Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - Part 4/4 - Audiobooks

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Revenez ver Dixar's enkormieu domain Chiuel's sword, repeated the Frenchman,
impatiently same NOI N s c E Paul and receiving
an answer in the affirmative. Stepan Arkadyevitch, forgetting the favor
he had meant to ask of Lydia Ivanovna, and forgetting
his sister's affairs. Caring for nothing but filled with the

(00:22):
sole desire to get away as soon as possible, went
out on tiptoe and ran out into the street as
though from a plague stricken house. For a long while
he chatted and joked with his cab driver, trying to
recover his spirits, at the French theater where he arrived
for the last act, and afterwards at the Tatar restaurant.
After his champagne, stepan Arkadyevitch felt a little refreshed in

(00:44):
the atmosphere he was used to, but still he felt
quite unlike himself all that evening. On getting home to
pyotor Oblonsky's, where he was staying, stepan Arkadyevitch found a
note from Betsy. She wrote to him that she was
very anxious to finish fish their interrupted conversation and begged
him to come next day. He had scarcely read this

(01:05):
note and frowned at its contents. When he heard below the
ponderous tramp of the servants carrying something heavy, stepan Arkadyevitch
went out to look. It was the rejuvenated Pyodor Oblonski.
He was so drunk that he could not walk upstairs,
but he told them to set him on his legs
when he saw stepan Arkadyevitch, and clinging to him, walked

(01:27):
with him into his room, and there began telling him
how he had spent the evening, and fell asleep doing so.
Stepan Arkadyevitch was in very low spirits, which happened rarely
with him, and for a long while he could not
go to sleep. Everything he could recall to his mind
everything was disgusting. But most disgusting of all, as if
it were something shameful, was the memory of the evening

(01:49):
he had spent at Countess lydia Ivanovna's. Next day, he
received from Alexey Alexandrovitch a final answer refusing to grant
Anna's divorce, and he understood that this decision was based
on what the Frenchman had said in his real or
pretended Trance, chapter twenty three. In order to carry through
any undertaking in family life, there must necessarily be either

(02:11):
complete division between the husband and wife or loving agreement.
When the relations of a couple are vacillating in neither
one thing or the other, no sort of enterprise can
be undertaken. Many families remain for years in the same place,
though both husband and wife are sick of it, simply
because there is neither complete division nor agreement between them.

(02:32):
Both Vronsky and Anna felt life in Moscow insupportable in
the heat and dust. When the spring sunshine was followed
by the glare of summer, and all the trees in
the boulevards had long since been in full leaf and
the leaves were covered with dust. But they did not
go back to vos Vezensko, as they had arranged to
do long before. They went on staying in Moscow, though

(02:54):
they both loathed it because of late there had been
no agreement between them. The irritability that kept them apart
had no external cause, and all efforts to come to
an understanding intensified it instead of removing it. It was
an inner irritation grounded in her mind on the conviction
that his love had grown less in his on regret

(03:14):
that he had put himself, for her sake in a
difficult position, which she, instead of lightning, made still more difficult.
Neither of them gave full utterance to their sense of grievance,
but they considered each other in the wrong, and tried
on every pretext to prove this to one another. In
her eyes, the whole of him, with all his habits, ideas, desires,

(03:36):
with all his spiritual and physical temperament, was one thing,
love for women, and that love, she felt, ought to
be entirely concentrated on her alone. That love was less. Consequently,
as she reasoned, he must have transferred part of his
love to other women, or to another woman, and she
was jealous. She was jealous not of any particular woman,

(03:57):
but of the decrease of his love. Not having got
an object for her jealousy, she was on the lookout
for it. At the slightest hint, she transferred her jealousy
from one object to another. At one time she was
jealous of those low women with whom he might so
easily renew his old bachelor ties. Then she was jealous
of the society women he might meet. Then She was

(04:19):
jealous of the imaginary girl whom he might want to marry,
for whose sake he would break with her, and this
last form of jealousy tortured her most of all, especially
as he had unwarily told her, in a moment of
frankness that his mother knew him so little that she
had had the audacity to try and persuade him to
marry the young Princess Sorokina. And being jealous of him,

(04:41):
Anna was indignant against him and found grounds for indignation
in everything. For everything that was difficult in her position,
she blamed him. The agonizing condition of suspense she had
passed in Moscow, the tardiness and indecision of Alexey Alexandrovitch,
her solitude. She put it all down to him. If
he had loved her, he would have seen all the

(05:03):
bitterness of her position and would have rescued her from it.
For her being in Moscow and not in the country,
he was to blame too. He could not live buried
in the country, as she would have liked to do.
He must have society, and he had put her in
this awful position, the bitterness of which he would not see.
And again it was his fault that she was forever

(05:24):
separated from her son. Even the rare moments of tenderness
that came from time to time did not soothe her.
In his tenderness, now she saw a shade of complacency,
of self confidence which had not been of old, and
which exasperated her. It was dusk. Anna was alone and
waiting for him to come back from a bachelor dinner.

(05:46):
She walked up and down in his study, the room
where the noise from the street was least heard, and
thought over every detail of their yesterday's quarrel. Going back
from the well remembered offensive words of the quarrel to
what had been the ground of it, she arrived at
last at its origin. For a long while, she could
hardly believe that their dissension had arisen from a conversation

(06:06):
so inoffensive, of so little moment to either, But so
it actually had been. It all arose from his laughing
at the girls high schools, declaring they were useless, while
she defended them. He had spoken slightingly of women's education
in general, and had said that Hannah Anna's English protegee
had not the slightest need to know anything of physics,

(06:29):
this irritated Anna. She saw in this a contemptuous reference
to her occupations, and she bethought her of a phrase
to pay him back for the pain he had given her.
I don't expect you to understand me my feelings, as
anyone who loved me might, But simple delicacy I did expect,
she said, And he had actually flushed with vexation and

(06:52):
had said something unpleasant. She could not recall her answer,
but at that point, with an unmistakable desire to wound
her too, he had said, I feel no interest in
your infatuation over this girl. That's true, because I see
it's unnatural. The cruelty with which he shattered the world
she had built up for herself so laboriously to enable

(07:13):
her to endure her hard life, the injustice with which
he had accused her of affectation of artificiality aroused her.
I am very sorry that nothing but what's coarse and
material is comprehensible and natural to you, she said, and
walked out of the room. When he had come in
to her yesterday evening, they had not referred to the quarrel,

(07:33):
but both felt that the quarrel had been smoothed over,
but was not at an end to day. He had
not been at home all day, and she felt so
lonely and wretched in being on bad terms with him,
that she wanted to forget it all, to forgive him
and be reconciled with him. She wanted to throw the
blame on herself and to justify him. I am myself
to blame. I'm irritable, I'm insanely jealous. I will make

(07:58):
it up with him and will go away to the country.
There I shall be more at peace. Unnatural, she suddenly
recalled the word that had stung her most of all,
not so much the word itself as the intent to
wound her with which it was said. I know what
he meant. He meant unnatural, not loving my own daughter,
to love another person's child. What does he know of

(08:20):
love for children? Of my love for Seraosa, whom I've
sacrificed for him, but that wish to wound me. No,
he loves another woman, it must be so. And perceiving
that while trying to regain her peace of mind, she
had gone round the same circle that she had been
round so often before, and had come back to her

(08:40):
former state of exasperation. She was horrified at herself. Can
it be impossible? Can it be beyond me to control myself?
She said to herself, and began again from the beginning.
He's truthful, he's honest, he loves me. I love him,
and in a few days the divorce will come. What

(09:01):
more do I want? I want peace of mind and trust,
and I will take the blame on myself. Yes, now,
when he comes in, I will tell him I was wrong,
though I was not wrong, and we will go away tomorrow,
and to escape thinking any more and being overcome by irritability,
she rang and ordered the boxes to be brought up

(09:21):
for packing their things for the country. At ten o'clock,
Vronsky came in chapter twenty four. Well was it nice,
she asked, coming out to meet him with a penitent
and meek expression. Just as usual, he answered, seeing at
a glance that she was in one of her good moods.
He was used by now to these transitions, and he

(09:43):
was particularly glad to see it to day, as he
was in especially good humor himself. What do I see come?
That's good, he said, pointing to the boxes in the passage. Yes,
we must go. I went out for a drive and
it was so fine, and I longed to be in
the country. There's nothing to keep you, is there. It's

(10:05):
the one thing I desire. I'll be back directly and
we'll talk it over. Only want to change my coat,
order some tea, and he went into his room. There
was something mortifying in the way he had said, come,
that's good, as one says to a child when it
leaves off being naughty. And still more mortifying was the
contrast between her penitent and his self confident tone, and

(10:28):
for one instant she felt the lust of strife rising
up in her again. But making an effort, she conquered
it and met Vronsky as good humoredly as before. When
he came in, she told him, partly repeating phrases she
had prepared beforehand, how she had spent the day, and
her plans for going away. You know, it came to
me almost like an inspiration. She said, why wait here

(10:52):
for the divorce? Won't it be just the same in
the country. I can't wait any longer. I don't want
to go on hoping. I don't want to hear anything
about the divorce. I have made up my mind it
shall not have any more influence on my life. Do
you agree? Oh yes, he said, glancing uneasily at her

(11:12):
excited face. What did you do? Who was there? She said?
After a pause, Vronsky mentioned the names of the guests.
The dinner was first rate, and the boat race, and
it was all pleasant enough. But in Moscow they can
never do anything without something ridicule. A lady of a
sword appeared on the scene, teacher of swimming to the

(11:35):
Queen of Sweden, and gave us an exhibition of her skill.
How did she swim? Asked Anna, frowning in an absurd
red costumed innotation. She was old and hideous too, So
when shall we go? What an absurd fancy? Why did
she swim in some special way? Then, said Anna, not answering,

(11:59):
There was absolutely nothing in it. That's just what I say.
It was awfully stupid. Well, then when do you think
of going? Anna shook her head, as though trying to
drive away some unpleasant idea. When why the sooner the better?
By tomorrow we shan't be ready the day after tomorrow? Yes,

(12:22):
oh no, wait a minute, the day after tomorrow's Sunday.
I have to be at Mammon's, said Vronsky, embarrassed, because
as soon as he uttered his mother's name, he was
aware of her intent. Suspicious eyes. His embarrassment confirmed her suspicion.
She flushed hotly and drew away from him. It was

(12:43):
now not the Queen of Sweden's swimming mistress who filled
Anna's imagination, but the young Princess Sorokina. She was staying
in a village near Moscow with Countess Vronskaya. Can't you
go tomorrow? She said? Well, no, the deeds and the
money for the business I'm going there for I can't
get by tomorrow. He answered, If so, we won't go

(13:06):
at all. But why so? I shall not go later
Monday or never? What for? Said Vronsky, as though in amazement.
Why there's no meaning in it? There's no meaning in
it to you because you care nothing for me. You
don't care to understand my life. The one thing that

(13:28):
I cared for here was Hannah. You say its affectation.
Why you said yesterday that I don't love my daughter,
that I love this English girl, that it's unnatural. I
should like to know what life there is for me
that could be natural. For an instant, she had a
clear vision of what she was doing and was horrified
at how she had fallen away from her resolution. But

(13:50):
even though she knew it was her own ruin, she
could not restrain herself, could not keep herself from proving
to him that he was wrong, could not give way
to him. I never said that, I said, I did
not sympathize with this sudden passion. How is it, though
you boast of your straightforwardness, you don't tell the truth.
I never boast, and I never tell lies, he said, slowly,

(14:13):
restraining his rising anger. It's a great pity if you
can't respect. Respect was invented to cover the empty place
where love should be. And if you don't love me
any more, it would be better and more honest to
say so. No, this is becoming unbearable, cried Vronsky, getting
up from his chair and stopping short. Facing her, he said,

(14:36):
speaking deliberately, what do you try? My patience for looking
as though he might have said much more, but was
restraining himself. It has limits. What do you mean by that?
She cried, looking with terror at the undisguised, hatred in
his whole face and especially in his cruel, menacing eyes.
I mean to say he was beginning, but he checked himself.

(15:01):
I must ask what it is you want of me?
What can I want? All I can want is that
you should not desert me as you think of doing,
she said, understanding all he had not uttered, but that
I don't want that's secondary. I want love and there
is none, So then all is over. She turned towards

(15:21):
the door. Stop estyop, said Vronsky, with no change in
the gloomy lines of his brows, though he held her
by the hand. What is it all about? I said
that we must put off going for three days, and
on that you told me I was lying that I
was not an honorable man. Yes, and I repeat that

(15:43):
the man who reproaches me with having sacrificed everything for me,
she said, recalling the words of a still earlier quarrel,
that he's worse than a dishonorable man. He's a heartless man. Oh,
there are limits to endurance, he cried, and hastily let
go her hand. He hates me, that's clear, she thought,
and in silence, without looking round, she walked with faltering

(16:06):
steps out of the room. He loves another woman, that's
even clearer, she said to herself, as she went into
her own room. I want love and there is none,
So then all is over. She repeated the words she
had said, and it must be ended. But how she
asked herself, And she sat down in a low chair

(16:27):
before the looking glass, thoughts of where she would go now,
whether to the aunt who had brought her up to
Dolly or simply alone abroad, and of what he was
doing now alone in his study, whether this was the
final quarrel, or whether reconciliation were still possible, And of
what all her old friends at Petersburg would say of
her now, and of how Alexey Alexandrovitch would look at it.

(16:50):
And many other ideas of what would happen now after
this rupture came into her head, but she did not
give herself up to them with all her heart. At
the bottom of her heart was some obscure idea that
alone interested her, but she could not get clear sight
of it. Thinking once more of Alexey Alexandrovitch, she recalled
the time of her illness, after her confinement, and the

(17:11):
feeling which never left her at that time why didn't
I die? And the words and the feeling of that
time came back to her, and all at once she
knew what was in her soul. Yes, It was that
idea which alone solved all yes to die, and the
shame and disgrace of Alexey Alexandrovitch, and of Saraoza, and

(17:33):
my awful shame. It will all be saved by death.
To die, and he will feel remorse, will be sorry,
will love me, He will suffer on my account. With
the trace of a smile of commiseration for herself, she
sat down in the arm chair, taking off and putting
on the rings on her left hand, vividly picturing from
different sides his feelings after her death. Approaching footsteps, his

(17:57):
steps distracted her attention, as though absorbed in the arrangement
of her rings, she did not even turn to him.
He went up to her, and, taking her by the hand,
said softly, Anna will go the day after tomorrow if
you like, I agree to everything. She did not speak.
What is it? He urged, you know, she said, and

(18:20):
at the same instant, unable to restrain herself any longer,
she burst into sobs. Cast me off, She articulated between
her sobs, I'll go away tomorrow. I'll do more. What
am I an immoral woman? A stone round your neck?
I don't want to make you wretched. I don't want

(18:41):
to I'll set you free. You don't love me, you
love some one else. Vronsky besought her to be calm
and declared that there was no trace of foundation for
her jealousy, that he had never ceased and never would
cease to love her, that he loved her more than ever, Anna,
why distress yourself? And so he said to her, kissing

(19:02):
her hands. There was tenderness now in his face, and
she fancied. She caught the sound of tears in his voice,
and she felt them wet on her hand, and instantly
Anna's despairing jealousy changed to a despairing passion of tenderness.
She put her arms round him and covered with kisses
his head, his neck, his hands, Chapter twenty five. Feeling

(19:25):
that the reconciliation was complete, Anna set eagerly to work
in the morning, preparing for their departure. Though it was
not settled whether they should go on Monday or Tuesday,
as they had each given way to the other. Anna
packed busily, feeling absolutely indifferent whether they went a day
earlier or later. She was standing in her room over
an open box, taking things out of it, when he

(19:47):
came in to see her earlier than usual, dressed to
go out. I'm going off at once to see mamman.
She can send me the money by Yegorov, and I
shall be ready to go tomorrow, he said. Though he
was in such a good mood, the thought of his
visit to his mother's gave her a pang. No, I
shan't be ready by then myself, she said, and at

(20:08):
once reflected so that it was possible to arrange to
do as I wished. No, do as you meant to do.
Go into the dining room. I'm coming directly. It's only
to turn out those things that aren't wanted, she said,
putting something more on the heap of frippery that lay
in Anushka's arms. Vronsky was eating his beefsteak when she

(20:29):
came into the dining room. You wouldn't believe how distasteful
these rooms have become to me, she said, sitting down
beside him to her coffee. There's nothing more awful than
these chambers, Garnys. There's no individuality in them, no soul,
These clocks and curtains, and worst of all, the wall papers.

(20:50):
They're a nightmare. I think of oozed Vezensko as the
promised land. You're not sending the horses off yet, No,
they will come out after us. Where are you going
to I wanted to go to Wilson's to take some
dresses to her, So it's really to be tomorrow, she
said in a cheerful voice, but suddenly her face changed.

(21:13):
Vronsky's valet came in to ask him to sign a
receipt for a telegram from Petersburg. There was nothing out
of the way in Vronsky's getting a telegram, but he said,
as though anxious to conceal something from her, that the
receipt was in his study, and he turned hurriedly to her.
By tomorrow, without fail, I will finish it all. From

(21:33):
whom is the telegram? She asked, not hearing him from Stiva,
He answered reluctantly, why didn't you show it to me?
What secret can there be between Stiva and me? Vronsky
called the valet back and told him to bring the telegram.
I didn't want to show it to you because Stiva
has such a passion for telegraphing. Why telegraph when nothing

(21:56):
is settled about the divorce? Yes, but he says he
has not been able to come at anything yet he
has promised a decisive answer in a day or two.
But here it is. Read it with trembling hands. Anna
took the telegram and read what Vronsky had told her.
At the end was added little hope. But I will

(22:17):
do everything possible and impossible. I said yesterday that it's
absolutely nothing to me when I get or whether I
never get a divorce, she said, flushing Crimson. There was
not the slightest necessity to hide it from me. So
he may hide and does hide his correspondence with women
from me. She thought, Yashvin meant to come this morning

(22:39):
with Voyitov, said Vronsky. I believe he's one from Payetsov
all and more than he can pay about sixty thousand. No,
she said, irritated by his so obviously showing by this
change of subject that he was irritated. Why did you
suppose that this news would affect me so that you
must even try to hide it, I said, I don't

(22:59):
want to consider it, and I should have liked you
to care as little about it as I do. I
care about it because I like definiteness, he said. Definiteness
is not in the form, but the love. She said,
more and more irritated, not by his words, but by
the tone of cool composure in which he spoke, What
do you want it for? My God love again, he thought, frowning, Oh,

(23:25):
you know what, for for your sake and your children's
in the future. There won't be children in the future.
That's a great pity, he said. You want it for
the children's sake, But you don't think of me, she said,
quite forgetting or not having heard that he had said,
for your sake and the children's. The question of the
possibility of having children had long been a subject of

(23:48):
dispute and irritation to her. His desire to have children,
she interpreted as a proof he did not prize her beauty. Oh,
I said, for your sake, above all, all for your sake,
he repeated, frowning as though in pain, because I am
certain that the greater part of your irritability comes from
the indefiniteness of the position. Yes, now he has laid

(24:11):
aside all pretense, and all his cold hatred for me
is apparent, she thought, not hearing his words, but watching
with terror the cold, cruel judge who looked mocking her
out of his eyes. The cause is not that, she said,
and indeed, I don't see how the cause of my irritability,
as you call it, can be that I am completely

(24:31):
in your power. What indefiniteness is there in the position?
On the contrary, I am very sorry that you don't
care to understand, he interrupted, obstinately anxious to give utterance
to his thought. The indefiniteness consists in your imagining that
I am free. On that score, you can set your
mind quite at rest, she said, and turning away from him,

(24:54):
she began drinking her coffee. She lifted her cup with
her little finger held apart, and put it to her lips.
After drinking a few SIPs, she glanced at him, and
by his expression she saw clearly that he was repelled
by her hand and her gesture and the sound made
by her lips. I don't care in the least what
your mother thinks and what match she wants to make

(25:16):
for you, she said, putting the cup down with a
shaking hand. But we are not talking about that. Yes,
that's just what we are talking about. And let me
tell you that a heartless woman, whether she's old or
not old, your mother or anyone else, is of no
consequence to me, And I would not consent to know her. Anna,

(25:37):
I beg you not to speak disrespectfully of my mother.
A woman whose heart does not tell her where her
son's happiness and honor lie has no heart. I repeat
my request that you will not speak disrespectfully of my mother,
whom I respect, he said, raising his voice and looking
sternly at her. She did not answer. Looking intently at him,

(25:59):
at his face, his hands, she recalled all the details
of their reconciliation the previous day, and his passionate caresses. There,
just such caresses he has lavished and will lavish, and
longs to lavish on other women. She thought, you don't
love your mother. That's all talk and talk and talk,

(26:20):
she said, looking at him with hatred in her eyes.
Even if so, you must must decide. And I have decided,
she said, And she would have gone away. But at
that moment Yashvin walked into the room. Anna greeted him
and remained, why when there was a tempest in her
soul and she felt she was standing at a turning

(26:42):
point in her life which might have fearful consequences, why
at that minute she had to keep up appearances before
an outsider who, sooner or later must know it all,
she did not know, but at once, quelling the storm
within her, she sat down and began talking to their guest. Well, well,
how are you getting on? Has your debt been paid you?

