Page 982 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

priest was the same old man that had confessed Levin. He
looked with weary and melancholy eyes at the bride and
bridegroom, sighed, and putting his right hand out from
his vestment, blessed the bridegroom with it, and also with

a shade of solicitous tenderness laid the crossed fingers on
the bowed head of Kitty. Then he gave them the candles,
and taking the censer, moved slowly away from them.
‘Can it be true?’ thought Levin, and he looked round
at his bride. Looking down at her he saw her face in
profile, and from the scarcely perceptible quiver of her lips
and eyelashes he knew she was aware of his eyes upon her.
She did not look round, but the high scalloped collar, that
reached her little pink ear, trembled faintly. He saw that a
sigh was held back in her throat, and the little hand in the
long glove shook as it held the candle.
All the fuss of the shirt, of being late, all the talk of
friends and relations, their annoyance, his ludicrous
position—all suddenly passed way and he was filled with
joy and dread.
The handsome, stately head-deacon wearing a silver
robe and his curly locks standing out at each side of his
head, stepped smartly forward, and lifting his stole on two
fingers, stood opposite the priest.

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