Читать книгу Anna Karenina - 2 Classic Unabridged Translations in one eBook (Garnett and Maude translations) - Leo Tolstoy - Страница 83

MASHKIN HEIGHTS were mown, and the peasants, having completed their last swaths, put on their coats and went home in high spirits. Levin, having regretfully taken leave of them, mounted and rode home. He looked back from the top of the hill. He could not see the men, for the mist rising from the hollow hid them; but he heard their merry rough voices, laughter, and the clanking of the scythes.

Koznyshev had long had his dinner, and was in his room drinking iced water with lemon, while looking over the papers and magazines just arrived by post, when Levin rushed in, his tangled hair clinging to his moist brow, his shirt saturated back and front and dark with perspiration, and cried out joyfully:

‘We have finished the whole of the meadow! How delightful it is! And how have you got on?’ Levin had quite forgotten the unpleasant conversation of the previous day.

‘Dear me, what a sight you are!’ said Koznyshev, turning to his brother with a momentary look of vexation. ‘The door — the door! Shut it!’ he exclaimed. ‘You’ve certainly let in a whole dozen!’

Koznyshev could not bear flies, and opened the windows in his room only at night, keeping the door carefully closed.

‘No, not one, I swear. And if I have, I’ll catch it… . You would not believe what enjoyment it was! And how have you spent the day?’

‘Quite well. But have you really been mowing all day? You must be as hungry as a wolf. Kuzma has everything ready for you.’

‘No, I don’t want to eat; I have had something there. But I’ll go and wash.’

‘Yes, yes, go; and I will come presently.’ Koznyshev shook his head as he looked at his brother. ‘Go, go, and be quick!’ he added with a smile, as, gathering together his books, he prepared to go too. He also felt suddenly quite cheerful and did not wish to part from his brother. ‘And where were you when it rained?’

‘What rain was that? Only a few drops… . Well, then, I’ll come back directly. So you have spent the day all right? That’s good.’ And Levin went off to dress.

Five minutes later the brothers met again in the dining-room. Though Levin had imagined that he was not hungry, and sat down to table only not to offend Kuzma, yet when he began eating he thought everything delicious. Koznyshev smiled as he looked at him.

‘Oh, yes, there’s a letter for you,’ said he. ‘Kuzma, please bring it. It’s downstairs. And mind you shut the door.’

The letter was from Oblonsky. Levin read it aloud. Oblonsky wrote from Petersburg: ‘I have had a letter from Dolly. She is in Ergushovo, and everything is out of gear there. Please go and see her and help her with your advice — you know all about everything. She is quite alone, poor thing; my motherin-law is still abroad.’

‘That’s splendid! I will certainly go and see her,’ said Levin. ‘Or shall we both go? She is such a good woman; don’t you think so?’

‘Is it far from here?’

‘A little over twenty-five miles or maybe even thirty, but the road is excellent. We’ll have a fine drive.’

‘I shall be very glad,’ replied Koznyshev, still smiling. The sight of his younger brother had a distinctly cheering influence on him.

‘I must say you have an appetite!’ he said, glancing at the sunburnt ruddy face bent over the plate.

‘Fine! You would hardly believe what a remedy it is for every kind of folly. I am thinking of enriching Medicine with a new word: Arbeitskur [Work-cure]!’

‘You would hardly require it, I should say.’

‘No, but those who suffer from their nerves do.’

‘Yes, it ought to be tested. You know, I thought of coming to the meadow to have a look at you, but it was so unbearably hot that I got only as far as the forest! I sat there a little, and then went through the forest to the village, where I met your old wet-nurse and sounded her as to what the peasants think of you. From her I understand that they do not approve of your doing it. She said: “It’s not gentlefolk’s work.” It seems to me that on the whole, in the people’s opinion, a very decided demand for what they call “gentlefolk’s work” exists, and they don’t approve of the gentry going outside the bounds they set for them.’

‘Possibly; but it is a pleasure such as I have never in my life experienced before, and there is nothing wrong in it. Don’t you think so too?’ replied Levin. ‘If they don’t like it, it can’t be helped. Besides, I think it’s all right. Eh?’

‘I see that on the whole you are well satisfied with your day.’

‘Very well indeed! We finished the meadow. And I chummed up with such a fine old man! You can’t imagine what a charming fellow he is.’

‘Well, then, you are satisfied with your day, and so am I. First of all I solved two chess problems — one a very good one, beginning with a pawn move. I’ll show it you. And afterwards I thought over our yesterday’s conversation.’

‘What about yesterday’s conversation?’ asked Levin, who had finished dinner and sat blissfully blinking and puffing, quite unable to remember what yesterday’s conversation had been about.

‘I think you are partly right. Our disagreement lies in the fact that you consider personal interests the motive power, while I think every man with a certain degree of education ought to be interested in the general welfare. You may be right in thinking that activity backed by material interest is best; but your nature is altogether primesautière [impulsive],’ as the French say: you want passionate, energetic activity, or nothing at all.’

Levin listened to his brother but understood absolutely nothing and did not wish to understand. He was only afraid his brother might put some question which would elicit the fact that he was not paying attention.

‘That’s what it is, old chap,’ said Koznyshev, patting Constantine’s shoulder.

‘Yes, of course! But what matter? I don’t insist on my view,’ replied Levin, with a guilty, childlike smile. ‘What can I have been disputing about?’ he thought. ‘Of course I was right, and he was right too, so it’s all right! … But I must go round to the office.’

He rose, stretching himself and smiling. Koznyshev smiled too.

‘Shall we go for a stroll together?’ he said, not wishing to part from his brother, who seemed to be exhaling freshness and vigour. ‘Come along! We could call in at the office if you want to.’

‘Oh, dear me!’ exclaimed Levin, so loudly that he scared Koznyshev.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘How’s Agatha Mikhaylovna’s arm?’ asked Levin, slapping his head. ‘I had forgotten all about it.’

‘Much better.’

‘Well, I’ll run and see her, all the same. You won’t have got your hat before I am back.’

And his heels clattered swiftly down the stairs, making a noise like a rattle.