(27:03):
She asked Yashvin. Oh, pretty fair, I fancy I shan't
get at all, but I shall get a good half.
And when are you off? Said Yashman, looking at Vronsky
and unmistakably guessing at a quarrel the day after tomorrow,
I think, said Vronsky. You've been meaning to go so long, though,

(27:24):
but now it's quite decided, said Anna, looking Vronsky straight
in the face with a look which told him not
to dream of the possibility of reconciliation. Don't you feel
sorry for that unlucky Payevsov, She went on, talking to Yashvin.
I've never asked myself the question, Anna Arkadyevna, whether I'm
sorry for him or not. You see all my fortunes here,

(27:47):
he touched his breast pocket, And just now I'm a
wealthy man. But to day I'm going to the club
and I may come out a beggar. You see, whoever
sits down to play with me, he wants to leave
me without a shirt to my back, and so do
I him, and so we fight it out, and that's
the pleasure of it. Well, but suppose you were married,

(28:09):
said Anna, how would it be for your wife? Yashvin laughed.
That's why I'm not married and never mean to be.
And helsingforce, said Vronsky, entering into the conversation and glancing
at Anna's smiling face. Meeting his eyes, Anna's face instantly
took a coldly severe expression, as though she were saying

(28:29):
to him, it's not forgotten, it's all the same. Were
you really in love, she said to Yashvin, Oh, heavens
ever so many times. But you see, some men can play,
but only so that they can always lay down their
cards when the hour of a rendezvous comes, while I
can take up love, but only so as not to

(28:51):
be late for my cards in the evening. That's how
I manage things. No, I didn't mean that, but the
real thing, he would have said, helsingforce, but would not
repeat the word used by Vronsky. Voytov, who was buying
the horse, came in. Anna got up and went out
of the room. Before leaving the house, Vronsky went into

(29:13):
her room. She would have pretended to be looking for
something on the table, but ashamed of making a pretense,
she looked straight in his face with cold eyes. What
do you want, she asked in French, to get the
guarantee for Gambetta. I've sold him, he said, in a
tone which said more clearly than words. I've no time

(29:34):
for discussing things, and it would lead to nothing. I'm
not to blame in any way, he thought, if she
will punish herself, tan't piece, poor ell. But as he
was going he fancied that she said something, and his
heart suddenly ached with pity for her. Eh Anna, he queried,
I said nothing. She answered just as coldly and calmly.

(29:58):
Oh nothing, tan't piece, Then he thought, feeling cold again,
and he turned and went out. As he was going out,
he caught a glimpse in the looking glass of her face,
white with quivering lips. He even wanted to stop and
to say some comforting word to her, but his legs
carried him out of the room before he could think
what to say. The whole of that day he spent

(30:19):
away from home, and when he came in late in
the evening, the maid told him that Anna Arkadyevna had
a headache and begged him not to go into her.
Chapter twenty six. Never before had a day been passed
in quarrel. To day was the first time. And this
was not a quarrel. It was the open acknowledgment of
complete coldness. Was it possible to glance at her as

(30:42):
he had glanced when he came into the room for
the guarantee, to look at her, see her heart was
breaking with despair, and go out without a word, with
that face of callous composure. He was not merely cold
to her. He hated her because he loved another woman.
That was clear, and remembering all the cruel words he
had said, Anna supplied too, the words that he had

(31:04):
unmistakably wished to say and could have said to her.
And she grew more and more exasperated. I won't prevent you,
he might say. You can go where you like. You
were unwilling to be divorced from your husband, no doubt,
so that you might go back to him. Go back
to him. If you want money, I'll give it to you.

(31:25):
How many roubles do you want? All the most cruel
words that a brutal man could say, he said to
her in her imagination, and she could not forgive him
for them, as though he had actually said them. But
didn't he only yesterday swear he loved me. He a
truthful and sincere man, haven't I despaired for nothing? Many
times already? She said to herself afterwards. All that day,

(31:48):
except for the visit to Wilson's, which occupied two hours,
Anna spent in doubts whether everything were over, or whether
there were still hope of reconciliation, whether she should go
away at once or see him once more. She was
expecting him the whole day, and in the evening, as
she went to her own room, leaving a message for
him that her head ached, she said to herself, if

(32:09):
he comes in spite of what the maid says, it
means that he loves me still. If not, it means
that all is over, and then I will decide what
I am to do. In the evening she heard the
rumbling of his carriage stop at the entrance, his ring,
his steps, and his conversation with the servant. He believed
what was told him, did not care to find out more,

(32:30):
and went to his own room. So then everything was over,
and death rose clearly and vividly before her mind, as
the sole means of bringing back love for her in
his heart, of punishing him, and of gaining the victory
in that strife which the evil spirit in possession of
her heart was waging with him. Now nothing mattered going
or not going to vos Vzensko, getting or not getting

(32:53):
a divorce from her husband. All that did not matter.
The one thing that mattered was punishing him. When she
poured herself out her usual dose of opium and thought
that she had only to drink off the whole bottle
to die, it seemed to her so simple and easy
that she began musing with enjoyment on how he would
suffer and repent and love her memory when it would

(33:13):
be too late. She lay in bed with open eyes
by the light of a single burned down candle, gazing
at the carved cornice of the ceiling and at the
shadow of the screen that covered part of it, while
she vividly pictured to herself how he would feel when
she would be no more, when she would be only
a memory to him. How could I say such cruel
things to her? He would say, How could I go

(33:36):
out of the room without saying anything to her? But
now she is no more, She has gone away from
us forever she is. Suddenly the shadow of the screen, Wavered,
pounced on the whole cornice, the whole ceiling. Other shadows
from the other side swooped to meet it. For an
instant the shadows flitted back, but then with fresh swiftness,

(33:58):
they darted forward. Wavered commingled, and all was darkness, death,
she thought, And such horror came upon her that for
a long while she could not realize where she was,
and for a long while her trembling hands could not
find the matches and light another candle instead of the
one that had burned down and gone out. No anything,

(34:19):
only to live. Why I love him, Why he loves me.
This has been before and will pass, she said, feeling
that tears of joy at the return to life were
trickling down her cheeks. And to escape from her panic,
she went hurriedly to his room. He was asleep there,
and sleeping soundly. She went up to him, and, holding

(34:43):
the light above his face, she gazed along while at him.
Now when he was asleep, she loved him so that
at the sight of him she could not keep back
tears of tenderness. But she knew that if he waked up,
he would look at her with cold eyes. Convinced that
he was right, and that before tell him of her love,
she would have to prove to him that he had
been wrong in his treatment of her. Without waking him,

(35:06):
she went back, and after a second dose of opium,
she fell towards morning into a heavy, incomplete sleep, during
which she never quite lost consciousness. In the morning, she
was waked by a horrible nightmare, which had recurred several
times in her dreams even before her connection with Vronsky.
A little old man with unkempt beard was doing something,

(35:27):
bent down over some iron, muttering meaningless French words, and she,
as she always did, in this nightmare. It was what
made the horror of it, felt that this peasant was
taking no notice of her, but was doing something horrible
with the iron over her. And she waked up in
a cold sweat. When she got up, the previous day
came back to her as though veiled in mist. There

(35:50):
was a quarrel, just what has happened? Several times? I
said I had a headache, and he did not come
in to see me. Tomorrow we're going away. I must
see him and get ready for the journey, She said
to herself, and learning that he was in his study,
she went down to him. As she passed through the
drawing room, she heard a carriage stop at the entrance,

(36:12):
and looking out of the window, she saw the carriage
from which a young girl in a lilac hat was
leaning out, giving some direction to the footman ringing the bell.
After a parley in the hall, someone came upstairs, and
Vronsky's steps could be heard passing the drawing room. He
went rapidly downstairs. Anna went again to the window. She

(36:34):
saw him come out onto the steps without his hat
and go up to the carriage. The young girl in
the lilac hat handed him a parcel. Vronsky, smiling, said
something to her. The carriage drove away. He ran rapidly
upstairs again. The mists that had shrouded everything in her
soul parted. Suddenly, the feelings of yesterday pierced the sick

(36:57):
heart with a fresh pang. She could not understand now
how she could have lowered herself by spending a whole
day with him in his house. She went into his
room to announce her determination. That was Madame Sorokina and
her daughter. They came and brought me the money and
the deeds from Mamman. I couldn't get them yesterday. How

(37:18):
is your head better, he said, quietly, not wishing to
see and to understand the gloomy and solemn expression of
her face. She looked silently intently at him, standing in
the middle of the room. He glanced at her, frowned
for a moment, and went on reading a letter. She
turned and went deliberately out of the room. He still

(37:40):
might have turned her back, but she had reached the door.
He was still silent, and the only sound audible was
the rustling of the note paper as he turned it. Oh,
by the way, he said, at the very moment she
was in the doorway. We're going tomorrow for certain, aren't we.
You but not I, she said, turning round to him. Anna,

(38:01):
we can't go on like this. You but not I,
she repeated. This is getting unbearable. You. You will be
sorry for this, she said, and went out. Frightened by
the desperate expression with which these words were uttered, he
jumped up and would have run after her, but on
second thoughts, he sat down and scowled, setting his teeth.

(38:23):
This vulgar, as he thought it, dread of something vague
exasperated him. I've tried everything, he thought. The only thing
left is not to pay attention, and he began to
get ready to drive into town and again to his
mother's to get her signature to the deeds. She heard
the sound of his steps about the study and the
dining room. At the drawing room, he stood still, but

(38:46):
he did not turn in to see her. He merely
gave an order that the horse should be given to
Voyitov if he came while he was away. Then she
heard the carriage brought round. The door opened, and he
came out again. But he went back into the porch again,
and some one was running upstairs. It was the valet
running up for his gloves that had been forgotten. She

(39:08):
went to the window and saw him take the gloves
without looking, and touching the coachman on the back. He
said something to him. Then, without looking up at the window,
he settled himself in his usual attitude in the carriage,
with his legs crossed and drawing on his gloves. He
vanished round the corner Chapter twenty seven. He has gone.
It is over, Anna said to herself, standing at the window.

(39:32):
And in answer to this statement, the impression of the
darkness when the candle had flickered out, and of her
fearful dream mingling into one filled her heart with cold terror.
No that cannot be, she cried, and crossing the room,
she rang the bell. She was so afraid now of
being alone, that, without waiting for the servant to come in,

(39:52):
she went out to meet him. Inquire where the count
has gone, she said. The servant answered that the Count
had gone to the stable. His honor left word that
if you cared to drive out, the carriage would be
back immediately. Very good, Wait a minute, I'll write a
note at once. Send Mikail with the note to the stables.

(40:16):
Make haste. She sat down and wrote, I was wrong.
Come back home. I must explain for God's sake. Come,
I'm afraid. She sealed it up and gave it to
the servant. She was afraid of being left alone now.
She followed the servant out of the room and went
to the nursery. Why this isn't it, This isn't he?

(40:38):
Where are his blue eyes? His sweet, shy smile? Was
her first thought when she saw her chubby, rosy little
girl with her black curly hair, instead of Saraosa, whom
in the tangle of her ideas she had expected to see.
In the nursery, the little girl sitting at the table
was obstinately and violently battering on it with a cork
and staring aimlessly at her mother with her pitch black eyes.

(41:02):
Answering the English nurse that she was quite well and
that she was going to the country tomorrow. Anna sat
down by the little girl and began spinning the cork
to show her. But the child's loud, ringing laugh and
the motion of her eyebrows recalled Vronsky so vividly that
she got up hurriedly, restraining her sobs, and went away.

(41:22):
Can it be all over? No, it cannot be. She thought,
he will come back. But how can he explain that smile,
that excitement after he had been talking to her. But
even if he doesn't explain, I will believe. If I
don't believe, there's only one thing left for me, and
I can't. She looked at her watch. Twenty minutes had

(41:45):
passed by. Now he has received the note and is
coming back, not long ten minutes more. But what if
he doesn't come No, that cannot be. He mustn't see
me with tear stained eyes. I'll go and wash. Yes, yes,
did I do my hair or not? She asked herself,

(42:08):
and she could not remember. She felt her head with
her hand. Yes, my hair has been done, but when
I did it, I can't in the least remember. She
could not believe the evidence of her hand and went
up to the peer glass to see whether she really
had done her hair. She certainly had, but she could
not think when she had done it. Who's that? She thought,

(42:30):
looking in the looking glass at the swollen face with
strangely glittering eyes that looked in a scared way at her.
Why it's I, she suddenly understood, and looking round, she
seemed all at once to feel his kisses on her
and twitched her shoulders, shuddering. Then she lifted her hand
to her lips and kissed it. What is it? Why?

(42:53):
I'm going out of my mind? And she went into
her bedroom, where Annushka was tidying the Roomshaka, she said,
coming to a standstill before her, and she stared at
the maid, not knowing what to say to her. You
meant to go and see Darya Alexandrovna, said the girl,
as though she understood. Darya Alexandrovna. Yes, I'll go fifteen

(43:18):
minutes there, fifteen minutes back. He's coming. He'll be here soon.
She took out her watch and looked at it. But
how could he go away leaving me in such a state?
How can he live without making it up with me?
She went to the window and began looking into the street,
judging by the time he might be back now. But

(43:40):
her calculations might be wrong, and she began once more
to recall when he had started, and to count the minutes.
At the moment when she had moved away to the
big clock to compare it with her watch, someone drove up.
Glancing out of the window, she saw his carriage, but
no one came upstairs, and voices could be heard below.

(44:01):
It was the messenger who had come back in the carriage.
She went down to him. We didn't catch the count.
The count had driven off on the lower city road.
What do you say? What she said to the rosy,
good humored Mikhail as he handed her back her note.
Why then he has never received it, she thought, Go

(44:24):
with this note to Countess Vronskaya's place, you know, and
bring an answer back Immediately, she said to the messenger,
and I what am I going to do? She thought, yes,
I'm going to Dolly's. That's true, or else I shall
go out of my mind. Yes, and I can telegraph too,
and she wrote a telegram. I absolutely must talk to you,

(44:47):
come at once. After sending off the telegram, she went
to dress. When she was dressed, and in her hat,
she glanced again into the eyes of the plump, comfortable
looking in Ushka. There was un mistakable sympathy in those
good natured, little gray eyes. Anushka. Dear, what am I
to do? Said Anna, sobbing and sinking helplessly into a chair.

(45:11):
Why fret yourself, so Anna Arkadyevna. Why there's nothing out
of the way. You drive out a little and it'll
cheer you up, said the maid. Yes I'm going, said Anna,
rousing herself and getting up. And if there's a telegram
while I'm away, send it on to Darya Alexandrovna's. But no,

(45:33):
I shall be back myself. Yes, I mustn't think. I
must do something. Drive somewhere, and most of all, get
out of this house, she said, feeling with terror the
strange turmoil going on in her own heart, And she
made haste to go out and get into the carriage.
Where to asked Pyotur before getting onto the box. Tis

(45:54):
Namenka the Oblonskis, chapter twenty eight. It was bright and sunny.
A fine rain had been falling all the morning, and
now it had not long cleared up. The iron roofs,
the flags of the roads, the flints of the pavements,
the wheels and leather, the brass and the tin plate
of the carriages all glistened brightly in the May sunshine.

(46:15):
It was three o'clock and the very liveliest time in
the streets. As she sat in a corner of the
comfortable carriage that hardly swayed on its supple springs, while
the grays trotted swiftly. In the midst of the unceasing
rattle of wheels and the changing impressions in the pure air,
Anna ran over the events of the last days, and
she saw her position quite differently from how it had

(46:38):
seemed at home. Now the thought of death seemed no
longer so terrible and so clear to her, and death
itself no longer seemed so inevitable. Now she blamed herself
for the humiliation to which she had lowered herself. I
entreat him to forgive me. I have given in to him,
I have owned myself in fault. What for can't I

(47:02):
live without him? And, leaving unanswered the question how she
was going to live without him, she fell to reading
the signs on the shops, office and warehouse. Dental surgeon. Yes,
I'll tell Dolly all about it. She doesn't like Vronsky.
I shall be sick and ashamed, but I'll tell her.

(47:23):
She loves me, and I'll follow her advice. I won't
give in to him. I won't let him train me
as he pleases. Philipov bun shop they say they send
their dough to Petersburg. The Moscow water is so good
for it, Ah, the spring's admittitionan and the pancakes. And

(47:43):
she remembered how long, long ago, when she was a
girl of seventeen, she had gone with her aunt Ta Troitza,
writing too, Was that really me with red hands? How
much that seemed to me then, splendid and out of reach,
has become worthless? While what I had then has gone
out of my reach forever? Could I ever have believed

(48:04):
then that I could come to such humiliation? How conceited
and self satisfied he will be when he gets my note,
But I will show him how horrid that paint smells.
Why is it there always painting and building modes edi robes?
She read, A man bowed to her. It was Anushka's husband,

(48:26):
Our parasites. She remembered how Vronsky had said that our
why our What's so awful is that one can't tear
up the past by its roots. One can't tear it out,
but one can hide one's memory of it. And I'll
hide it. And then she thought of her past with
Alexey Alexandrovitch, of how she had blotted the memory of

(48:48):
it out of her life. Dolly will think I'm leaving
my second husband, and so I certainly must be in
the wrong, as if I cared to be right. I
can't help it, she said, And she wanted to cry,
But at once she fell to wondering what those two
girls could be smiling about love. Most likely they don't

(49:09):
know how dreary it is, how low the boulevard, and
the children, three boys running playing at horses seriosa. And
I'm losing everything and not getting him back. Yes, I'm
losing everything if he doesn't return. Perhaps he was late
for the train and has come back by now, Longing

(49:32):
for humiliation again, she said to herself, No, I'll go
to Dolly and say straight out to her. I'm unhappy.
I deserve this, I'm to blame, but still I'm unhappy.
Help me these horses, this carriage, how loathsome I am
to myself in this carriage, all his, But I won't
see them again. Thinking over the words in which she

(49:54):
would tell Dolly, and mentally working her heart up to
great bitterness, Anna went upstairs. Is there any one with her?
She asked in the hall. Katerina Alexandrovna Levin answered the footman.
Kitty Kitty, whom Vronsky was in love with, thought Anna,
the girl he thinks of with love, he's sorry he

(50:16):
didn't marry her. But me he thinks of with hatred
and is sorry he had anything to do with me.
The sisters were having a consultation about nursing when Anna called.
Dolly went down alone to see the visitor, who had
interrupted their conversation. Well, sir, you've not gone away yet.
I meant to have come to you, she said. I

(50:36):
had a letter from Stiva to day. We had a
telegram too, answered Anna, Looking round for Kitty, he writes
that he can't make out quite what Alexey Alexandrovitch wants,
but he won't go away without a decisive answer. I
thought you had some one with you. Can I see
the letter, yes, Kitty, said Dolly, embarrassed. She stayed in nursery.

