Page 836 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

and there was a merry buzz of voices. Konstantin Levin
was the only person who had not arrived. But this was so
much the better, as going into the dining room, Stepan
Arkadyevitch found to his horror that the port and sherry

had been procured from Depre, and not from Levy, and,
directing that the coachman should be sent off as speedily
as possible to Levy’s, he was going back to the drawing
room.
In the dining room he was met by Konstantin Levin.
‘I’m not late?’
‘You can never help being late!’ said Stepan
Arkadyevitch, taking his arm.
‘Have you a lot of people? Who’s here?’ asked Levin,
unable to help blushing, as he knocked the snow off his
cap with his glove.
‘All our own set. Kitty’s here. Come along, I’ll
introduce you to Karenin.’
Stepan Arkadyevitch, for all his liberal views, was well
aware that to meet Karenin was sure to be felt a flattering
distinction, and so treated his best friends to this honor.
But at that instant Konstantin Levin was not in a condition
to feel all the gratification of making such an acquaintance.
He had not seen Kitty since that memorable evening
when he met Vronsky, not counting, that is, the moment

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