Page 966 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

lair. Seriously, let’s go by the five o’clock! And here let
them do what they like,’ said Tchirikov, smiling.
‘Well, now, on my honor,’ said Levin, smiling, ‘I can’t
find in my heart that feeling of regret for my freedom.’

‘Yes, there’s such a chaos in your heart just now that
you can’t find anything there,’ said Katavasov. ‘Wait a bit,
when you set it to rights a little, you’ll find it!’
‘No; if so, I should have felt a little, apart from my
feeling’ (he could not say love before them) ‘and
happiness, a certain regret at losing my freedom.... On the
contrary, I am glad at the very loss of my freedom.’
‘Awful! It’s a hopeless case!’ said Katavasov. ‘Well, let’s
drink to his recovery, or wish that a hundredth part of his
dreams may be realized—and that would be happiness
such as never has been seen on earth!’
Soon after dinner the guests went away to be in time to
be dressed for the wedding.
When he was left alone, and recalled the conversation
of these bachelor friends, Levin asked himself: had he in
his heart that regret for his freedom of which they had
spoken? He smiled at the question. ‘Freedom! What is
freedom for? Happiness is only in loving and wishing her
wishes, thinking her thoughts, that is to say, not freedom
at all—that’s happiness!’

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