(51:01):
She has been very ill, so I heard, May I
see the letter. I'll get it directly, But he doesn't refuse.
On the contrary, Stiva has hopes, said Dolly, stopping in
the doorway. I haven't, and indeed I don't wish it,
said Anna. What's this? Does Kitty consider it degrading to

(51:23):
meet me? Thought Anna when she was alone. Perhaps she's
right too, But it's not for her, the girl who
was in love with Vronsky. It's not for her to
show me that, even if it is true. I know
that in my position I can't be received by any
decent woman. I knew that from the first moment. I
sacrificed everything to him, and this is my reward. Oh

(51:48):
how I hate him? And what did I come here for?
I'm worse here, more miserable. She heard from the next
room the sister's voices in consultation. And what am I
going to say to Dollie, Now, amuse Kitty by the
side of my wretchedness submit to her patronizing No, And besides,
Dolly wouldn't understand, and it would be no good my

(52:11):
telling her. It would only be interesting to see Kitty,
to show her how I despise everyone and everything, how
nothing matters to me now. Dolly came in with the letter.
Anna read it and handed it back in silence. I
knew all that, she said, and it doesn't interest me
in the least. Oh why so, On the contrary, I

(52:33):
have hopes, said Dolly, looking inquisitively at Anna. She had
never seen her in such a strangely irritable condition. When
are you going away? She asked, Anna, half closing her eyes,
looked straight before her and did not answer. Why does
Kitty shrink from me? She said, looking at the door
and flushing red. Oh what nonsense. She's nursing and things

(52:59):
aren't going right with her, and I've been advising her.
She's delighted. She'll be here in a minute, said Dolly, awkwardly,
not clever at lying. Yes, here she is, hearing that
Anna had called. Kitty had wanted not to appear, but
Dolly persuaded her rallying her forces. Kitty went in, walked

(53:20):
up to her, blushing and shook hands. I am so
glad to see you, she said, with a trembling voice.
Kitty had been thrown into confusion by the inward conflict
between her antagonism to this bad woman and her desire
to be nice to her. But as soon as she
saw Anna's lovely, in attractive face, all feeling of antagonism disappeared.

(53:42):
I should not have been surprised if you had not
cared to meet me. I'm used to everything you have
been ill. Yes, you are changed, said Anna. Kitty felt
that Anna was looking at her with hostile eyes. She
ascribed this hostility to the awkward position in which Anna,
who had once patronized her, must feel with her now,

(54:04):
and she felt sorry for her. They talked of Kitty's
illness of the baby of Stiva, but it was obvious
that nothing interested Anna. I came to say good bye
to you, she said, getting up, Oh when are you going?
But again not answering, Anna turned to Kitty. Yes, I
am very glad to have seen you, she said, with

(54:26):
a smile. I have heard so much of you from
every one, even from your husband. He came to see me,
and I liked him exceedingly, she said, unmistakably with malicious intent.
Where is he? He has gone back to the country,
said Kitty, blushing. Remember me to him? Be sure you do.

(54:47):
I'll be sure to Kitty, said naively, looking compassionately into
her eyes. So good bye, Dolly, and kissing Dolly and
shaking hands with Kitty, Anna went out hurriedly. She's just
the same and just as charming. She's very lovely, said
Kitty when she was alone with her sister. But there's

(55:08):
something piteous about her, awfully piteous. Yes, there's something unusual
about her to day, said Dolly. When I went with
her into the hall, I fancied she was almost crying.
Chapter twenty nine. Anna got into the carriage again in
an even worse frame of mind than when she set
out from home to her previous tortures. Was added now

(55:29):
that sense of mortification and of being an outcast, which
she had felt so distinctly on meeting Kitty. Where to home,
asked Pyotur. Yes home, she said, not even thinking now
where she was going. How they looked at me as
something dreadful, incomprehensible and curious. What Can he be telling

(55:52):
the other with such warmth, she thought, staring at two
men who walked by. Can one ever tell any one
what one is feeling? I meant to tell Dolly, and
it's a good thing I didn't tell her. How pleased
she would have been at my misery. She would have
concealed it, But her chief feeling would have been delight
at my being punished for the happiness she envied me

(56:13):
for Kitty, she would have been even more pleased. How
I can see through her. She knows I was more
than usually sweet to her husband, and she's jealous and
hates me, and she despises me in her eyes. I'm
an immoral woman. If I were an immoral woman, I
could have made her husband fall in love with me

(56:35):
if I'd cared to, And indeed I did care to.
There's some one who's pleased with himself, she thought, as
she saw a fat, rubic and gentleman coming towards her.
He took her for an acquaintance and lifted his glossy
hat above his bald, glossy head, and then perceived his mistake.
He thought he knew me well, He knows me as

(56:58):
well as any one in the world knows me. I
don't know myself. I know my appetites. As the French
say they want that dirty ice cream, that they do
know for certain, she thought, looking at two boys stopping
an ice cream cellar, who took a barrel off his
head and began wiping his perspiring face with a towel.

(57:19):
We all want what is sweet and nice. If not sweetmeats,
then a dirty ice and Kitty's the same. If not Vronsky,
then Levin. And she envies me and hates me, and
we all hate each other. I kitty, kitty me, Yes,
that's the truth. Tyutkin, coaffeer je me face kaffer par tyatkin.

(57:44):
I'll tell him that when he comes, she thought, and smiled.
But the same instant she remembered that she had no
one now to tell anything amusing to. And there's nothing amusing,
nothing mirthful. Really, it's all hateful. They're singing vespers and
how carefully that merchant crosses himself, as if he were

(58:05):
afraid of missing something. Why these churches and this singing
and this humbug simply to conceal that we all hate
each other, like these cab drivers who are abusing each
other so angrily. Yashvin says, he wants to strip me
of my shirt, and I hymn of his. Yes, that's
the truth. She was plunged in these thoughts, which so

(58:26):
engrossed her that she left off thinking of her own
position when the carriage drew up at the steps of
her house. It was only when she saw the porter
running out to meet her that she remembered she had
sent the note and the telegram. Is there an answer,
she inquired. I'll see this minute, answered the porter, and
glancing into his room, he took out and gave her

(58:47):
the thin, square envelope of a telegram. I can't come
before ten o'clock dot Vronsky, she read. And hasn't the
messenger come back? No, answered the porter. Then, since it's so,
I know what I must do, she said, and, feeling
a vague fury in craving for revenge rising up within her,

(59:08):
she ran upstairs. I'll go to him myself before going
away forever, I'll tell him all. Never have I hated
any one as I hate that man, she thought. Seeing
his hat on the rack, she shuddered with aversion. She
did not consider that his telegram was an answer to
her telegram. And that he had not yet received her note.

(59:30):
She pictured him to herself as talking calmly to his
mother and Princess Sorokina and rejoicing at her sufferings. Yes,
I must go quickly, she said, not knowing yet where
she was going. She longed to get away as quickly
as possible from the feeling she had gone through in
that awful house. The servants, the walls, the things in

(59:51):
that house all aroused repulsion and hatred in her and
lay like a weight upon her. Yes, I must go
to the railway station, and if he's not there, then
go there and catch him. Anna looked at the railway
time table in the newspapers. An evening train went at
two minutes past eight. Yes, I shall be in time.

(01:00:11):
She gave orders for the other horses to be put
in the carriage and packed in a traveling bag the
things needed for a few days. She knew she would
never come back here again. Among the plans that came
into her head, she vaguely determined that after what would
happen at the station or at the Countess's house, she
would go as far as the first town on the
Nisney road and stop there. Dinner was on the table.

(01:00:34):
She went up, but the smell of the bread and
cheese was enough to make her feel that all food
was disgusting. She ordered the carriage and went out. The
house threw a shadow now right across the street, But
it was a bright evening and still warm in the sunshine.
Anushka who came down with her things, and Peoder who
put the things in the carriage, and the coachmen, evidently

(01:00:57):
out of humor, were all hateful to her and irritated
her by their words and actions. I don't want you, Pyotor,
but how about the ticket? Well as you like, it
doesn't matter, she said crossly. Pyota jumped on the box, and,
putting his arms at Kimbo, told the coachman to drive
to the booking office, Chapter thirty. Here it is again again.

(01:01:22):
I understand it all, Anna said to herself, as soon
as the carriage had started and, swaying lightly, rumbled over
the tiny cobbles of the paved road, And again one
impression followed rapidly upon another. Yes, what was the last
thing I thought of? So clearly, she tried to recall it,
Tyapkin Quiffer, No, not that, Yes, of what Yashvin says,

(01:01:46):
the struggle for existence and hatred is the one thing
that holds men together. No, it's a useless journey you're making,
she said, mentally, addressing a party in a coach and
four evidently going for an excursion into the country, and
the dog you're taking with you will be no help
to you. You can't get away from yourselves. Turning her

(01:02:07):
eyes in the direction Pyotur had turned to look, she
saw a factory hand, almost dead, drunk with hanging head,
being led away by a policeman. Come he's found a
quicker way, she thought, Count Vronsky, and I did not
find that happiness either, though we expected so much from it.
And now, for the first time, Anna turned the glaring

(01:02:28):
light in which she was seeing everything on to her
relations with him, which she had hitherto avoided. Thinking about
what was it he sought in me? Not love so
much as the satisfaction of vanity. She remembered his words,
the expression of his face that recalled an abject setter
dog in the early days of their connection, and everything

(01:02:49):
now confirmed this. Yes, there was the triumph of success
in him. Of course there was love too, but the
chief element was the pride of success. He boasted of me.
Now that's over, there's nothing to be proud of, not
to be proud of, but to be ashamed of. He

(01:03:10):
has taken from me all he could, and now I
am no use to him. He is weary of me
and is trying not to be dishonorable in his behavior
to me. He let that out yesterday. He wants divorce
and marriage so as to burn his ships. He loves me,
but how the zest is gone. As the English say,

(01:03:31):
that fellow wants every one to admire him and is
very much pleased with himself, she thought, looking at a
red faced clerk riding on a riding school horse. Yes,
there's not the same flavor about me for him. Now
if I go away from him at the bottom of
his heart, he will be glad. This was not mere supposition.

(01:03:51):
She saw it distinctly in the piercing light, which revealed
to her now the meaning of life and human relations.
My love keeps growing more passionate and ego, while his
is waning and waning. And that's why we're drifting apart,
she went on musing. And there's no help for it.
He is everything for me, and I want him more
and more to give himself up to me entirely, and

(01:04:13):
he wants more and more to get away from me.
We walked to meet each other up to the time
of our love, and then we have been irresistibly drifting
in different directions, and there's no altering that. He tells me,
I'm insanely jealous, and I have told myself that I
am insanely jealous, but it's not true. I'm not jealous,

(01:04:34):
but I'm unsatisfied. But she opened her lips and shifted
her place in the carriage in the excitement, or roused
by the thought that suddenly struck her. If I could
be anything but a mistress, passionately caring for nothing but
his caresses. But I can't, and I don't care to
be anything else. And by that desire I rouse aversion

(01:04:55):
in him, and he rouses fury in me. And it
cannot be different, don't I. I know that he wouldn't
deceive me, that he has no schemes about Princess Sorokina,
that he's not in love with Kitty, that he won't
desert me. I know all that, but it makes it
no better for me. If without loving me from duty,
he'll be good and kind to me without what I want.

(01:05:16):
That's a thousand times worse than unkindness. That's hell, And
that's just how it is. For a long while now
he hasn't loved me. And where love ends hate begins.
I don't know these streets at all, hills, it seems,
and still houses and houses, and in the houses always

(01:05:38):
people and people, how many of them no end, and
all hating each other. Come, Let me try and think
what I want to make me happy. Well, suppose I
am divorced and Alexey Alexandrovitch, lets me have Saraosa and
I marry Vronsky. Thinking of Alexey Alexandrovitch, she at once

(01:05:59):
pictured him with extra ordinary vividness, as though he were
alive before her, with his mild, lifeless, dull eyes, the
blue veins in his white hands, his intonations, and the
cracking of his fingers, And remembering the feeling which had
existed between them, and which was also called love, she
shuddered with loathing. Well, I'm divorced and become Vronsky's wife. Well,

(01:06:22):
will Kitty cease looking at me as she looked at
me to day? No? And will seriosa leave off asking
and wondering about my two husbands, and is there any
new feeling I can awaken between Vronsky and me? Is
there possible, if not happiness, some sort of ease from misery? No, no,
she answered, now without the slightest hesitation, impossible. We are

(01:06:47):
drawn apart by life, and I make his unhappiness and
he mine, And there's no altering him or me. Every
attempt has been made, the screw has come unscrewed. Oh,
a beggar woman with a baby. She thinks, I'm sorry
for her. Aren't we all flung into the world only
to hate each other, and so to torture ourselves and

(01:07:07):
each other. Schoolboys coming laughing seraosa, she thought, I thought too,
that I loved him and used to be touched by
my own tenderness. But I have lived without him. I
gave him up for another love, and did not regret
the exchange till that love was satisfied. And with loathing
she thought of what she meant by that love, and

(01:07:29):
the clearness with which she saw life now her own
and allmends, was a pleasure to her. It's so with
me and Pyoto and the coachman, Theodor and that merchant
and all the people living along the Volga, where those
placards invite one to go, and everywhere and always, she thought,
when she had driven under the low pitched roof of

(01:07:50):
the Nizigorod station and the porters ran to meet her
a ticket to Oberolovka, said Pyotor. She had utterly forgotten
where and why she was going, and only by a
great effort she understood the question. Yes, she said, handing
him her purse and taking a little red bag in
her hand, she got out of the carriage, making her

(01:08:12):
way through the crowd to the first class waiting room.
She gradually recollected all the details of her position and
the plans between which she was hesitating, and again at
the old, sore places hope and then despair poisoned the
wounds of her tortured, fearfully throbbing heart. As she sat
on the star shaped sofa waiting for the train, she

(01:08:32):
gazed with aversion at the people coming and going. They
were all hateful to her, and thought how she would
arrive at the station, would write him a note, and
what she would write to him, And how he was
at this moment complaining to his mother of his position,
not understanding her sufferings, and how she would go into
the room, and what she would say to him. Then
she thought that life might still be happy, and how

(01:08:55):
miserably she loved and hated him, and how fearfully her
heart was beating. Chapter thirty one. A bell rang. Some
young men, ugly and impudent and at the same time
careful of the impression they were making. Hurried by Pyotur
two crossed the room in his livery in top boots,
with his dull animal face, and came up to her

(01:09:16):
to take her to the train. Some noisy men were
quiet as she passed them on the platform, and one
whispered something about her to another, something vile, no doubt.
She stepped up on the high step and sat down
in a carriage by herself, on a dirty seat that
had been white. Her bag lay beside her, shaken up
and down by the springiness of the seat. With a

(01:09:38):
foolish smile, Pyotor raised his hat with its colored band
at the window in token of farewell. An impudent conductor
slammed the door and the latch a grotesque looking lady
wearing a bustle. Anna mentally undressed the woman and was
appalled at her hideousness, and a little girl, laughing affectedly,
ran down the platform. Katerina andre Vina, She's got them all, mataunt,

(01:10:02):
cried the girl. Even the child's hideous and affected, thought Anna.
To avoid seeing anyone, she got up quickly and seated
herself at the opposite window of the empty carriage. A
misshapen looking peasant, covered with dirt in a cap from
which his tangled hair stuck out all round, passed by
that window, stooping down to the carriage wheels. There's something

(01:10:25):
familiar about that hideous peasant, thought Anna, and remembering her dream,
she moved away to the opposite door, shaking with terror.
The conductor opened the door and let in a man
and his wife. Do you wish to get out? Anna
made no answer. The conductor and her two fellow passengers
did not notice under her veil her panic stricken face.

(01:10:48):
She went back to her corner and sat down. The
couples seated themselves on the opposite side and intently but
surreptitiously scrutinized her clothes. Both husband and wife seemed repulsive
to Anna. The husband asked would she allow him to smoke?
Obviously not, with a view to smoking, but to getting
into conversation with her. Receiving her assent, he said to

(01:11:12):
his wife in French something about caring less to smoke
than to talk. They made inane and affected remarks to
one another entirely for her benefit. Anna saw clearly that
they were sick of each other and hated each other,
and no one could have helped hating such miserable monstrosities.
A second bell sounded and was followed by moving of luggage, noise, shouting,

(01:11:35):
and laughter. It was so clear to Anna that there
was nothing for anyone to be glad of that this
laughter irritated her agonizingly, and she would have liked to
stop up her ears not to hear it. At last,
the third bell rang. There was a whistle and a
hiss of steam, and a clank of chains, and the
man in her carriage crossed himself. It would be interesting

(01:11:57):
to ask him what meaning he attaches to, that, thought Anne,
looking angrily at him. She looked past the lady out
of the window, at the people who seemed whirling by
as they ran beside the train or stood on the platform.
The train jerking at regular intervals at the junctions of
the rails, rolled by the platform, past a stone wall,
a signal box, past other trains. The wheels, moving more

(01:12:20):
smoothly and evenly, resounded with a slight clang on the rails.
The window was lighted up by the bright evening sun,
and a slight breeze fluttered the curtain. Anna forgot her
fellow passengers, and to the light swaying of the train,
she fell to thinking again as she breathed the fresh air. Yes,
what did I stop at? That I couldn't conceive a

(01:12:42):
position in which life would not be a misery? That
we are all created to be miserable, and that we
all know it, and all invent means of deceiving each other.
And when one sees the truth, what is one to do?
That's what reason is given man for to escape from
what worries him, said the lady in French, lisping affectedly
and obviously pleased with her phrase. The words seemed in

(01:13:06):
answer to Anna's thoughts. To escape from what worries him,
repeated Anna, and glancing at the red cheeked husband and
a thin wife, she saw that the sickly wife considered
herself misunderstood, and the husband deceived her and encouraged her
In that idea of herself, Anna seemed to see all
their history and all the crannies of their souls, as

(01:13:27):
it were turning a light upon them. But there was
nothing interesting in them, And she pursued her thought, Yes,
I'm very much worried, and that's what reason was given
me for to escape. So then one must escape. Why
not put out the light when there's nothing more to
look at? When it's sickening to look at it all?
But how Why did the conductor run along the footboard?

