Page 84 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

resumed—‘She has a gift of foreseeing things. She sees
right through people; but that’s not all; she knows what
will come to pass, especially in the way of marriages. She
foretold, for instance, that Princess Shahovskaya would

marry Brenteln. No one would believe it, but it came to
pass. And she’s on your side.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘It’s not only that she likes you—she says that Kitty is
certain to be your wife.’
At these words Levin’s face suddenly lighted up with a
smile, a smile not far from tears of emotion.
‘She says that!’ cried Levin. ‘I always said she was
exquisite, your wife. There, that’s enough, enough said
about it,’ he said, getting up from his seat.
‘All right, but do sit down.’
But Levin could not sit down. He walked with his firm
tread twice up and down the little cage of a room, blinked
his eyelids that his tears might not fall, and only then sat
down to the table.
‘You must understand,’ said he, ‘it’s not love. I’ve been
in love, but it’s not that. It’s not my feeling, but a sort of
force outside me has taken possession of me. I went away,
you see, because I made up my mind that it could never
be, you understand, as a happiness that does not come on

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