Sviazhsky took Levin's arm, and went with him to his own friends.
This time there was no avoiding Vronsky. He was standing with
Stepan Arkadyevitch and Sergey Ivanovitch, and looking straight
at Levin as he drew near.
"Delighted! I believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you...at
Princess Shtcherbatskaya's," he said, giving Levin his hand.
"Yes, I quite remember our meeting," said Levin, and blushing
crimson, he turned away immediately, and began talking to his
brother.
With a slight smile Vronsky went on talking to Sviazhsky,
obviously without the slightest inclination to enter into
conversation with Levin. But Levin, as he talked to his brother,
was continually looking round at Vronsky, trying to think of
something to say to him to gloss over his rudeness.
"What are we waiting for now?" asked Levin, looking at Sviazhsky
and Vronsky.
"For Snetkov. He has to refuse or to consent to stand," answered
Sviazhsky.
"Well, and what has he done, consented or not?"
"That's the point, that he's done neither," said Vronsky.
"And if he refuses, who will stand then?" asked Levin, looking at
Vronsky.
"Whoever chooses to," said Sviazhsky.
"Shall you?" asked Levin.
"Certainly not I," said Sviazhsky, looking confused, and turning
an alarmed glance at the malignant gentleman, who was standing
beside Sergey Ivanovitch.
"Who then? Nevyedovsky?" said Levin, feeling he was putting his
foot into it.
But this was worse still. Nevyedovsky and Sviazhsky were the two
candidates.
"I certainly shall not, under any circumstances," answered the
malignant gentleman.
This was Nevyedovsky himself. Sviazhsky introduced him to Levin.
"Well, you find it exciting too?" said Stepan Arkadyevitch,
winking at Vronsky. "It's something like a race. One might bet
on it."
"Yes, it is keenly exciting," said Vronsky. "And once taking the
thing up, one's eager to see it through. It's a fight!" he said,
scowling and setting his powerful jaws.
"What a capable fellow Sviazhsky is! Sees it all so clearly."
"Oh, yes!" Vronsky assented indifferently.
A silence followed, during which Vronsky--since he had to look at
something--looked at Levin, at his feet, at his uniform, then at
his face, and noticing his gloomy eyes fixed upon him, he said,
in order to say something: "How is it that you, living constantly in the country, are not a
justice of the peace? You are not in the uniform of one."
"It's because I consider that the justice of the peace is a silly
institution," Levin answered gloomily. He had been all the time
looking for an opportunity to enter into conversation with
Vronsky, so as to smooth over his rudeness at their first
meeting.