Page 718 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

exceptionally modest over his culture. There was not a
subject he knew nothing of. But he did not display his
knowledge except when he was compelled to do so. Still
less could Levin say that he was a knave, as Sviazhsky was

unmistakably an honest, good-hearted, sensible man, who
worked good-humoredly, keenly, and perseveringly at his
work; he was held in high honor by everyone about him,
and certainly he had never consciously done, and was
indeed incapable of doing, anything base.
Levin tried to understand him, and could not
understand him, and looked at him and his life as at a
living enigma.
Levin and he were very friendly, and so Levin used to
venture to sound Sviazhsky, to try to get at the very
foundation of his view of life; but it was always in vain.
Every time Levin tried to penetrate beyond the outer
chambers of Sviazhsky’s mind, which were hospitably
open to all, he noticed that Sviazhsky was slightly
disconcerted; faint signs of alarm were visible in his eyes,
as though he were afraid Levin would understand him,
and he would give him a kindly, good-humored repulse.
Just now, since his disenchantment with farming, Levin
was particularly glad to stay with Sviazhsky. Apart from
the fact that the sight of this happy and affectionate

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