates.
‘It’s a long while since we’ve seen you here, sir,’ said
the attendant, supporting his foot, and screwing on the
heel of the skate. ‘Except you, there’s none of the
gentlemen first-rate skaters. Will that be all right?’ said he,
tightening the strap.

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