(01:13:50):
Why are they shrieking? Those young men in that train,
why are they talking? Why are they laughing? It's all falsehood,
all lying, all humbub, all cruelty. When the train came
into the station, Anna got out into the crowd of passengers,
and moving apart from them as if they were lepers.
She stood on the platform trying to think what she

(01:14:11):
had come here for and what she meant to do.
Everything that had seemed to her possible before was now
so difficult to consider, especially in this noisy crowd of
hideous people who would not leave her alone. One moment,
porters ran up to her, proffering their services, Then young
men clacking their heels on the planks of the platform
and talking loudly, stared at her people meeting her dodged

(01:14:34):
past on the wrong side, Remembering that she had meant
to go on further if there were no answer, She
stopped a porter and asked if her coachmen were not
here with a note from Count Vronsky. Count Vronsky, they
sent up here from the Vronskies just this minute to
meet Princess Sorrokina and her daughter. And what is the
coachman like. Just as she was talking to the porter,

(01:14:57):
the coachman, Mikhail, read and cheerful, and his smart blue
coat and chain, evidently proud of having so successfully performed
his commission, came up to her and gave her a letter.
She broke it open and her heart ached before she
had read it. I am very sorry your note did
not reach me. I will be home at ten, Vronsky
had written carelessly. Yes, that's what I expected, she said

(01:15:21):
to herself with an evil smile. Very good. You can
go home, then, she said, softly, addressing Mikhail. She spoke
softly because the rapidity of her heart's beating hindered her breathing. No,
I won't let you make me miserable, she thought, menacingly,
addressing not him, not herself, but the power that made

(01:15:42):
her suffer. And she walked along the platform. Two maid
servants walking along the platform turned their heads, staring at
her and making some remarks about her dress. Real, they said,
of the lace she was wearing. The young men would
not leave her in peace again. They passed by, peering
into her face and with a laugh, shouting something in

(01:16:03):
an unnatural voice. The station master, coming up, asked her
whether she was going by train. A boy selling pause
never took his eyes off her. My God, where am
I to go? She thought? Going farther and farther along
the platform. At the end she stopped. Some ladies and

(01:16:25):
children who had come to meet a gentleman in spectacles,
paused in their loud laughter and talking, and stared at her.
As she reached them, she quickened her pace and walked
away from them to the edge of the platform. A
luggage train was coming in. The platform began to sway,
and she fancied she was in the train again, And

(01:16:45):
all at once she thought of the man crushed by
the train the day she had first met Vronsky, and
she knew what she had to do. With a rapid
light step, she went down the steps that led from
the tank to the rails, and stopped quite near the
approaching train. She looked at the lower part of the carriages,
at the screws and chains, and the tall cast iron
wheel of the first carriage, slowly moving up, and trying

(01:17:08):
to measure the middle between the front and back wheels,
and the very minute when that middle point would be
opposite her. There, she said to herself, looking into the
shadow of the carriage, at the sand and coal dust
which covered the sleepers, there in the very middle, and
I will punish him, and escape from every one and
from myself. She tried to fling herself below the wheels

(01:17:30):
of the first carriage as it reached her, but the
red bag which she tried to drop out of her
hand delayed her, and she was too late. She missed
the moment she had to wait for the next carriage.
A feeling such as she had known when about to
take the first plunge in bathing, came upon her, and
she crossed herself. That familiar gesture brought back into her

(01:17:51):
soul a whole series of girlish and childish memories, and
suddenly the darkness that had covered everything for her was
torn apart, and life rose up before her for an
instant with all its bright past joys. But she did
not take her eyes from the wheels of the second carriage,
And exactly at the moment when the space between the
wheels came opposite her, she dropped the red bag, and,

(01:18:13):
drawing her head back into her shoulders, fell on her
hands under the carriage, and lightly, as though she would
rise again, at once, dropped on to her knees. And
at the same instant she was terror stricken at what
she was doing. Where am I? What am I doing?
What for? She tried to get up to drop backwards,
but something huge and merciless struck her on the head

(01:18:36):
and rolled her on her back. Lord, forgive me all,
she said, feeling it impossible to struggle a peasant, muttering
something was working at the iron above her, and the
light by which she had read the book filled with troubles, falsehoods, sorrow,
and evil, flared up more brightly than ever before lighted
up for her. All that had been in darkness flickered,

(01:18:58):
began to grow dim, and was quenched forever. Part eight,
Chapter one, Almost two months had passed, the hot summer
was half over, but Sergey Ivanovitch was only just preparing
to leave Moscow. Sergey Ivanovitch's life had not been uneventful
during this time. A year ago he had finished his
book The Fruit of six years labor sketch of a

(01:19:21):
Survey of the Principles and Forms of Government in Europe
and Russia. Several sections of this book and its introduction
had appeared in periodical publications, and other parts had been
read by Sergey Ivanofitch to persons of his circle, so
that the leading ideas of the work could not be
completely novel to the public. But still Sergey Ivanovich had

(01:19:42):
expected that on its appearance his book would be sure
to make a serious impression on society, and if it
did not cause a revolution in social science, it would
at any rate make a great stir in the scientific world.
After the most conscientious revision, the book had last year
been published and had been distributed among the booksellers, though
he asked no one about it. Reluctantly and with feigned indifference,

(01:20:05):
answered his friend's inquiries as to how the book was going,
and did not even inquire of the booksellers how the
book was selling. Sergey Ivanofitch was all on the alert,
with strained attention, watching for the first impression his book
would make in the world and in literature. But a
week passed, a second, a third, and in society no
impression whatever could be detected. His friends, who were specialists

(01:20:29):
and savants, occasionally unmistakably from politeness, alluded to it. The
rest of his acquaintances, not interested in a book on
a learned subject, did not talk of it at all,
and society, generally, just now, especially absorbed in other things,
was absolutely indifferent. In the press too, For a whole

(01:20:50):
month there was not a word about his book. Sergey
Ivanofitch had calculated to a nicety the time necessary for
writing a review. But a month passed, and a second,
and still there was silence. Only in the Northern Beadle.
In a comic article on the singer Drabanti, who had
lost his voice, there was a contemptuous allusion to Koshnishev's book,

(01:21:12):
suggesting that the book had been long ago seen through
by everyone and was a subject of general ridicule. At last,
in the third month, a critical article appeared in a
serious review. Sergey Ivanovich knew the author of the article.
He had met him once at Globsov's. The author of
the article was a young man, an invalid, very bold

(01:21:34):
as a writer, but extremely deficient in breeding and shy
in personal relations. In spite of his absolute contempt for
the author, it was with complete respect that Sergey Ivanovitch
set about reading the article. The article was awful. The
critic had undoubtedly put an interpretation upon the book which
could not possibly be put on it. But he had

(01:21:57):
selected quotations so adroitly that for people who had not
read the book, and obviously scarcely any one had read it,
it seemed absolutely clear that the whole book was nothing
but a medley of high flown phrases, not even as
suggested by marks of interrogation, used appropriately, and that the
author of the book was a person absolutely without knowledge

(01:22:17):
of the subject. And all this was so wittily done
that Sergey Ivanovitch would not have disowned such with himself.
But that was just what was so awful. In spite
of the scrupulous conscientiousness with which Sergey Ivanovitch verified the
correctness of the critic's arguments, he did not, for a
minute stop to ponder over the faults and mistakes which

(01:22:38):
were ridiculed, but unconsciously he began immediately trying to recall
every detail of his meeting and conversation with the author
of the article. Didn't I offend him in some way,
Sergey Ivanovitch wondered, and remembering that when they met, he
had corrected the young man about something he had said
that betrayed ignorance, Sergey Ivanovitch found the clue to explain

(01:22:58):
the article. This article was followed by a deadly silence
about the book, both in the press and in conversation,
and Sergey Ivanovitch saw that his six years task toiled
that with such love and labor, had gone, leaving no trace.
Sergey Ivanovitch's position was still more difficult from the fact
that since he had finished his book, he had had

(01:23:19):
no more literary work to do, such as had hitherto
occupied the greater part of his time. Sergey Ivanovitch was clever, cultivated,
healthy and energetic, and he did not know what use
to make of his energy. Conversations in drawing rooms, in meetings, assemblies,
and committees, everywhere where talk was possible, took up part

(01:23:41):
of his time, but being used for years to town life,
he did not waste all his energies in talk, as
his less experienced younger brother did when he was in Moscow.
He had a great deal of leisure and intellectual energy
still to dispose of. Fortunately for him, at this period,
so differentfficult for him from the failure of his book.

(01:24:02):
The various public questions of the dissenting sects of the
American Alliance, of the Samara, famine, of exhibitions, and of
spiritualism were definitely replaced in public interest by the Slavonic question,
which had hitherto rather languidly interested society. And Sergey Ivanofitch,
who had been one of the first to raise this subject,

(01:24:22):
threw himself into it heart and soul. In the circle
to which Sergey Ivanovitch belonged, nothing was talked of were
written about just now, but the Servian War. Everything that
the idle crowd usually does to kill time was done
now for the benefit of the Slavonic states. Balls, concerts, dinners,
match boxes, ladies, dresses, beer, restaurants, everything testified to sympathy

(01:24:47):
with the Slavonic peoples. From much of what was spoken
and written on the subject, Sergey Ivanovich differed on various points.
He saw that the Slavonic question had become one of
those fashionable dist actions which succeed one another in providing
society with an object and an occupation. He saw too,
that a great many people were taking up the subject

(01:25:09):
from motives of self interest and self advertisement. He recognized
that the newspapers published a great deal that was superfluous
and exaggerated, with the sole aim of attracting attention in
outbidding one another. He saw that in this general movement,
those who thrust themselves most forward and shouted the loudest
were men who had failed and were smarting under a

(01:25:30):
sense of injury. Generals without armies, ministers not in the ministry,
journalists not on any paper, party leaders without followers. He
saw that there was a great deal in it that
was frivolous and absurd. But he saw and recognized an
unmistakable growing enthusiasm uniting all classes, with which it was
impossible not to sympathize. The massacre of men who were

(01:25:54):
fellow Christians and of the same Slavonic race excited sympathy
for the sufferers and indignation against the oppressors, and the
heroism of the Serbians and Montenegrin struggling for a great
cause begot in the whole people a longing to help
their brothers, not in word, but indeed. But in this
there was another aspect that rejoiced Sergey Ivanovitch. That was

(01:26:16):
the manifestation of public opinion. The public had definitely expressed
its desire. The soul of the people had, as Sergey
Ivanovitch said, found expression. And the more he worked in
this cause, the more incontestable it seemed to him that
it was a cause destined to assume vast dimensions, to
create an epoch. He threw himself heart and soul into

(01:26:39):
the service of this great cause, and forgot to think
about his book. His whole time now was engrossed by it,
so that he could scarcely manage to answer all the
letters and appeals addressed to him. He worked the whole
spring and part of the summer, and it was only
in July that he prepared to go away to his
brothers in the country. He was going both to rest

(01:27:00):
for a fortnight and in the very heart of the people,
in the farthest wilds of the country, to enjoy the
sight of that uplifting of the spirit of the people,
of which, like all residents in the capital and big towns.
He was fully persuaded. Katavasov had long been meaning to
carry out his promise to stay with Levin, and so
he was going with him. Chapter two. Sergey Ivanovitch and

(01:27:22):
Katavasov had only just reached the station of the Cursed Line,
which was particularly busy full of people that day. When
looking round for the groom, who was following with their things,
they saw a party of volunteers driving up in four cabs.
Ladies met them with bouquets of flowers, and, followed by
the rushing crowd, they went into the station. One of

(01:27:44):
the ladies who had met the volunteers came out of
the hall and addressed Sergey Ivanovich. You two come to
see them off? She asked in French. No, I'm going
away myself, Princess, to my brothers for a holiday. Do
you always see them off? Said Sergey Ivanovich with a
hardly perceptible smile. Oh, that would be impossible, answered the princess.

(01:28:10):
Is it true that eight hundred have been sent from
us already? Malvinsky wouldn't believe me more than eight hundred
if you reckon those who have been sent not directly
from Moscow, over a thousand, answered Sergey Ivanovich. There, that's
just what I said, exclaimed the lady. And it's true too.

(01:28:31):
I suppose that more than a million has been subscribed. Yes, Princess,
what do you say to today's telegram? Beaten the Turks again? Yes,
so I saw, answered Sergey Ivanovitch. They were speaking of
the last telegram stating that the Turks had been for
three days in succession, beaten at all points and put

(01:28:53):
to flight, and that tomorrow a decisive engagement was expected. Ah.
By the way, a splended young fellow has asked leave
to go, and they've made some difficulty. I don't know
why I meant to ask you. I know him, Please
write a note about his case. He's being sent by
Countess Lydia Ivanovna. Sergey Ivanovitch asked for all the details.

(01:29:16):
The Princess knew about the young man, and, going into
the first class waiting room, wrote a note to the
person on whom the granting of leave of absence depended
and handed it to the princess. You know, Count Vronsky,
the notorious one is going by this train, said the princess,
with a smile full of triumph and meaning when he
found her again and gave her the letter. I had

(01:29:39):
heard he was going, but I did not know when
by this train. I've seen him. He's here. There's only
his mother seeing him off. It's the best thing anyway
that he could do. Oh. Yes, of course. While they
were talking, the crowd streamed by them into the dining room.

(01:30:00):
They went forward too, and heard a gentleman with a
glass in his hand, delivering a loud discourse to the
volunteers in the service of religion, humanity, and our brothers.
The gentleman said, his voice growing louder and louder, to
this great caused Mother Moscow dedicates you with her blessing Jivio,
he concluded, loudly and tearfully. Everyone shouted Jivio, and a

(01:30:25):
fresh crowd dashed into the hall, almost carrying the princess
off her legs. Ah, Princess, that was something like, said
Stepan Arkadyevitch, suddenly appearing in the middle of the crowd
and beaming upon them with a delighted smile. Capitally warmly said,
wasn't it bravo? And Sergey Ivanovitch, why you ought to

(01:30:49):
have said something? Just a few words, you know, to
encourage them. You do that so well, he added, with
a soft, respectful and discreet smile, moving Sergey Ivanich forward
a little by the arm. No, I'm just off where
to to the country, to my brothers, answered Sergey Ivanovitch.

(01:31:11):
Then you'll see my wife. I've written to her, but
you'll see her first. Please tell her that they've seen
me and that it's all right as the English say.
She'll understand. Oh, and be so good as to tell
her I'm appointed secretary of the committee. But she'll understand.
You know, les petitz Miser's de lavay humane, he said,

(01:31:34):
as it were, apologizing to the princess, and Princess Mayakaya,
not Liza, but Bibbish is sending a thousand guns and
twelve nurses. Did I tell you? Yes, I heard so,
answered Kosnashev indifferently. It's a pity you're going away, said
Stepan Arkadyevitch. Tomorrow we're giving a dinner to two who

(01:31:57):
are setting off, Daimer Bartniynsky from Petersburg, Innar Veslovsky, Grisha.
They're both going. Veslovsky's only lately married. There's a fine
fellow for you, eh, Princess. He turned to the lady.
The princess looked at Kosnashchev without replying. But the fact

(01:32:17):
that Sergey Ivanovich and the Princess seemed anxious to get
rid of him did not in the least disconcert step
in Arkadyevitch. Smiling, he stared at the feather in the
Princess's hat, and then about him, as though he were
going to pick something up. Seeing a lady approaching with
a collecting box, he beckoned her up and put in
a five rouble note. I can never see these collecting

(01:32:39):
boxes unmoved, while I've money in my pocket, he said,
And how about today's telegram? Fine chaps, those Montenegrins, you
don't say so, he cried, when the princess told him
that Vronsky was going by this train for an instant
step in Arkadyevitch's face looked sad. But a minute later,

(01:33:00):
when stroking his mustaches and swinging as he walked, he
went into the hall where Vronsky was. He had completely
forgotten his own despairing sobs over his sister's corpse, and
he saw in Vronsky only a hero and an old friend.
With all his faults, one can't refuse to do him justice,
said the Princess to Sergey Ivanovitch, as soon as stepan
Arkadyevitch had left them, what a typically Russian slav nature.

(01:33:25):
Only I'm afraid it won't be pleasant for Vronsky to
see him. Say what you will, untouched by that man's fate,
do talk to him a little on the way, said
the princess. Yes, perhaps, if it happens so. I never
liked him, but this atones for a great deal. He's

(01:33:46):
not merely going himself. He's taking a squadron at his
own expense. Yes, so I heard a bell sounded. Every
one crowded to the doors. Here he is, said the princess,
indicated Vronsky, who with his mother on his arm, walked
by wearing a long overcoat and wide brimmed black hat.

(01:34:06):
Oblonsky was walking beside him, talking eagerly of something. Vronsky
was frowning and looking straight before him, as though he
did not hear what stepan Arkadyevitch was saying, Probably on
Oblonsky's pointing them out. He looked round in the direction
where the Princess and Sergey Ivanofitch were standing, and, without speaking,
lifted his hat. His face aged and worn by suffering,

(01:34:31):
looked stony. Going onto the platform, Vronsky left his mother
and disappeared into a compartment On the platform. There rang
out God save the Tsar, then shouts of Hurrah and Jivio.
One of the volunteers, a tall, very young man with
a hollow chest, was particularly conspicuous, bowing and waving his

(01:34:51):
felt hat and a nosegay over his head. Then two
officers emerged, bowing too, and a stout man with a
big beard wearing a greet d forage cap. Chapter three,
saying good bye to the princess. Sergey Ivanovich was joined
by Katavasov. Together they got into a carriage full to overflowing,
and the train started at Seratsino station. The train was

(01:35:14):
met by a chorus of young men singing Hail to
thee Again. The volunteers bowed and poked their heads out,
but Sergey Ivanofitch paid no attention to them. He had
had so much to do with the volunteers that the
type was familiar to him and did not interest him. Katavasov,
whose scientific work had prevented his having a chance of

(01:35:35):
observing them hitherto, was very much interested in them, and
questioned Sergey Ivanovich. Sergey Ivanovich advised him to go into
the second class and talk to them himself at the
next station. Katavasov acted on this suggestion. At the first stop,
he moved into the second class and made the acquaintance
of the volunteers. They were sitting in a corner of

(01:35:57):
the carriage, talking loudly. In Ovius, aware that the attention
of the passengers in Katavasov as he got in was
concentrated upon them more loudly than all, talked the tall,
hollow chested young man. He was unmistakably tipsy and was
relating some story that had occurred at his school. Facing
him sat a middle aged officer in the Austrian military

(01:36:19):
jacket of the guard's uniform. He was listening with a
smile to the hollow chested youth and occasionally pulling him up.
The third, in an artillery uniform, was sitting on a
box beside them. A fourth was asleep. Entering into conversation
with the youth, Katavasov learned that he was a wealthy
Moscow merchant who had run through a large fortune before

(01:36:42):
he was two and twenty. Katavasov did not like him
because he was unmanly and effeminate and sickly. He was
obviously convinced, especially now after drinking, that he was performing
a heroic action, and he bragged of it in the
most unpleasant way. The second, the retired officer, made an
unpleasant impression too, upon Katavasov. He was, it seemed, a

(01:37:07):
man who had tried everything. He had been on a railway,
had been a land steward, and had started factories. And
he talked quite without necessity of all he had done,
and used learned expressions quite inappropriately. The third, the artilleryman,
on the contrary, struck Katavasov very favorably. He was a quiet,

(01:37:28):
modest fellow, unmistakably impressed by the knowledge of the officer
and the heroic self sacrifice of the merchant, in saying
nothing about himself. When Katavasov asked him what had impelled
him to go to Servia, he answered modestly, Oh, well,
every one's going. The Serbians want help too. I'm sorry
for them. Yes, you artillerymen especially are scarce there, said Katavasov. Oh,

(01:37:55):
I wasn't long in the artillery. Maybe they'll put me
into the infantry or the cavalry into the infantry when
they need artillery more than anything, said Katavasov, fancying from
the artilleryman's apparent age that he must have reached a
fairly high grade. I wasn't long in the artillery. I'm
a cadet, retired, he said, and he began to explain

(01:38:16):
how he had failed in his examination. All of this
together made a disagreeable impression on Katavasov, and when the
volunteers got out at a station for a drink, Katavsov
would have liked to compare his unfavorable impression in conversation
with some one. There was an old man in the
carriage wearing a military overcoat who had been listening all
the while to Katavasov's conversation with the volunteers. When they

(01:38:40):
were left alone, Katavasov addressed him, What different positions they
come from, all those fellows who are going off there,
Katavasov said, vaguely, not wishing to express his own opinion,
and at the same time anxious to find out the
old man's views. The old man was an officer who
had served on two campaigns. He knew what makes a soldier, and,

(01:39:02):
judging by the appearance and the talk of those persons
by the swagger with which they had recourse to the
bottle on the journey, he considered them poor soldiers. Moreover,
he lived in a district town, and he was longing
to tell how one soldier had volunteered from his town,
a drunkard and a thief, whom no one would employ
as a laborer. But knowing by experience that in the

(01:39:23):
present condition of the public temper it was dangerous to
express an opinion opposed to the general one, and especially
to criticize the volunteers unfavorably, he too watched Katavsov without
committing himself. Well, men are wanted there, he said, laughing
with his eyes. And they fell to talking of the
last worn news, and each concealed from the other his

(01:39:45):
perplexity as to the engagement expected next day, since the
Turks had been beaten according to the latest news at
all points. And so they parted, neither giving expression to
his opinion. Katavsov went back to his own care, and
with reluctant hypocrisy, reported to Sergey Ivanovich's observations of the volunteers,

(01:40:05):
from which it would appear that they were capital fellows
at a big station at a town, the volunteers were
again greeted with shouts and singing. Again, men and women
with collecting boxes appeared, and provincial ladies brought bouquets to
the volunteers and followed them into the refreshment room. But
all this was on a much smaller and feebler scale
than in Moscow Chapter four. While the train was stopping

(01:40:28):
at the provincial town, Sergey Ivanofitch did not go to
the refreshment room, but walked up and down the platform.
The first time he passed Vronsky's compartment, he noticed that
the curtain was drawn over the window. But as he
passed at the second time, he saw the old countess
at the window. She beckoned to Kosnishev, I'm going, you see,

(01:40:49):
taking him as far as Kersk. She said, Yes, so
I heard, said Sergey Ivanovich standing at her window and
peeping in. What a noble act on his part, he added,
noticing that Vronsky was not in the compartment. Yes, after
his misfortune, what was there for him to do? What
a terrible thing it was, said Sergey Ivanovitch, Ah what

(01:41:13):
I have been through. But do get in, ah what
I have been through? She repeated. When Sergey Ivanovitch had
got in and sat down beside her. You can't conceive it.
For six weeks he did not speak to any one
and would not touch food except when I implored him,
And not for one minute could we leave him alone.

