"Of course it is."

"What is your discussion about today?" asked Levin, never ceasing

smiling.

They arrived at the meeting. Levin heard the secretary

hesitatingly read the minutes which he obviously did not himself

understand; but Levin saw from this secretary's face what a good,

nice, kind-hearted person he was. This was evident from his

confusion and embarrassment in reading the minutes. Then the

discussion began. They were disputing about the misappropriation

of certain sums and the laying of certain pipes, and Sergey

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Ivanovitch was very cutting to two members, and said something at

great length with an air of triumph; and another member,

scribbling something on a bit of paper, began timidly at first,

but afterwards answered him very viciously and delightfully. And

then Sviazhsky (he was there too) said something too, very

handsomely and nobly. Levin listened to them, and saw clearly

that these missing sums and these pipes were not anything real,

and that they were not at all angry, but were all the nicest,

kindest people, and everything was as happy and charming as

possible among them. They did no harm to anyone, and were all

enjoying it. What struck Levin was that he could see through

them all today, and from little, almost imperceptible signs knew

the soul of each, and saw distinctly that they were all good at

heart. And Levin himself in particular they were all extremely

fond of that day. That was evident from the way they spoke to

him, from the friendly, affectionate way even those he did not

know looked at him.

"Well, did you like it?" Sergey Ivanovitch asked him.

"Very much. I never supposed it was so interesting! Capital!

Splendid!"

Sviazhsky went up to Levin and invited him to come round to tea

with him. Levin was utterly at a loss to comprehend or recall

what it was he had disliked in Sviazhsky, what he had failed to

find in him. He was a clever and wonderfully good-hearted man.

"Most delighted," he said, and asked after his wife and

sister-in-law. And from a queer association of ideas, because in

his imagination the idea of Sviazhsky's sister-in-law was

connected with marriage, it occurred to him that there was no one

to whom he could more suitably speak of his happiness, and he was

very glad to go and see them.

Sviazhsky questioned him about his improvements on his estate,

presupposing, as he always did, that there was no possibility of

doing anything not done already in Europe, and now this did not

in the least annoy Levin. On the contrary, he felt that

Sviazhsky was right, that the whole business was of little value,

and he saw the wonderful softness and consideration with which

Sviazhsky avoided fully expressing his correct view. The ladies

of the Sviazhsky household were particularly delightful. It

seemed to Levin that they knew all about it already and

sympathized with him, saying nothing merely from delicacy. He

stayed with them one hour, two, three, talking of all sorts of

subjects but the one thing that filled his heart, and did not

observe that he was boring them dreadfully, and that it was long

past their bedtime.




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