Not a whit abashed by the disappointment caused by his having

come in place of the old prince, Veslovsky greeted Levin gaily,

claiming acquaintance with him in the past, and snatching up

Grisha into the carriage, lifted him over the pointer that Stepan

Arkadyevitch had brought with him.

Levin did not get into the carriage, but walked behind. He was

rather vexed at the non-arrival of the old prince, whom he liked

more and more the more he saw of him, and also at the arrival of

this Vassenka Veslovsky, a quite uncongenial and superfluous

person. He seemed to him still more uncongenial and superfluous

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when, on approaching the steps where the whole party, children

and grown-up, were gathered together in much excitement, Levin

saw Vassenka Veslovsky, with a particularly warm and gallant air,

kissing Kitty's hand.

"Your wife and I are cousins and very old friends," said

Vassenka Veslovsky, once more shaking Levin's hand with great

warmth.

"Well, are there plenty of birds?" Stepan Arkadyevitch said to

Levin, hardly leaving time for everyone to utter their greetings.

"We've come with the most savage intentions. Why, maman, they've

not been in Moscow since! Look, Tanya, here's something for you!

Get it, please, it's in the carriage, behind!" he talked in all

directions. "How pretty you've grown, Dolly," he said to his

wife, once more kissing her hand, holding it in one of his, and

patting it with the other.

Levin, who a minute before had been in the happiest frame of

mind, now looked darkly at everyone, and everything displeased

him.

"Who was it he kissed yesterday with those lips?" he thought,

looking at Stepan Arkadyevitch's tender demonstrations to his

wife. He looked at Dolly, and he did not like her either.

"She doesn't believe in his love. So what is she so pleased

about? Revolting!" thought Levin.

He looked at the princess, who had been so dear to him a minute

before, and he did not like the manner in which she welcomed this

Vassenka, with his ribbons, just as though she were in her own

house.

Even Sergey Ivanovitch, who had come out too onto the steps,

seemed to him unpleasant with the show of cordiality with which

he met Stepan Arkadyevitch, though Levin knew that his brother

neither liked nor respected Oblonsky.

And Varenka, even she seemed hateful, with her air _sainte

nitouche_ making the acquaintance of this gentleman, while all

the while she was thinking of nothing but getting married.

And more hateful than anyone was Kitty for falling in with the

tone of gaiety with which this gentleman regarded his visit in

the country, as though it were a holiday for himself and everyone

else. And, above all, unpleasant was that particular smile with

which she responded to his smile.




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