(01:41:36):
We took away everything he could have used against himself.
We lived on the ground floor, but there was no
reckoning on anything. You know, of course, that he had
shot himself once already on her account, she said, And
the old lady's eye lashes twitched at the recollection. Yes,
hers was the fitting end for such a woman. Even

(01:41:57):
the death she chose was low and vulgar. It's not
for us to judge, Countess, said Sergey Ivanovitch, but I
can understand that it has been very hard for you. Ah,
don't speak of it. I was staying on my estate
and he was with me. A note was brought him.
He wrote an answer and sent it off. We hadn't

(01:42:19):
an idea that she was close by at the station.
In the evening, I had only just gone to my
room when my Mary told me a lady had thrown
herself under the train. Something seemed to strike me at once.
I knew it was she. The first thing I said was.
He was not to be told, but they'd told him already.

(01:42:40):
His coachman was there and saw it all. When I
ran into his room, he was beside himself. It was
fearful to see him. He didn't say a word, but
galloped off there. I don't know to this day what
happened there, but he was brought back at death's door.
I shouldn't have known him. Prostration complete, the doctor said,

(01:43:02):
And that was followed almost by madness. Oh why talk
of it, said the countess, with a wave of her hand.
It was an awful time. No say what you will.
She was a bad woman. Why what is the meaning
of such desperate passions? It was all to show herself
something out of the way. Well, and that she did do.

(01:43:26):
She brought herself to Ruin and two good men, her
husband and my unhappy son. And what did her husband do,
asked Sergey Ivanovitch. He has taken her daughter. Alexey was
ready to agree to anything at first. Now it worries
him terribly that he should have given his own child
away to another man. But he can't take back his word.

(01:43:49):
Korenin came to the funeral, but we tried to prevent
his meeting Alexey for him, for her husband, it was
easier anyway. She had set him free. But my poor
son was utterly given up to her. He had thrown
up everything, his career, me and even then she had
no mercy on him. But of set purpose she made

(01:44:11):
his ruin complete. No say what you will. Her very
death was the death of a vile woman of no
religious feeling. God forgive me, but I can't help hating
the memory of her when I look at my son's misery.
But how is he now? It was a blessing from
providence for us, this Servian war. I'm old and I

(01:44:33):
don't understand the rights and wrongs of it, but it's
come as a providential blessing to him. Of course, for
me as his mother, it's terrible. And what's worse, they say,
see Na Patrace b env u Ah Petersburg. But it
can't be helped. It was the one thing that could
rouse him. Yashvin, a friend of his. He had lost

(01:44:55):
all he had at cards and he was going to Servia.
He came to see him and pres perswaited him to go.
Now it's an interest for him. Do please talk to
him a little? I want to distract his mind. He's
so low spirited, and as bad luck would have it,
he has toothache too. But he'll be delighted to see you.

(01:45:18):
Please do talk to him. He's walking up and down
on that side. Sergey Ivanofitch said he would be very
glad to and crossed over to the other side of
the station. Chapter five. In the slanting evening shadows cast
by the baggage piled up on the platform, Vronsky, in
his long overcoat and slouch hat, with his hands in
his pockets, strode up and down like a wild beast

(01:45:39):
in a cage, turning sharply. After twenty paces. Sergey Ivanofitch
fancied as he approached him that Vronsky saw him but
was pretending not to see. This did not affect Sergey
Ivanofitch in the slightest. He was above all personal considerations
with Vronsky. At that moment. Sergey Ivanovitch looked upon Vronsky

(01:46:01):
as a man taking an important part in a great cause,
and Kosnashchef thought it his duty to encourage him and
express his approval. He went up to him. Vronsky stood still,
looked intently at him, recognized him, and going a few
steps forward to meet him, shook hands with him very warmly.
Possibly you didn't wish to see me, said Sergey Ivanovitch.

(01:46:24):
But couldn't I be of use to you? There's no
one I should less dislike seeing than you, said Vronsky.
Excuse me, and there's nothing in life for me to like.
I quite understand, and I merely meant to offer you
my services, said Sergey Ivanovitch, scanning Vronsky's face full of
unmistakable suffering. Wouldn't it be of use to you to

(01:46:46):
have a letter to Ristitch to Milan? Oh? No, Vronsky said,
seeming to understand him with difficulty. If you don't mind,
let's walk on. It's so stuffy among the carriages, A letter,
no thank you? To meet death, one needs no letters
of introduction, nor for the Turks, he said, with a

(01:47:09):
smile that was merely of the lips. His eyes still
kept their look of angry suffering. Yes, but you might
find it easier to get into relations, which are after
all essential, with any one prepared to see you. But
that's as you like. I was very glad to hear
of your intention. There have been so many attacks made

(01:47:30):
on the volunteers and a man like you raises them
in public estimation. My use as a man, said Vronsky,
is that life's worth nothing to me, and that I've
enough bodily energy to cut my way into their ranks
and to trample on them or fall. I know that
I'm glad there's something to give my life for, for
it's not simply useless, but loathsome to me. Any one's

(01:47:53):
welcome to it. And his jaw twitched impatiently from the incessant,
gnawing toothache that prevented him from even speaking with a
natural expression. You will become another man, I predict said
Sergey Ivanovitch, feeling touched to deliver one's brother men from bondage.
Is an aim worth death and life. God grant you

(01:48:14):
success outwardly and inwardly peace, he added, and he held
out his hand. Vronsky warmly pressed his outstretched hand. Yes,
as a weapon, I may be of some use, but
as a man, I'm a wreck, he jerked out. He
could hardly speak for the throbbing ache in his strong
teeth that were like rows of ivory in his mouth.

(01:48:37):
He was silent, and his eyes rested on the wheels
of the tender, slowly and smoothly rolling along the rails,
and all at once a different pain, not an ache,
but an inner trouble that set his whole being in anguish,
made him for an instant forget his toothache. As he
glanced at the tender and the rails. Under the influence
of the conversation with a friend he had not met

(01:48:58):
since his misfortune, he suddenly recalled her, that is what
was left of her when he had run like one
distraught into the cloak room of the railway station, on
the table, shamelessly sprawling out among strangers, the blood stained
body so lately full of life, the head unhurt dropping
back with its weight of hair, and the curling tresses
about the temples, and the exquisite face with red half

(01:49:22):
open mouth, the strange fixed expression, piteous on the lips
and awful in the still open eyes, that seemed to
utter that fearful phrase that he would be sorry for it,
that she had said when they were quarreling, And he
tried to think of her as she was when he
met her the first time at a railway station, too mysterious, exquisite, loving,

(01:49:43):
seeking and giving happiness, and not cruelly revengeful as he
remembered her. On that last moment, he tried to recall
his best moments with her, but those moments were poisoned forever.
He could only think of her as triumphant, successful in
her menace of a wholly useless remorse, never to be effaced.
He lost all consciousness of toothache, and his face worked

(01:50:05):
with sobs, Passing twice up and down beside the baggage.
In silence and regaining his self possession, he addressed Sergey
Ivanovich calmly, you have had no telegrams since yesterdays. Yes,
driven back for a third time, but a decisive engagement
expected for tomorrow, and after talking a little more of

(01:50:25):
King Milan's proclamation and the immense effect it might have,
they parted, going to their carriages on hearing the second bell.
Chapter six, Sergey Ivanovitch had not telegraphed to his brother
to send to meet him, as he did not know
when he should be able to leave Moscow. Levin was
not at home when Katavasov and Sergey Ivanovich, in a
fly hired at the station, drove up to the steps

(01:50:48):
of the Pokrovsko house as black as moors from the
dust of the road. Kitty, sitting on the balcony with
her father and sister, recognized her brother in law and
ran down to meet him. What a shame not to
have let us know, she said, giving her hand to
Sergey Ivanovitch and putting her forehead up for him to kiss.

(01:51:08):
We drove here capitally and have not put you out,
answered Sergey Ivanovitch. I'm so dirty, I'm afraid to touch you.
I've been so busy I didn't know when I should
be able to tear myself away. And so you're still
as ever, enjoying your peaceful, quiet happiness, he said, smiling
out of the reach of the current, in your peaceful backwater.

(01:51:32):
Here's our friend Fyodor Vassilevitch, who has succeeded in getting
here at last. But I'm not a negro. I shall
look like a human being when I wash, said Katavasov
in his jesting fashion, and he shook hands and smiled,
his teeth flashing white in his black face. Kostia will
be delighted he has gone to his settlement. It's time

(01:51:53):
he should be home, busy as ever with his farming.
It really is a peaceful backwater, said Katavasov, while we
in town think of nothing but the Servian war. Well,
how does our friend look at it. He's sure not
to think like other people. Oh, I don't know, like
everybody else, Kitty answered, a little embarrassed, looking round at

(01:52:16):
Sergey Ivanofitch. I'll send to fetch him. Papa's staying with us.
He's only just come home from abroad, and making arrangements
to send for Levin and for the guests to wash,
one in his room and the other in what had
been Dolly's, and giving orders for their luncheon. Kitty ran
out onto the balcony, enjoying the freedom and rapidity of

(01:52:36):
movement of which she had been deprived during the months
of her pregnancy. It's Sergey Ivanofych and Katavasov, a professor.
She said. Oh that's a bore in this heat, said
the prince. No, Papa, he's very nice, and Kostia is
very fond of him, Kitty said, with a deprecating smile,

(01:52:57):
noticing the irony on her father's face. Oh I didn't
say anything. You go to them, darling, said Kitty to
her sister, and entertain them. They saw Stiva at the station.
He was quite well, and I must run to Mitya
as ill luck would have it. I haven't fed him
since tea. He's awake now and sure to be screaming

(01:53:21):
and feeling a rush of milk. She hurried to the nursery.
This was not a mere guess. Her connection with the
child was still so close that she could gage by
the flow of her milk's need of food, and knew
for certain he was hungry. She knew he was crying
before she reached the nursery, and he was indeed crying.

(01:53:41):
She heard him and hastened, But the faster she went,
the louder he screamed. It was a fine, healthy scream,
hungry and impatient. Has he been screaming? Long? Nurse? Very long?
Said Kitty, hurriedly, seating herself on a chair and preparing
to give the baby the break. But give me him quickly,

(01:54:03):
oh nurse, how tiresome you are there? Tie the cap afterwards?
Do the baby's greedy scream was passing into sobs. But
you can't manage so, ma'am, said Agafea Mihalovna, who was
almost always to be found in the nursery. He must
be put straight Ao aoh, She chanted over him, paying

(01:54:26):
no attention to the mother. The nurse brought the baby
to his mother. Agafeya Mihalovna followed him with a face
dissolving with tenderness. He knows me, he knows me in
God's faith, Katerina Alexandrovna, ma'am, he knew me, Agafya Mihalovna
cried above the baby's screams, but Kitty did not hear

(01:54:49):
her words. Her impatience kept growing like the babies. Their
impatience hindered things for a while. The baby could not
get hold of the breast right and was furious. At last,
after despairing, breathless screaming and vain sucking, things went right,
and mother and child felt simultaneously soothed and both subsided

(01:55:11):
into calm. But poor darling, he's all in perspiration, said
Kitty in a whisper, touching the baby. What makes you
think he knows you, she added, with a sidelong glance
at the baby's eyes that peered roguishly as she fancied
from under his cap, at his rhythmically puffing cheeks and
the little red palmed hand he was waving impossible. If

(01:55:36):
he knew any one, he would have known me, said
Kitty in response to Agafea Mihalovna's statement, And she smiled.
She smiled because though she said he could not know her,
in her heart, she was sure that he knew, not
merely Agafea Mihalovna, but that he knew and understood everything,
and knew and understood a great deal too, that no
one else knew, and that she, his mother, had learned

(01:55:59):
and come to understand only through him. To Agafya Mihalovna,
to the nurse, to his grandfather, to his father. Even
Mitya was a living being, requiring only material care. But
for his mother he had long been a mortal being
with whom there had been a whole series of spiritual
relations already. When he wakes up, please God, you shall

(01:56:20):
see for yourself. Then, when I do like this, he
simply beams on me, The darling simply beams like a
sunny day, said Agafya Mihalovna. Well, well then we shall see,
whispered Kitty. But now go away. He's going to sleep.
Chapter seven, Agafya Mihalovna went out on tiptoe. The nurse

(01:56:42):
let down. The blind chased a fly out from under
the muslin canopy of the crib and a bumblebee struggling
on the window frame, and sat down, waving a faded
branch of birch over the mother and the baby. How
hot it is? If God would send a drop of rain,
She said, yes, yes, s H, s H s H

(01:57:03):
was all Kitty answered, rocking a little and tenderly squeezing
the plump little arm with rolls of fat at the wrist,
which Mitya still waved feebly as he opened and shut
his eyes. That hand worried Kitty. She longed to kiss
the little hand, but was afraid to for fear of
waking the baby. At last, the little hand ceased waving,

(01:57:24):
and the eyes closed only from time to time as
he went unsucking. The baby raised his long, curly eyelashes
and peeped at his mother with wet eyes that looked black.
In the twilight, the nurse had left off fanning and
was dozing. From above came the peals of the old
Prince's voice and the chuckle of Katavasov. They have got

(01:57:46):
into talk without me, thought Kitty. But still it's vexing
that costy is out. He should have gone to the
bee house again. Though it's a pity he's there so often. Still,
I'm glad it distracts his mind. He's become altogether happier
and better now than in the spring. He used to
be so gloomy and worried that I felt frightened for him.

(01:58:09):
And how absurd he is, she whispered, smiling. She knew
what worried her husband. It was his unbelief. Although if
she had been asked whether she supposed that in the
future life, if he did not believe, he would be damned,
she would have had to admit that he would be damned.
His unbelief did not cause her unhappiness, and she, confessing

(01:58:32):
that for an unbeliever there can be no salvation and
loving her husband soul more than anything in the world,
thought with a smile of his unbelief, and told herself
that he was absurd. What does he keep reading philosophy
of some sort for all this year? She wondered, If
it's all written in those books, he can understand them.
If it's all wrong, why does he read them? He

(01:58:54):
says himself that he would like to believe, Then why
is it he doesn't believe, surely from his thinking so much,
and he thinks so much from being solitary, he's always alone, alone,
he can't talk about it all to us. I fancy
he'll be glad of these visitors, especially Katavasov. He likes

(01:59:16):
discussions with them, she thought, and passed instantly to the
consideration of where it would be more convenient to put
Katavasov to sleep alone or to share Sergey Ivanovitch's room,
And then an idea suddenly struck her, which made her
shudder and even disturbed Mitya, who glanced severely at her.
I do believe the laundress hasn't sent the washing yet,

(01:59:37):
and all the best sheets are in use. If I
don't see to it, Agafya Mihalovna will give Sergey Ivanofitch
the wrong sheets. And at the very idea of this,
the blood rushed to Kitty's face. Yes, I will arrange it,
she decided, and going back to her former thoughts, she
remembered that some spiritual question of importance had been interrupted,

(01:59:58):
and she began to recall Yes, Kostia an unbeliever, she
thought again with a smile, Well, an unbeliever, then better
let him always be one than like Madame stall Or
what I tried to be in those days abroad. No,
he won't ever sham anything. And a recent instance of
his goodness rose vividly to her mind. A fortnight ago,

(02:00:22):
a penitent letter had come from Stepan Arkadyevitch to Dolly.
He besought her to save his honor, to sell her
estate to pay his debts. Dolly was in despair. She
detested her husband, despised him, pitied him, resolved on a separation,
resolved to refuse, but ended by agreeing to sell part
of her property. After that, with an irrepressible smile of tenderness,

(02:00:46):
Kitty recalled her husband's shamefaced embarrassment, his repeated awkward efforts
to approach the subject, and how, at last, having thought
of the one means of helping Dolly without wounding her pride,
he had suggested to Kitty what had not occurred to
her before, that she should give up her share of
the property. He an unbeliever, indeed with his heart his

(02:01:08):
dread of offending any one, even a child. Everything for others,
nothing for himself. Sergey Ivanovitch simply considers it as costly
as duty to be his steward. And it's the same
with his sister. Now Dolly and her children are under
his guardianship, all these peasants who come to him every
day as though he were bound to be at their service. Yes,

(02:01:31):
only be like your father, Only like him, she said,
handing Mitya over to the nurse and putting her lips
to his cheek. Chapter eight. Ever since, by his beloved
brother's death bed, Levin had first glanced into the questions
of life and death. In the light of these new convictions,
as he called them, which had during the period from
his twentieth to his thirty fourth year imperceptibly replaced his

(02:01:53):
childish and youthful beliefs. He had been stricken with horror,
not so much of death as of life without any
knowledge of whence and why and how and what it was.
The physical organization, its decay, the indestructibility of matter, the
law of the conservation of energy, evolution were the words

(02:02:13):
which usurped the place of his old belief. These words
and the ideas associated with them were very well for
intellectual purposes, but for life they yielded nothing, And Levin
felt suddenly like a man who has changed his warm
fur cloak for a muslin garment, and going for the
first time into the frost, is immediately convinced, not by

(02:02:34):
reason but by his whole nature, that he is as
good as naked, and that he must infallibly perish miserably
from that moment, though he did not distinctly face it
and still went on living as before, Levin had never
lost this sense of terror at his lack of knowledge.
He vaguely felt too, that what he called his new
convictions were not merely lack of knowledge, but that they

(02:02:57):
were part of a whole order of ideas in which
no knhsledge of what he needed was possible. At first, marriage,
with the new joys and duties bound up with it,
had completely crowded out these thoughts. But of late, while
he was staying in Moscow after his wife's confinement, with
nothing to do, the question that clamored for solution had

(02:03:17):
more and more often, more and more insistently haunted Levin's mind.
The question was summed up for him, thus, if I
do not accept the ANSWER's Christianity gives to the problems
of my life, what answers do I accept? And in
the whole arsenal of his convictions, so far from finding
any satisfactory answers, he was utterly unable to find anything

(02:03:38):
at all like an answer. He was in the position
of a man seeking food in toy shops and tool shops. Instinctively, unconsciously,
with every book, with every conversation, with every man he met,
he was on the lookout for light on these questions
and their solution. What puzzled and distracted him above everything
was that the majority of men of his age and

(02:04:00):
circle had, like him, exchanged their old beliefs for the
same new convictions, and yet saw nothing to lament in this,
and were perfectly satisfied and serene, So that, apart from
the principal question, Levin was tortured by other questions too.
Were these people sincere, he asked himself, or were they
playing a part? Or was it that they understood the

(02:04:23):
ANSWER's science gave to these problems in some different, clearer
sense than he did. And he assiduously studied both these
men's opinions and the books which treated of these scientific explanations.
One fact he had found out since these questions had
engrossed his mind was that he had been quite wrong
in supposing from the recollections of the circle of his

(02:04:43):
young days at college, that religion had outlived its day,
and that it was now practically non existent. All the
people nearest to him, who were good in their lives
were believers. The old Prince and levof whom he liked
so much, and Sergey Ivanofitch, and all the women believed,
and his wife believed as simply as he had believed

(02:05:04):
in his earliest childhood. And ninety nine hundreds of the
Russian people, all the working people for whose life he
felt the deepest respect, believed. Another fact of which he
became convinced after reading many scientific books, was that the
men who shared his views had no other construction to
put on them, and that they gave no explanation of
the questions which he felt he could not live without answering,

(02:05:27):
but simply ignored their existence and attempted to explain other
questions of no possible interest to him, such as the
evolution of organisms, the materialistic theory of consciousness, and so forth. Moreover,
during his wife's confinement, something had happened that seemed extraordinary
to him. He, an unbeliever, had fallen into praying, and

(02:05:48):
at the moment he prayed he believed, but that moment
had passed, and he could not make his state of
mind at that moment fit into the rest of his life.
He could not admit that at that moment he knew
the truth and that now he was wrong, for as
soon as he began thinking calmly about it, it all
fell to pieces. He could not admit that he was

(02:06:09):
mistaken then, for his spiritual condition then was precious to him,
and to admit that it was a proof of weakness
would have been to desecrate those moments. He was miserably
divided against himself and strained all his spiritual forces to
the utmost to escape from this condition. Chapter nine. These
doubts fretted and harassed him, growing weaker or stronger from

(02:06:30):
time to time, but never leaving him. He read in thought,
and the more he read and the more he thought,
the further he felt from the aim he was pursuing.
Of late in Moscow and in the country, since he
had become convinced that he would find no solution in
the materialists, he had read and wearied thoroughly. Plato, Spinoza, Kant, Shelling, Hegel,

(02:06:51):
and Schopenhauer, the philosophers who gave a non materialistic explanation
of life. Their ideas seemed to him fruitful when he
was reading or was himself seeking arguments to refute other theories,
especially those of the materialists. But as soon as he
began to read or sought for himself a solution of problems,
the same thing always happened. As long as he followed

(02:07:13):
the fixed definition of obscure words such as spirit, will, freedom, essence,
purposely letting himself go into the snare of words the
philosophers set for him, he seemed to comprehend something. But
he had only to forget the artificial train of reasoning
and to turn from life itself to what had satisfied
him while thinking in accordance with the fixed definitions, and

(02:07:34):
all this artificial edifice fell to pieces at once, like
a house of cards, and it became clear that the
edifice had been built up out of those transposed words,
apart from anything in life more important than reason. At
one time, reading Schopenhauer, he put in place of his
will the word love, and for a couple of days
this new philosophy charmed him till he removed a little

(02:07:56):
away from it. But then when he turned from life itself.
To glance at it again, it fell away too and
proved to be the same muslin garment with no warmth
in it. His brother Sergey Ivanovitch advised him to read
the theological works of Homyakov. Levin read the second volume
of Homyakov's works, and, in spite of the elegant, epigrammatic

(02:08:19):
argumentative style which at first repelled him, he was impressed
by the doctrine of the Church he found in them.
He was struck at first by the idea that the
apprehension of divine truths had not been vouchsafed to man,
but to a corporation of men bound together by love,
to the Church. What delighted him was the thought how
much easier it was to believe in a still existing,

(02:08:40):
living Church, embracing all the beliefs of men, and having
God at its head and therefore wholly in infallible, and
from it to accept the faith in God in the Creation,
the Fall, the Redemption, then to begin with God, a mysterious,
far away God, the Creation, et cetera. But afterwards, on
reading it the Catholic writer's History of the Church, and

(02:09:02):
then a Greek Orthodox writer's History of the Church, and
seeing that the two churches, in their very conception infallible,
each deny the authority of the other, Homeakov's doctrine of
the church lost all its charm for him, and this
edifice crumbled into dust, like the philosopher's edifices all that spring,
he was not himself and went through fearful moments of

(02:09:23):
horror without knowing what I am and why I am here.
Life's impossible, and that I can't know, and so I
can't live, Levin said to himself, in infinite time, in
infinite matter, in infinite space is formed a bubble organism,
and that bubble lasts a while and bursts, and that
bubble is me. It was an agonizing error, but it

(02:09:44):
was the sole logical result of ages of human thought
in that direction. This was the ultimate belief on which
all the systems elaborated by human thought, in almost all
their ramifications, rested. It was the prevalent conviction, and of
all other explanations left. Vin had, unconsciously, not knowing when
or how, chosen it as any way the clearest, and

(02:10:05):
made it his own. But it was not merely a falsehood.
It was the cruel jeer of some wicked power, some evil,
hateful power to whom one could not submit. He must
escape from this power, and the means of escape every
man had in his own hands. He had but to
cut short this dependence on evil, and there was one

(02:10:27):
means death. And Levin, a happy father and husband in
perfect health, was several times so near suicide that he
hid the cord that he might not be tempted to
hang himself, and was afraid to go out with his
gun for fear of shooting himself. But Levin did not
shoot himself, and did not hang himself. He went on living.

(02:10:48):
Chapter ten. When Levin thought what he was and what
he was living for, he could find no answer to
the questions, and was reduced to despair. But he left
off questioning himself about it. It seemed as though he
knew both what he was and for what he was living.
For he acted and lived resolutely and without hesitation. Indeed,
in these latter days he was far more decided and

(02:11:09):
unhesitating in life than he had ever been. When he
went back to the country at the beginning of June.
He went back also to his usual pursuits, the management
of the estate, his relations with the peasants and the neighbors,
the care of his household, the management of his sisters
and brother's property, of which he had the direction, his
relations with his wife and kindred, the care of his child,

(02:11:32):
and the new bee keeping hobby he had taken up
that spring filled all his time. These things occupied him
now not because he justified them to himself by any
sort of general principles, as he had done in former days.
On the contrary, disappointed by the failure of his former
efforts for the general welfare, and too much occupied with
his own thought and the mass of business with which

(02:11:54):
he was burdened from all sides, he had completely given
up thinking of the general good, and he busied himself
with all this work simply because it seemed to him
that he must do what he was doing that he
could not do otherwise. In former days, almost from childhood
and increasingly up to full manhood, when he had tried
to do anything that would be good for all, for humanity,

(02:12:16):
for Russia, for the whole village, he had noticed that
the idea of it had been pleasant, but the work
itself had always been incoherent. That then he had never
had a full conviction of its absolute necessity, and that
the work that had begun by seeming so great, had
grown less and less till it vanished into nothing. But
now since his marriage, when he had begun to confine

(02:12:38):
himself more and more to living for himself, though he
experienced no delight at all at the thought of the
work he was doing, he felt a complete conviction of
its necessity, saw that it succeeded far better than in
old days, and that it kept on growing more and more.
Now involuntarily, it seemed, he cut more and more deeply
into the soil like a plow, so that he could

(02:12:59):
not be drawn out without turning aside the furrow. To
live the same family life as his father and forefathers,
that is, in the same condition of culture, and to
bring up his children in the same was incontestably necessary.
It was as necessary as dining when one was hungry,
And to do this, just as it was necessary to

(02:13:20):
cook dinner. It was necessary to keep the mechanism of
agriculture at Pokrovsko going so as to yield an income,
just as incontestably as it was necessary to repay a debt.
Was it necessary to keep the property in such a
condition that his son, when he received it as a heritage,
would say thank you to his father, as Levin had
said thank you to his grandfather for all he built

(02:13:41):
and planted. And to do this it was necessary to
look after the land himself, not to let it, and
to breed cattle, manure the fields, and plant timber. It
was impossible not to look after the affairs of Sergey Ivanofitch,
of his sister, of the peasants, who came to him
for advice, and were accustomed to do so, as impossible
as to fling down a child one is carrying in

(02:14:04):
one's arms. It was necessary to look after the comfort
of his sister in law and her children, and of
his wife and baby, and it was impossible not to
spend with them at least a short time each day.
And all this, together with shooting in his new bee keeping,
filled up the whole of Levin's life, which had no
meaning at all for him when he began to think.

(02:14:25):
But besides knowing thoroughly what he had to do, Levin
knew in just the same way how he had to
do it all. And what was more important than the rest.
He knew he must hire labors as cheaply as possible,
But to hire men under bond, paying them in advance
at less than the current rate of wages was what
he must not do, even though it was very profitable.

(02:14:46):
Selling straw to the peasants in times of scarcity of
provender was what he might do, even though he felt
sorry for them. But the tavern and the pothouse must
be put down, though they were a source of income.
Felling timber must be punished as severely as possible, but
he could not exact forfeits for cattle being driven on
to his fields. And though it annoyed the keeper and

(02:15:07):
made the peasants not afraid to graze their cattle on
his land, he could not keep their cattle. As a
punishment to Pyotur, who was paying a money lender ten
percent a month, he must lend a sum of money
to set him free. But he could not let off
peasants who did not pay their rent, nor let them
fall into arrears. It was impossible to overlook the bailiffs

(02:15:29):
not having mowed the meadows and letting the hay spoil.
And it was equally impossible to mow those acres where
a young copse had been planted. It was impossible to
excuse a laborer who had gone home in the busy
season because his father was dying. However sorry he might
feel for him, and he must subtract from his pay
those costly months of idleness. But it was impossible not

(02:15:51):
to allow monthly rations to the old servants, who were
of no use for anything. Levin knew that when he
got home he must first of all go to his wife,
who was unwell, and that the peasants who had been
waiting for three hours to see him could wait a
little longer. He knew too, that, regardless of all the
pleasure he felt in taking a swarm, he must forego

(02:16:11):
that pleasure and leave the old man to see to
the bees alone while he talked to the peasants who
had come after him to the bee house. Whether he
were acting rightly or wrongly, he did not know, and
far from trying to prove that he was nowadays he
avoided all thought or talk about it. Reasoning had brought
him to doubt and prevented him from seeing what he

(02:16:31):
ought to do and what he ought not. When he
did not think but simply lived, he was continually aware
of the presence of an infallible judge in his soul,
determining which of two possible courses of action was the
better and which was the worse. And as soon as
he did not act rightly, he was at once aware
of it. So he lived not knowing and not seeing

(02:16:52):
any chance of knowing what he was and what he
was living for, and harassed at this lack of knowledge
to such a point that he was afraid of suicide,
and yet firmly laying down his own individual, definite path
in Life, Chapter eleven. The day on which Sergey Ivanovitch
came to Pokrovskow was one of Levin's most painful days.
It was the very busiest working time, when all the

(02:17:14):
peasantry show an extraordinary intensity of self sacrifice in labor,
such as is never shown in any other conditions of life,
and would be highly esteemed if the men who showed
these qualities themselves thought highly of them, and if it
were not repeated every year, and if the results of
this intense labor were not so simple. To reap and
bind the rye and oats, and to carry it to

(02:17:36):
mow the meadows, turn over the fallows, thrash the seed,
and sow the winter corn. All this seemed so simple
and ordinary. But to succeed in getting through at all,
every one in the village, from the old man to
the young child, must toil incessantly for three or four weeks,
three times as hard as usual, living on rye, beer,
onions and black bread, thrashing and carrying the sheaves at night,

(02:18:00):
and not giving more than two or three hours in
the twenty four to sleep. And every year this is
done all over Russia. Having lived the greater part of
his life in the country and in the closest relations
with the peasants, Levin always felt in this busy time
that he was infected by this general quickening of energy
in the people. In the early morning, he rode over

(02:18:20):
to the first sowing of the rye and to the
oats which were being carried to the stacks, and returning
home at the time his wife and sister in law
were getting up. He drank coffee with them and walked
to the farm, where a new thrashing machine was to
be set working to get ready the seed corn. He
was standing in the cool granary, still fragrant with the
leaves of the hazel branches interlaced on the freshly peeled

(02:18:43):
aspen beams of the new thatched roof. He gazed through
the open door, in which the dry, bitter dust of
the thrashing world and plate at the grass of the
thrashing floor in the sunlight, and the fresh straw that
had been brought in from the barn. Then at the
speckley headed, white breasted swallows that flew chirping in under
the roof and fluttering their wings, settled in the crevices

(02:19:04):
of the doorway. Then at the peasants bustling in the dark,
dusty barn, And he thought strange thoughts. Why is it
all being done? He thought? Why am I standing here
making them work? What are they all so busy for
trying to show their zeal before me? What is that
old matrona, my old friend, toiling for I doctored her

(02:19:27):
when the beam fell on her in the fire, he thought,
looking at a thin old woman who was raking up
the grain, moving painfully with her bare, sun blackened feet
over the uneven rough floor. Then she recovered. But to
day or tomorrow, or in ten years, she won't. They'll
bury her, and nothing will be left either of her
or of that smart girl in the red jacket who

(02:19:48):
with that skillful, soft action shakes the ears out of
their husks. They'll bury her and this piebald horse, and
very soon too, he thought, gazing at the heavily moving,
panting horse that kept walking up the wheel that turned
under him, And they will bury her in Theodor, the thrasher,
with his curly beard full of chaff and his shirt

(02:20:08):
torn on his white shoulders, they will bury him. He's
untying the sheaves and giving orders and shouting to the women,
and quickly setting straight the strap on the moving wheel.
And what's more, it's not them alone me. They'll bury two,
and nothing will be left. What for? He thought this,
and at the same time looked at his watch to

(02:20:29):
reckon how much they thrashed in an hour. He wanted
to know this so as to judge by it the
task to set for the day. It'll soon be won,
and they're only beginning the third sheaf, thought Levin. He
went up to the man that was feeding the machine,
and shouting over the roar of the machine, he told
him to put it in more slowly. You put in

(02:20:49):
too much at a time, Fodor, do you see it
gets choked. That's why it isn't getting on do it evenly. Fiodor,
black with the dust that clung ung to his moist face,
shouted something in response, but still went on doing it,
as Levin did not want him to. Levin, going up
to the machine, moved Fyodor aside and began feeding the

(02:21:11):
corn in himself, working on till the peasant's dinner hour,
which was not long in coming. He went out of
the barn with Fyodor and fell into talk with him,
stopping beside a neat yellow sheaf of rye laid on
the thrashing floor for seed. Fyodor came from a village
at some distance from the one in which Levin had
once allotted land to his co operative association. Now it

(02:21:33):
had been led to a former house porter. Levin talked
to Fyodor about this land and asked whether Platon, a
well to do peasant of good character belonging to the
same village, would not take the land for the coming year.
It's a high rent it wouldn't pay Platon Konstantin Dmitrievitch
answered the peasant, picking the ears off his sweat drenched shirt.

(02:21:55):
But how does Kilov make it pay? Mitu? So the
peasant called the house porter in a tone of contempt.
You may be sure he'll make it pay. Konstantin Dmitrievitch.
He'll get his share, however he has to squeeze to
get it. He's no mercy on a Christian. But uncle Fokinitch,

(02:22:15):
so he called the old peasant Platon. Do you suppose
he'd flay the skin off a man where there's debt.
He'll let anyone off, and he'll not wring the last
penny out. He's a man too, But why will he
let anyone off? Oh? Well, of course folks are different.
One man lives for his own wants and nothing else.

(02:22:37):
Like Midu, he only thinks of filling his belly. But
Fokanitch is a righteous man. He lives for his soul.
He does not forget God. How thinks of God? How
does he live for his soul? Levin almost shouted, Why
to be sure? In truth? In God's way, folks are different.

(02:23:00):
You now you wouldn't wrong a man? Yes, yes, good bye,
said Levin, breathless with excitement, and turning round. He took
his stick and walked quickly away towards home. At the
peasant's words that Folkinitch lived for his soul in truth
in God's way. Undefined but significant ideas seemed to burst out,
as though they had been locked up, and all striving

(02:23:21):
towards one goal. They thronged, whirling through his head, blinding
him with their light. Chapter twelve, Leven strode along the
high road, absorbed not so much in his thoughts, he
could not yet disentangle them, as in his spiritual condition.
Unlike anything he had experienced before, the words uttered by
the peasant had acted on his soul like an electric shock,

(02:23:43):
suddenly transforming and combining into a single hole the whole
swarm of disjointed, impotent, separate thoughts that incessantly occupied his mind.
These thoughts had unconsciously been in his mind even when
he was talking about the land. He was aware of
something new in his soul, and joyfully tested this new thing,
not yet knowing what it was. Not living for his

(02:24:05):
own wants, but for God. For what God? And could
one say anything more senseless than what he said? He
said that one must not live for one's own wants,
That is, that one must not live for what we understand,
what we are attracted by, what we desire, but must
live for something incomprehensible, for God, whom no one can

(02:24:26):
understand nor even define what of it? Didn't I understand
those senseless words of Feodor's and understanding them, did I
doubt of their truth? Did I think them stupid, obscure, inexact? No?
I understood him, and exactly as he understands the words.
I understood them more fully and clearly than I understand

(02:24:49):
anything in life. And never in my life have I doubted,
nor can I doubt about it. And not only I,
but every one the whole world understands nothing fully but this,
and about this only they have no doubt and are
always agreed. And I looked out for miracles, complained that
I did not see a miracle which would convince me.

(02:25:09):
A material miracle would have persuaded me. And here is
a miracle, the sole miracle possible, continually existing surrounding me
on all sides, and I never noticed it. Theodor says
that Kilov lives for his belly. That's comprehensible and rational.
All of us, as rational beings, can't do anything else

(02:25:31):
but live for our belly, And all of a sudden,
the same Theodor says that one mustn't live for one's belly,
but must live for truth for God, and that a
hint I understand him, and I in millions of men,
men who lived ages ago, and men living now, peasants,
the poor in spirit, and the learned, who have thought
and written about it in their obscure words, saying the

(02:25:53):
same thing. We are all agreed about this one thing,
what we must live for, and what is good? I
and all men have only one firm, incontestable, clear knowledge.
And that knowledge cannot be explained by the reason. It
is outside it and has no causes and can have
no effects. If goodness has causes, it is not goodness.

(02:26:13):
If it has effects or reward, it is not goodness either.
So goodness is outside the chain of cause and effect.
And yet I know it, and we all know it.
What could be a greater miracle than that? Can I
have found the solution of it? All? Can my sufferings
be over? Thought? Levin striding along the dusty road, not

(02:26:35):
noticing the heat nor his weariness, and experiencing a sense
of relief from prolonged suffering. This feeling was so delicious
that it seemed to him incredible. He was breathless with
emotion and incapable of going farther, He turned off the
road into the forest and lay down in the shade
of an aspen on the uncut grass. He took his

(02:26:55):
hat off his hot head and lay propped on his
elbow in the lush, feathery woodland grass. Yes, I must
make it clear to myself and understand, he thought, looking
intently at the untrampled grass before him, and following the
movements of a green beetle advancing along a blade of
couch grass and lifting up in its progress a leaf
of goatweed. What have I discovered, he asked himself, bending

(02:27:20):
aside the leaf of goatweat out of the beetle's way
and twisting another blade of grass above for the beetle
to cross over on to it. What is it makes
me glad? What have I discovered? I have discovered nothing.
I have only found out what I knew. I understand
the force that in the past gave me life, and
now too gives me life. I have been set free

(02:27:43):
from falsity. I have found the master of old. I
used to say that in my body, that in the
body of this grass and of this beetle there she
didn't care for the grass. She's opened her wings and
flown away. There was going on a transformation of matter
in accordance with physical chemist and physiological laws. And in
all of us, as well as in the aspens and

(02:28:05):
the clouds and the misty patches, there was a process
of evolution, evolution from what into what, eternal evolution and struggle,
as though there could be any sort of tendency and
struggle in the eternal. And I was astonished that, in
spite of the utmost effort of thought along that road,
I could not discover the meaning of life, the meaning

(02:28:27):
of my impulses and yearnings. Now I say that I
know the meaning of my life, to live for God,
for my soul. And this meaning, in spite of its clearness,
is mysterious and marvelous. Such indeed, is the meaning of
everything existing. Yes, pride, he said to himself, turning over

(02:28:47):
on his stomach and beginning to tie a noose of
blades of grass, trying not to break them. And not
merely pride of intellect, but dullness of intellect, and most
of all, the deceitfulness, Yes, the deceitfulness of intellect, the cheating,
knavishness of intellect. That's it, he said to himself, and

(02:29:07):
he briefly went through mentally the whole course of his
ideas during the last two years, the beginning of which
was the clear confronting of death at the sight of
his dear brother hopelessly ill. Then for the first time,
grasping that for every man, and himself too, there was
nothing in store but suffering death and forgetfulness, he had

(02:29:27):
made up his mind that life was impossible like that,
and that he must either interpret life so that it
would not present itself to him as the evil jest
of some devil, or shoot himself. But he had not
done either, but had gone on living, thinking and feeling,
and had even at that very time married, and had
had many joys, and had been happy when he was
not thinking of the meaning of his life. What did

(02:29:50):
this mean? It meant that he had been living rightly
but thinking wrongly. He had lived without being aware of it,
on those spiritual truth youths that he had sucked in
with his mother's milk. But he had thought not merely
without recognition of these truths, but studiously ignoring them. Now
it was clear to him that he could only live

(02:30:11):
by virtue of the beliefs in which he had been
brought up What should I have been and how should
I have spent my life? If I had not had
these beliefs, if I had not known that I must
live for God and not for my own desires, I
should have robbed and lied and killed. Nothing of what
makes the chief happiness of my life would have existed
for me. And with the utmost stretch of imagination, he

(02:30:34):
could not conceive the brutal creature he would have been
himself if he had not known what he was living for.
I looked for an answer to my question, and thought
could not give an answer to my question. It is
incommensurable with my question. The answer has been given me
by life itself, in my knowledge of what is right
and what is wrong. And that knowledge I did not

(02:30:56):
arrive at in any way. It was given to me,
as to all men, given because I could not have
got it from anywhere where. Could I have got it
by reason? Could I have arrived at knowing that I
must love my neighbor and not oppress him. I was
told that in my childhood, and I believed it gladly,
for they told me what was already in my soul.

(02:31:17):
But who discovered it? Not reason? Reason, discovered the struggle
for existence, and the law that requires us to oppress
all who hinder the satisfaction of our desires. That is
the deduction of reason. But loving one's neighbor reason could
never discover because its irrational. Chapter thirteen and eleven remembered

(02:31:37):
a scene he had lately witnessed between Dolly and her children.
The children, left to themselves, had begun cooking raspberries over
the candles and squirting milk into each other's mouths with
a syringe. Their mother, catching them at these pranks, began
reminding them, in Levin's presence, of the trouble their mischief
gave to the grown up people, and that this trouble

(02:31:58):
was all for their sake, and that if they smashed
the cups they would have nothing to drink their tea
out of, and that if they wasted the milk, they
would have nothing to eat and die of hunger. And
Levin had been struck by the passive, weary incredulity with
which the children heard what their mother said to them.
They were simply annoyed that their amusing play had been interrupted,

(02:32:20):
and did not believe a word of what their mother
was saying. They could not believe it, indeed, for they
could not take in the immensity of all they habitually enjoyed,
and so could not conceive that what they were destroying
was the very thing they lived by. That all comes
of itself, they thought, And there's nothing interesting or important
about it, because it has always been so, and always

(02:32:41):
will be so, and it's all always the same. We've
no need to think about that, it's already. But we
want to invent something of our own and new. So
we thought of putting raspberries in a cup and cooking
them over a candle, and squirting milk straight into each
other's mouths. That's fun and something new, and not a

(02:33:02):
bit worse than drinking out of cups. Isn't it just
the same that we do? That I did, searching by
the aid of reason for the significance of the forces
of nature and the meaning of the life of man,
He thought, And don't all the theories of philosophy do
the same, trying by the path of thought, which is
strange and not natural to man to bring him to

(02:33:23):
a knowledge of what he has known long ago, and
knows so certainly that he could not live at all
without it. Isn't it distinctly to be seen in the
development of each philosopher's theory, that he knows what is
the chief significance of life beforehand, just as positively as
the peasant feodor, and not a bit more clearly than he,
and is simply trying by a dubious intellectual path to

(02:33:44):
come back to what every one knows. Now, then leave
the children to themselves to get things alone, and make
their crockery, get the milk from the cows, and so on.
Would they be naughty, then, why they die of hunger? Well?
Then leave us with our passions and thoughts, without any
idea of the One God of the Creator, or without

(02:34:07):
any idea of what is right, without any idea of
moral evil. Just try and build up anything without those ideas.
We only try to destroy them because we're spiritually provided
for exactly like the children. Whence have I that joyful
knowledge shared with the peasant, that alone gives peace to

(02:34:27):
my soul? Whence did I get it brought up with
an idea of God, a Christian My whole life filled
with the spiritual blessings Christianity has given me full of them,
and living on those blessings like the children, I did
not understand them and destroy, that is, try to destroy
what I live by. And as soon as an important

(02:34:47):
moment of life comes, like the children when they are
cold and hungry, I turn to him. And even less
than the children when their mother scolds them for their
childish mischief? Do I feel that my childish efforts at
wanton madness are reckoned against me? Me? Yes, what I
know I know not by reason, but it has been
given to me, revealed to me, and I know it
with my heart by faith in the chief thing taught

(02:35:10):
by the Church, the Church, the Church, Levin repeated to himself.
He turned over on the other side, and leaning on
his elbow, fell to gazing into the distance at a
herd of cattle crossing over to the river. But can
I believe in all the church teaches? He thought, trying
himself and thinking of everything that could destroy his present

(02:35:31):
peace of mind. Intentionally, he recalled all those doctrines of
the Church which had always seemed most strange and had
always been a stumbling block to him. The creation. But
how did I explain existence? By existence? By nothing? The
devil and sin? But how do I explain evil? The atonement?

(02:35:54):
But I know nothing, nothing, and I can know nothing
but what has been told to me in all men.
And it seemed to him that there was not a
single article of faith of the Church which could destroy
the chief thing, faith in God, in goodness, as the
one goal of man's destiny. Under every article of faith
of the Church could be put the faith in the
service of truth instead of one's desires. And each doctrine

(02:36:18):
did not simply leave that faith unshaken. Each doctrine seemed
essential to complete that great miracle continually manifest upon earth,
that made it possible for each man, and millions of
different sorts of men, wise men and imbeciles, old men
and children, all men, peasants, wolvoff, kitty, beggars and kings,
to understand perfectly the same one thing, and to build

(02:36:41):
up thereby that life of the soul, which alone is
worth living, and which alone is precious to us. Lying
on his back, he gazed up now into the high,
cloudless sky. Do I not know that that is infinite space?
And that it is not a round arch? But however
I screw up my eyes and strain my sight, I
cannot see it, not round and not bound it. And

(02:37:03):
in spite of my knowing about infinite space. I am
incontestably right when I see a solid blue dome, and
more right than when I strained my eyes to see
beyond it. Levin ceased thinking, and only as it were,
listened to mysterious voices that seemed talking joyfully and earnestly
within him. Can this be faith? He thought, afraid to

(02:37:24):
believe in his happiness. My God, I thank THEE, he said,
gulping down his sobs, and with both hands brushing away
the tears that filled his eyes. Chapter fourteen. Levin looked
before him and saw a herd of cattle. Then he
caught sight of his trap with raven and the shafts,
and the coachman, driving up to the herd, said something

(02:37:44):
to the herdsman. Then he heard the rattle of the
wheels and the snort of the sleek horse close by him.
But he was so buried in his thoughts that he
did not even wonder why the coachman had come for him.
He only thought of that when the coachman had driven
quite up to him and shouted to him, the mistress
sent me, your brother has come, and some gentleman with him.

(02:38:06):
Levin got into the trap and took the reins as
though just roused out of sleep. For long while Levin
could not collect his faculties. He stared at the sleek horse,
flecked with lather between his haunches and on his neck
where the harness rubbed. Stared at Ivan, the coachman sitting
beside him, and remembered that he was expecting his brother,

(02:38:27):
thought that his wife was most likely uneasy at his
long absence, and tried to guess who was the visitor
who had come with his brother. And his brother and
his wife and the unknown guest seemed to him now
quite different from before. He fancied that now his relations
with all men would be different. With my brother, there
will be none of that aloofness there always used to

(02:38:48):
be between us. There will be no disputes with Kitty.
There shall never be quarrels with the visitor, whoever he
may be. I will be friendly and nice with the servants.
With Ivan, it will all be different. Pulling the stiff
rein and holding in the good horse that snorted with
impatience and seemed begging to be let go, Levin looked
round at Ivan sitting beside him, not knowing what to

(02:39:09):
do with his unoccupied hand continually pressing down his shirt
as it puffed out, and he tried to find something
to start a conversation about with him. He would have
said that Ivan had pulled the saddle girth up too high,
but that was like blame, and he longed for friendly,
warm talk. Nothing else occurred to him. Your honor must
keep to the right and mind that stump, said the

(02:39:31):
coachman pulling the rain Levin held. Please don't touch, and
don't teach me, said Levin, angered by this interference. Now,
as always, interference made him angry, and he felt sorrowfully
at once. How mistaken had been his supposition that his
spiritual condition could immediately change him in contact with reality.

(02:39:52):
He was not a quarter of a mile from home
when he saw Grisha and Tania running to meet him.
Uncle Kostia Mamma's coming, and grandfather and Sergey Ivanovitch and
some one else, They said, clambering up into the trap.
Who is he an awfully terrible person? And he does

(02:40:13):
like this with his arms, said Tanya, getting up in
the trap and mimicking Katavasov old or young, asked Levin, laughing,
reminded of some one he did not know whom by
Tanya's performance. Oh I hope it's not a tiresome person,
thought Levin. As soon as he turned at a bend
in the road and saw the party coming, Levin recognized

(02:40:36):
Katavasov in a straw hat, walking along swinging his arms,
just as Tanya had shown him. Katavasov was very fond
of discussing metaphysics, having derived his notions from natural science
writers who had never studied metaphysics, and in Moscow Levin
had had many arguments with him of late, and one
of these arguments, in which Katavasov had obviously considered that

(02:40:58):
he came off Victoria was the first thing Levin thought
of as he recognized him. No, whatever I do, I
won't argue and give utterance to my ideas lightly, he thought.
Getting out of the trap and greeting his brother in Katavasov,
Levin asked about his wife. She has taken Mitya to Kolak,
a copse near the house. She meant to have him

(02:41:21):
out there because it's so hot indoors, said Dolly. Levin
had always advised his wife not to take the baby
to the wood, thinking it unsafe, and he was not
pleased to hear this. She rushes about from place to
place with him, said the Prince, smiling. I advised her
to try putting him in the ice cellar. She meant

(02:41:42):
to come to the bee house. She thought you would
be there. We are going there, said Dolly. Well, and
what are you doing, said Sergey Ivanovitch, falling back from
the rest and walking beside him. Oh, nothing special, busy
as usual with the land, answered Levin. Well, and what

(02:42:02):
about you? Come for long? We have been expecting you
for such a long time, Only for a fortnight. I've
a great deal to do in Moscow. At these words,
the brother's eyes met, and Levin, in spite of the
desire he always had stronger than ever just now to
be unaffectionate and still more open terms with his brother,

(02:42:24):
felt an awkwardness in looking at him. He dropped his
eyes and did not know what to say. Casting over
the subjects of conversation that would be pleasant to Sergey
Ivanovitch and would keep him off the subject of the
Servian War and the Slavonic question at which he had
hinted by the allusion to what he had to do
in Moscow, Levin began to talk of Sergey Ivanovitch's book. Well,

(02:42:47):
have there been reviews of your book? He asked? Sergey
Ivanovitch smiled at the intentional character of the question. No
one is interested in that now, and I less than
any one, he said. Just look, Darya, Alexandrovna. We shall
have a shower, he added, pointing with a sunshade at
the white rain clouds that showed above the aspen tree tops.

(02:43:10):
And these words were enough to re establish again between
the brothers that tone hardly hostile but chilly, which Levin
had been so longing to avoid. Levin went up to Katavasov.
It was jolly of you to make up your mind
to come, he said to him. I've been meaning to
a long while. Now we shall have some discussion. We'll

(02:43:31):
see to that. Have you been reading Spencer? No, I've
not finished reading him, said Levin. But I don't need
him now. How's that that's interesting? Why so? I mean
that I'm fully convinced that the solution of the problems
that interest me I shall never find in him and

(02:43:51):
his like Now, But Katavasov's serene and good humored expression
suddenly struck him, and he felt such tenderness for his
own unhappy mood, which he was unmistakably disturbing by this
conversation that he remembered his resolution and stopped short. But
we'll talk later on, he added. If we're going to
the bee house, it's this way, along this little path,

(02:44:14):
he said, addressing them all, going along the narrow path
to a little uncut meadow, covered on one side with
thick clumps of brilliant heart seas, among which stood up
here and their tall, dark green tufts of hellebor Levin
settled his guests in the dense cool shade of the
young aspens on a bench and some stumps, purposely put
there for visitors to the bee house who might be

(02:44:36):
afraid of the bees, and he went off himself to
the hut to get bread, cucumbers, and fresh honey to
regale them with. Trying to make his movements as deliberate
as possible, and listening to the bees that buzzed more
and more frequently past him, he walked along the little
path to the hut. In the very entry, one be
hummed angrily, caught in his beard, but he carefully extricated it.

(02:45:00):
Going into the shady outer room, he took down from
the wall his veil that hung on a peg, and
putting it on, and thrusting his hands into his pockets,
he went into the fenced in bee garden, where there
stood in the midst of a closely mowned space, in
regular rows fastened with bast on posts, all the hives
he knew so well, the old stocks, each with its

(02:45:20):
own history, and along the fences the younger swarms hived
that year in front of the openings of the hives.
It made his eyes giddy to watch the bees and
drones whirling round and round about the same spot, while
among them the working bees flew in and out with
spoils or in search of them, always in the same direction,
into the wood, to the flowering lime trees, and back

(02:45:41):
to the hives. His ears were filled with the incessant
hum in various notes. Now, the busy hum of the
working be flying quickly off, then the blaring of the
lazy drone, and the excited buzz of the bees on guard,
protecting their property from the enemy and preparing to sting.
On the farther side of the fence, the old bee
keeper was shaving a hoop for a tub, and he

(02:46:03):
did not see Levin. Levin stood still in the midst
of the beehives and did not call him. He was
glad of a chance to be alone, to recover from
the influence of ordinary actual life, which had already depressed
his happy mood. He thought that he had already had
time to lose his temper with Ivan, to show coolness
to his brother, and to talk flippantly with Catavsov. Can

(02:46:26):
it have been only a momentary mood? And will it
pass and leave no trace? He thought? But the same instant,
going back to his mood, he felt with delight that
something new and important had happened to him. Real life
had only, for a time overcast the spiritual peace he
had found, but it was still untouched within him. Just

(02:46:46):
as the bees whirling round him, now menacing him and
distracting his attention, prevented him from enjoying complete physical peace,
forced him to restrain his movements to avoid them, so
had the petty cares that had swarmed about him from
the moment he got into the trap restricted his spiritual freedom,
but that lasted only so long as he was among them.

(02:47:06):
Just as his bodily strength was still unaffected in spite
of the bees, so too was the spiritual strength that
he had just become aware of. Chapter fifteen. Do you
know Kostia with whom Sergey Ivanofitch traveled on his way here,
said Dolly, doling out cucumbers and honey to the children.
With Vronsky, he's going to Servia, and not alone. He's

(02:47:30):
taking a squadron out with him, at his own expense,
said Katavasov. That's the right thing for him, said Levin.
Our volunteers still going out, then, he added, glancing at
Sergey Ivanovich. Sergey Ivanovich did not answer. He was carefully
with a blunt knife, getting alive, be covered with sticky

(02:47:51):
honey out of a cupful of white honeycomb. I should
think so. You should have seen what was going on
at the station yesterday, said kata Abasov, biting with a
juicy sound into a cucumber. Well, what is one to
make of it? For mercy's sake, do explain to me,
Sergey Ivanovitch, where are all those volunteers going. Whom are

(02:48:13):
they fighting with? Asked the old prince, unmistakably taking up
a conversation that had sprung up in Levin's absence with
the Turks. Sergey Ivanovitch answered, smiling serenely, as he extricated
the bee dark with honey in helplessly kicking, and put
it with the knife on a stout aspen leaf. But
who has declared war on the Turks, ivan Ivanovitch, Ragasov

(02:48:35):
and Countess Lydya Ivanovna, assisted by Madame Stahl. No one
has declared war. But people sympathize with their neighbor's sufferings
and are eager to help them, said Sergey Ivanovitch. But
the Prince is not speaking of help, said Levin, coming
to the assistance of his father in law, But of war.
The Prince says that private persons cannot take part in

(02:48:57):
war without the permission of the government. Kostiya, mind, that's
a bee. Really, they'll sting us, said Dolly, waving away
a wasp. But that's not a bee, it's a wasp,
said Levin. Well now, well, what's your own theory, Katavsov
said to Levin with a smile, distinctly challenging him to

(02:49:19):
a discussion. Why have not private persons the right to
do so? Oh? My theory is this war is on
one side, such a beastly cruel and awful thing that
no one man not to speak of a Christian can
individually take upon himself the responsibility of beginning wars that
can only be done by a government, which is called

(02:49:40):
upon to do this and is driven inevitably into war.
On the other hand, both political science and common sense
teach us that in matters of state, and especially in
the matter of war, private citizens must forego their personal
individual will. Sergey Ivanofitch and Katavsov had their replies ready,
and both began speaking at the same time. But the

(02:50:01):
point is, my dear fellow, that there may be cases
when the government does not carry out the will of
the citizens, and then the public asserts its will, said Katavasov.
But evidently Sergey Ivanovitch did not approve of this answer.
His brows contracted at Katavasov's words, and he said something else.
You don't put the matter in its true light. There

(02:50:24):
is no question here of a declaration of war, but
simply the expression of a human Christian feeling. Our brothers
one with us in religion and in race are being massacred,
even supposing they were not our brothers nor fellow Christians,
but simply children, women, old people feeling as aroused and
Russians go eagerly to help in stopping these atrocities. Fancy

(02:50:48):
if you were going along the street and saw drunken
men beating a woman or a child. I imagine you
would not stop to inquire whether war had been declared
on the men, but would throw yourself on them and
protect the victim. But I should not kill them, said Levin. Yes,
you would kill them. I don't know. If I saw that,

(02:51:09):
I might give way to my impulse of the moment,
But I can't say beforehand, and such a momentary impulse,
there is not, and there cannot be in the case
of the oppression of the Slavonic peoples. Possibly for you
there is not, but for others there is, said Sergey Ivanovitch,
frowning with displeasure. There are traditions still extant among the

(02:51:30):
people of Slavs of the true faith suffering under the
yoke of the unclean sons of Hagar. The people have
heard of the sufferings of their brethren and have spoken.
Perhaps so, said Levin evasively. But I don't see it.
I'm one of the people myself, and I don't feel
it here am I too, said the old prince. I've

(02:51:50):
been staying abroad and reading the papers, and I must
own up to the time of the Bulgarian atrocities. I
couldn't make out why it was all the Russians were
all of a sudden so fond of their Slavonic brethren,
while I didn't feel the slightest affection for them. I
was very much upset, thought I was a monster, or
that it was the influence of Karlsbad on me. But

(02:52:11):
since I have been here, my mind's been set at rest.
I see that there are people besides me who are
only interested in Russia and not in their Slavonic brethren.
Here's Konstantine too. Personal opinions mean nothing in such a case,
said Sergey Ivanovitch. It's not a matter of personal opinions
when all Russia, the whole people, has expressed its will.

(02:52:34):
But excuse me, I don't see that the people don't
know anything about it. If you come to that, said
the old prince, Oh, Papa, how can you say that?
And last Sunday in church, said Dolly, listening to the conversation,
Please give me a cloth. She said to the old man,
who was looking at the children with a smile. Why

(02:52:57):
it's not possible that all, But what was it in
church on Sunday? The priest had been told to read
that he read it. They didn't understand a word of it.
Then they were told that there was to be a
collection for a pious object in church. Well, they pulled
out their halfpence and gave them. But what for they
couldn't say. The people cannot help knowing. The sense of

(02:53:21):
their own destinies is always in the people, and at
such moments as the present, that sense find's utterance. Sat
Sergey Ivanovitch with conviction, glancing at the old bee keeper.
The handsome old man with black grizzled beard and thick,
silvery hair, stood motionless, holding a cup of honey, looking
down from the height of his tall figure with friendly

(02:53:41):
serenity at the gentlefolk, obviously understanding nothing of their conversation
and not caring to understand it. That's so, no doubt,
he said, with a significant shake of his head at
Sergey Ivanovitch's words. Here then ask him he knows nothing
about it and thinks nothing, said Levin, have you heard

(02:54:02):
about the war Mihelich? He said, turning to him, what
they read in the church, What do you think about it? Ought?
We to fight for the Christians. What should we think,
Alexander Nikolyevitch. Our emperor has thought for us. He thinks
for us. Indeed, in all things it's clearer for him

(02:54:22):
to see. Shall I bring a bit more bread? Give
the little lad some more? He said, addressing Darya Alexandrovna
and pointing to Grisha, who had finished his crust. I
don't need to ask, said Sergey Ivanovitch. We have seen
and are seeing hundreds and hundreds of people who give
up everything to serve a just cause, come from every
part of Russia, and directly and clearly express their thought

(02:54:45):
and aim. They bring their halfpence or go themselves and
say directly what for? What does it mean? It means
to my thinking, said Levin, who was beginning to get warm,
that among eighty millions of people there can all wa
always be found, not hundreds as now, but tens of
thousands of people who have lost caste an ere duells,

(02:55:06):
who are always ready to go anywhere, to Pogatchev's bands,
to Kiva, to servia. I tell you that it's not
a case of hundreds or of anyer duwells, but the
best representatives of the people, said Sergey Ivanovich, with as
much irritation as if he were defending the last penny
of his fortune. And what of the subscriptions? In this

(02:55:27):
case it is a whole people directly expressing their will.
That word people is so vague, said Levin. Parish clerks, teachers,
and one in a thousand of the peasants maybe know
what it's all about. The rest of the eighty millions,
like Mihelich, far from expressing their will. Haven't the faintest
idea what there is for them to express their will? About?

(02:55:50):
What right have we to say that this is the
people's will? Chapter sixteen. Sergey Ivanovich, being practiced in argument,
did not reply, but at once turned the conversation to
another aspect of the subject. Oh, if you want to
learn the spirit of the people by arithmetical computation, of course,
it's very difficult to arrive at it. And voting has

(02:56:11):
not been introduced among us, and cannot be introduced, for
it does not express the will of the people. But
there are other ways of reaching that. It is felt
in the air, it is felt by the heart. I
won't speak of those deep currents which are astir in
the still ocean of the people, and which are evident
to every unprejudiced man. Let us look at society in
the narrow sense. All the most diverse sections of the

(02:56:34):
educated public hostile before, are merged in one. Every division
is at an end. All the public organs say the
same thing over and over again. All feel the mighty
torrent that has overtaken them and is carrying them in
one direction. Yes, all the newspapers do say the same thing,
said the Prince. That's true, But so it is the

(02:56:57):
same thing that all the frogs croak before a storm.
One can hear nothing for them, frogs or no frogs.
I'm not the editor of a paper, and I don't
want to defend them. But I am speaking of the
unanimity in the intellectual world, said Sergey Ivanofitch, addressing his brother.
Levin would have answered, but the old Prince interrupted him.

(02:57:18):
Well about that unanimity, that's another thing one may say,
said the Prince. There's my son in law, Stepan Arkadyevitch.
You know him. He's got a place now on the
committee of a commission something or other. I don't remember.
Only there's nothing to do in it. Why, dolly, it's
no secret and a salary of eight thousand. You try

(02:57:41):
asking him whether his post is of use, he'll prove
to you that it's most necessary. And he's a truthful
man too. But there's no refusing to believe in the
utility of eight thousand roubles. Yes, he asked me to
give a message to Darya Alexandrovna about the post, said
Sergey Ivanitch, reluctantly, feeling the Prince's remark to be ill timed.

(02:58:04):
So it is with the unanimity of the press that's
been explained to me. As soon as there's war, their
incomes are doubled. How can they help believing in the
destinies of the people and the Slavonic races and all that.
I don't care for many of the papers, but that's unjust,
said Sergey Ivanofitch. I would only make one condition, pursued

(02:58:26):
the old Prince, Alphonse Kar said a capital thing. Before
the war with Prussia, you consider war to be inevitable,
very good. Let everyone who advocates war be enrolled in
a special regiment of advance guards for the front of
every storm, of every attack, to lead them all a
nice lot the editors would make, said Katavasov with a

(02:58:48):
loud roar as he pictured the editors he knew in
this picked legion. But they'd run, said Dolly, They'd only
be in the way. Oh, if they ran away, then
we'd have great shot or cossacks with whips behind them,
said the Prince. But that's a joke, and a poor
one too, if you'll excuse my saying so, Prince, said

(02:59:09):
Sergey Ivanovitch. I don't see that it was a joke
that Levin was beginning, but Sergey Ivanovitch interrupted him. Every
member of society is called upon to do his own
special work, said he. And men of thought are doing
their work when they express public opinion. And the single
hearted and full expression of public opinion is the service

(02:59:32):
of the press and a phenomenon to rejoice us. At
the same time, twenty years ago we should have been silent,
But now we have heard the voice of the Russian people,
which is ready to rise as one man and ready
to sacrifice itself for its oppressed brethren. That is a
great step and a proof of strength. But it's not
only making a sacrifice, but killing Turks, said Levin timidly.

(02:59:54):
The people make sacrifices and are ready to make sacrifices
for their soul, but not for murder, he added, instinctively,
connecting the conversation with the ideas that had been absorbing
his mind. For their soul. That's a most puzzling expression
for a natural science man. Do you understand what sort
of thing is the soul? Said Katavsov, smiling, Oh you know. No,

(03:00:21):
by God, I haven't the faintest idea, said Katavsov, with
a loud roar of laughter. I bring not peace, but
a sword, says christ Sergey Ivanofitch rejoined for his part,
quoting as simply as though it were the easiest thing
to understand, the very passage that had always puzzled Levin most.
That's so, no doubt, the old man repeated again. He

(03:00:44):
was standing near them, and responded to a chance glance
turned in his direction. Ah my, dear fellow, you're defeated,
utterly defeated, cried Katavsov, good humoredly. Levin reddened with vexation,
not at being defeated, but at having failed to control
himself and being drawn into argument. No, I can't argue

(03:01:04):
with them. He thought they were impenetrable armor. While I'm naked.
He saw that it was impossible to convince his brother
in Katavisov, and he saw even less possibility of himself
agreeing with them. What they advocated was the very pride
of intellect that had almost been his ruin. He could
not admit that some dozens of men, among them his brother,

(03:01:24):
had the right on the ground of what they were
told by some hundreds of glib volunteers swarming to the capital,
to say that they and the newspapers were expressing the
will and feeling of the people, and a feeling which
was expressed in vengeance and murder. He could not admit
this because he neither saw the expression of such feelings
in the people among whom he was living, nor found

(03:01:44):
them in himself, and he could not but consider himself
one of the persons making up the Russian people. And
most of all, because he, like the people, did not
know and could not know, what is for the general good,
though he knew beyond a doubt that this general good
could be attained only by the strict observance of that
law of right and wrong which has been revealed to
every man. And therefore he could not wish for war

(03:02:06):
or advocate war for any general objects. Whatever he said
as Mihelitch did, and the people, who had expressed their
feeling in the traditional invitations of the variety, be princes
and rule over us gladly. We promise complete submission, all
the labor, all humiliations, all sacrifices we take upon ourselves,

(03:02:27):
but we will not judge and decide. And now, according
to Sergey Ivanovitch's account, the people had foregone this privilege
they had bought at such a costly price. He wanted
to say too, that if public opinion were an infallible guide,
then why were not revolutions and the commune as lawful
as the movement in favor of the Slavonic peoples. But

(03:02:49):
these were merely thoughts that could settle nothing. One thing
could be seen beyond doubt. That was that, at the
actual moment, the discussion was irritating Sergey Ivanofitch, and so
it was wrong to continue it. And Levin ceased speaking,
and then called the attention of his guests to the
fact that the storm clouds were gathering and that they
had better be going home before it rained. Chapter seventeen.

(03:03:13):
The old Prince and Sergey Ivanovitch got into the trap
and drove off the rest of the party hastened homewards
on foot, but the storm clouds, turning white and then black,
moved down so quickly that they had to quicken their
pace to get home before the rain. The foremost clouds,
lowering in black as soot laden smoke, rushed with extraordinary

(03:03:33):
swiftness over the sky. They were still two hundred paces
from home, and a gust of wind had already blown up,
and every second the downpour might be looked for. The
children ran ahead with frightened and gleeful shrieks. Darya Alexandrovna,
struggling painfully with her skirts that clung round her legs,
was not walking but running, her eyes fixed on the children.

(03:03:57):
The men of the party, holding their hats on, strode
with long steps beside her. They were just at the
steps when a big drop fell, splashing on the edge
of the iron guttering. The children and their elders after them,
ran into the shelter of the house, talking merrily. Katerina
Alexandrovna Levin asked of Agafya Mihalovna, who met them with

(03:04:20):
kerchiefs and rugs in the hull. We thought she was
with you, she said, and Mitya in the copse he
must be, and the nurse with him. Levin snatched up
the rugs and ran towards the copse. In that brief
interval of time, the storm clouds had moved on, covering
the sun so completely that it was dark as an eclipse. Stubbornly,

(03:04:42):
as though insisting on its rights, the wind stopped Levin
and tearing the leaves and flowers off the lime trees,
and stripping the white birch branches into strange, unseemly nakedness.
It twisted everything on one side, acacias, flowers, burdocks, long grass,
and tall tree tops. The peasant girls working in the
garden ran shrieking into shelter in the servants quarters. The

(03:05:06):
streaming rain had already flung its white veil over all
the distant forest and half the fields close by, and
was rapidly swooping down upon the copse. The wet of
the rain spurting up in tiny drops, could be smelt
in the air. Holding his head bent down before him
and struggling with the wind that strove to tear the
raps away from him, Levin was moving up to the

(03:05:27):
copse and had just caught sight of something white behind
the oak tree. When there was a sudden flash, the
whole earth seemed on fire, and the vault of heaven
seemed crashing overhead. Opening his blinded eyes, Levin gazed through
the thick veil of rain that separated him now from
the copse, and to his horror, the first thing he
saw was the green crest of the familiar oak tree

(03:05:48):
in the middle of the copse, uncannily changing its position.
Can it have been struck? Levin hardly had time to think,
when moving more and more rapidly, the oak tree vanished
behind the other trees, and he heard the crash of
the great tree falling upon the others. The flash of lightning,
the crash of thunder, and the instantaneous chill that ran

(03:06:09):
through him were all merged for Levin in one sense
of terror. My God, my God, not on them, he said,
And though he thought at once how senseless was his
prayer that they should not have been killed by the
oak which had fallen, now he repeated it, knowing that
he could do nothing better than utter this senseless prayer.

(03:06:30):
Running up to the place where they usually went, he
did not find them there. They were at the other
end of the copse. Under an old lime tree. They
were calling him. Two figures in dark dresses. They had
been light summer dresses when they started out, were standing
bending over something. It was Kitty with the nurse. The
rain was already ceasing and it was beginning to get

(03:06:52):
light when Levin reached them. The nurse was not wet
on the lower part of her dress, but Kitty was
drenched through and her soaked clothes clung to her. Though
the rain was over, they still stood in the same
position in which they had been standing when the storm broke.
Both stood bending over a perambulator with a green umbrella. Alive, unhurt,

(03:07:16):
Thank god, he said, splashing with his soaked boots through
the standing water and running up to them. Kitty's rosy
wet face was turned towards him, and she smiled timidly
under her shapeless sobbed hat. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?
I can't think how you can be so reckless, he
said angrily to his wife. It wasn't my fault, really,

(03:07:39):
We were just meaning to go when he made such
a to do that we had to change him. We
were just Kitty began defending herself. Mitya was unharmed, dry
and still fast asleep. Well, thank god, I don't know
what I'm saying. They gathered up the baby's wet belongings.
The nurse picked up the baby be and carried it.

(03:08:02):
Levin walked beside his wife and penitent for having been angry,
he squeezed her hand when the nurse was not looking
Chapter eighteen. During the whole of that day, in the
extremely different conversations in which he took part only as
it were, with the top layer of his mind. In
spite of the disappointment of not finding the change he
expected in himself, Levin had been all the while joyfully

(03:08:24):
conscious of the fullness of his heart. After the rain,
it was too wet to go for a walk. Besides,
the storm clouds still hung about the horizon and gathered
here and there, black and thundery on the rim of
the sky. The whole party spent the rest of the
day in the house. No more discussion sprang up. On
the contrary, after dinner, every one was in the most

(03:08:46):
amiable frame of mind. At first, Katavasov amused the ladies
by his original jokes, which always pleased people on their
first acquaintance with him. Then Sergey Ivanovich induced him to
tell them about the very interesting observations he had made
on the habits and characteristics of common house flies and
their life. Sergey Ivanovitch two was in good spirits, and

(03:09:09):
that tea his brother drew him on to explain his
views of the future of the Eastern Question, and he
spoke so simply and so well that everyone listened eagerly.
Kitty was the only one who did not hear at all.
She was summoned to give Mitya his bath. A few
minutes after Kitty had left the room, she sent for
Levin to come to the nursery, leaving his tea and

(03:09:30):
regretfully interrupting the interesting conversation and at the same time
uneasily wondering why he had been sent for, as this
only happened on important occasions, Levin went to the nursery.
Although he had been much interested by Sergey Ivanovitch's views
of the new epoch in history that would be created
by the emancipation of forty millions of men of Slavonic
race acting with Russia, a conception quite new to him,

(03:09:53):
and although he was disturbed by uneasy wonder at being
sent for by kitty. As soon as he came out
of the drawing room and was alone, his mind reverted
at once to the thoughts of the morning, and all
the theories of the significance of the slav element in
the history of the world seemed to him so trivial
compared with what was passing in his own soul that

(03:10:14):
he instantly forgot it all and dropped back into the
same frame of mind that he had been in that morning.
He did not, as he had done at other times,
recall the whole train of thought that he did not need.
He fell back at once into the feeling which had
guided him, which was connected with those thoughts, and he
found that feeling in his soul even stronger and more

(03:10:35):
definite than before. He did not, as he had had
to do with previous attempts to find comforting arguments, need
to revive a whole chain of thought to find the feeling. Now,
on the contrary, the feeling of joy and peace was
keener than ever, and thought could not keep pace with feeling.
He walked across the terrace and looked at two stars

(03:10:56):
that had come out in the darkening sky, and suddenly
he remembered, yes, looking at the sky. I thought that
the dome that I see is not a deception. And
then I thought something. I shirked facing something, he mused,
But whatever it was, there can be no disproving it.
I have but to think and all will come clear.

(03:11:16):
Just as he was going into the nursery, he remembered
what it was he had shirked facing. It was that
if the chief proof of the divinity was his revelation
of what is right, how is it this revelation is
confined to the Christian Church alone? What relation to this
revelation have the beliefs of the Buddhists Mohammedans who preached
and did good too. It seemed to him that he

(03:11:37):
had an answer to this question, but he had not
time to formulate it to himself before he went into
the nursery. Kitty was standing with her sleeves tucked up
over the baby in the bath. Hearing her husband's footstep,
she turned towards him, summoning him to her with her smile.
With one hand, she was supporting the fat baby that
lay floating and sprawling on its back, while with the

(03:12:00):
other she squeezed the sponge over him. Come look, look,
she said. When her husband came up to her. Agafya
Mihalovna's right. He knows us Mitya had on that day
given unmistakable, incontestable signs of recognizing all his friends. As
soon as Levin approached the bath, the experiment was tried,

(03:12:22):
and it was completely successful. The cook sent for with
this object, bent over the baby. He frowned and shook
his head disapprovingly. Kitty bent down to him. He gave
her a beaming smile, propped his little hands on the sponge,
and chirruped, making such a queer, little contented sound with
his lips that Kitty and the nurse were not alone

(03:12:43):
in their admiration. Levin, too was surprised and delighted. The
baby was taken out of the bath, drenched with water,
wrapped in towels, dried, and after a piercing scream, handed
to his mother. Well, I'm glad you are beginning to
love him, said Kitty to her husband, when she had
settled herself comfortably in her usual place, with the baby

(03:13:06):
at her breast. I am so glad it had begun
to distress me. You said you had no feeling for him. No,
did I say that. I only said, I was disappointed.
What disappointed in him? Not disappointed in him, but in
my own feeling. I had expected more. I had expected

(03:13:29):
a rush of new, delightful emotion to come as a surprise,
And then instead of that disgust pity. She listened attentively,
looking at him over the baby, while she put back
on her slender fingers, the rings she had taken off
while giving Mitya his bath, and most of all, at
their being far more apprehension and pity than pleasure. To

(03:13:51):
day after that fright during the storm, I understand how
I love him. Kitty's smile was radiant. Were you very
much frightened? She said? So was I too, But I
feel it more now that it's over. I'm going to
look at the oak. How nice Katavasov is, and what
a happy day we've had altogether. And you're so nice

(03:14:13):
with Sergey Ivanovitch. When you care to be well, go
back to them. It's always so hot and steamy here.
After the bath, Chapter nineteen, Going out of the nursery
and being again alone, Levin went back at once to
the thought in which there was something not clear, instead
of going into the drawing room, where he heard voices.

(03:14:35):
He stopped on the terrace, and leaning his elbows on
the parapet, he gazed up at the sky. It was
quite dark now, and in the south where he was
looking there were no clouds. The storm had drifted on
to the opposite side of the sky, and there were
flashes of lightning distant thunder from that quarter. Levin listened
to the monotonous trip from the lime trees in the garden,

(03:14:57):
and looked at the triangle of stars he knew so well,
and the Milky Way with its branches that ran through
its midst At each flash of lightning, the Milky Way
and even the bright stars vanished, But as soon as
the lightning died away, they reappeared in their places, as
though some hand had flung them back with careful aim. Well,
what is it, perplexes me? Levin said to himself, feeling

(03:15:21):
beforehand that the solution of his difficulties was ready in
his soul, though he did not know it yet. Yes,
the one unmistakable, incontestable manifestation of the divinity is the
law of right and wrong, which has come into the
world by revelation, and which I feel in myself and
in the recognition of which I don't make myself. But
whether I will or not, I am made one with

(03:15:43):
other men, in one body of believers, which is called
the Church. Well, but the Jews, the Mohammedans, the Confuscians,
the Buddhists. What of them? He put to himself the
question he had feared to face. Can these hundreds of
millions of men be deprived of that highest blessing without
which life has no meaning? He pondered a moment, but

(03:16:04):
immediately corrected himself. But what am I questioning, he said
to himself. I am questioning the relation to divinity of
all the different religions of all mankind. I am questioning
the universal manifestation of God to all the world, with
all those misty blurs. What am I about to me individually?

(03:16:25):
To my heart has been revealed a knowledge beyond all
doubt and unattainable by reason, And here I am obstinately
trying to express that knowledge in reason and words. Don't
I know that the stars don't move? He asked himself,
gazing at the bright planet, which had shifted its position
up to the topmost twig of the birch tree. But
looking at the movements of the stars I can't picture

(03:16:47):
to myself the rotation of the Earth, and I am
right in saying that the stars move. And could the
astronomers have understood and calculated anything if they had taken
into account all the complicated and varied motion of the Earth.
All the marvelous conclusions they have reached about the distances, weights, movements,
and deflections of the heavenly bodies, are only founded on

(03:17:09):
the apparent motions of the heavenly bodies about a stationary Earth,
on that very motion I see before me now, which
has been so for millions of men during long ages,
and was and will be always alike and can always
be trusted. And just as the conclusions of the astronomers
would have been vain and uncertain if not founded on
observations of the seen heavens in relation to a single

(03:17:32):
meridian in a single horizon, so would my conclusions be
vain and uncertain if not founded on that conception of right,
which has been and will be always alike for all men,
which has been revealed to me as a Christian, and
which can always be trusted in my soul. The question
of other religions and their relations to Divinity, I have
no right to decide, and no possibility of deciding. Oh,

(03:17:56):
you haven't gone. And then he heard Kitty's voice all
at once as she came by the same way to
the drawing room. What is it. You're not worried about anything,
she said, looking intently at his face in the starlight.
But she could not have seen his face if a
flash of lightning had not hidden the stars and revealed it.

(03:18:17):
In that flash, she saw his face distinctly, and seeing
him calm and happy, she smiled at him. She understands,
he thought. She knows what I'm thinking about. Shall I
tell her or not? Yes, I'll tell her. But at
the moment he was about to speak, she began speaking. Kostiya,

(03:18:37):
do something for me, she said. Go into the corner
room and see if they've made it all right for
Sergey Ivanovitch. I can't very well see if they've put
the new wash stand in it very well. I'll go, directly,
said Levin, standing up and kissing her. No, I'd better
not speak of it, he thought, when she had gone

(03:18:58):
in before him. It is a secret for me alone,
of vital importance for me, and not to be put
into words. This new feeling has not changed me has
not made me happy and enlightened all of a sudden
as I had dreamed, Just like the feeling for my child,
there was no surprise in this, either faith or not faith.

(03:19:20):
I don't know what it is, but this feeling has
come just as imperceptibly through suffering and has taken firm
root in my soul. I shall go on in the
same way, losing my temper with Ivan the coachman, falling
into angry discussions, expressing my opinions tactlessly. There will be
still the same wall between the Holy of Holies of
my soul and other people. Even my wife. I shall

(03:19:42):
still go on scolding her for my own terror and
being remorseful for it. I shall still be as unable
to understand with my reason why I pray, and I
shall still go on praying. But my life, now, my
whole life, apart from anything that can happen to me,
every minute of it is no more meaningless as it
was before. But it has the positive meaning of goodness,

(03:20:02):
which I have the power to put into it. The
end

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Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - Part 4/4

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - Part 4/4