Part 7 Chapter 21.docx

Part 7 Chapter 21.docx

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Part7Chapter21

Part7Chapter21

AfteracapitaldinnerandagreatdealofcognacdrunkatBartnyansky's,StepanArkadyevitch,onlyalittlelaterthantheappointedtime,wentintoCountessLidiaIvanovna's.

"Whoelseiswiththecountess?

--aFrenchman?

"StepanArkadyevitchaskedthehallporter,asheglancedatthefamiliarovercoatofAlexeyAlexandrovitchandaqueer,ratherartless-lookingovercoatwithclasps.

"AlexeyAlexandrovitchKareninandCountBezzubov,"theporteransweredseverely.

"PrincessMyakayaguessedright,"thoughtStepanArkadyevitch,ashewentupstairs."Curious!

Itwouldbequiteaswell,though,togetonfriendlytermswithher.Shehasimmenseinfluence.IfshewouldsayawordtoPomorsky,thethingwouldbeacertainty."

Itwasstillquitelightout-of-doors,butinCountessLidiaIvanovna'slittledrawingroomtheblindsweredrawnandthelampslighted.AtaroundtableunderalampsatthecountessandAlexeyAlexandrovitch,talkingsoftly.Ashort,thinnishman,verypaleandhandsome,withfemininehipsandknock-kneedlegs,withfinebrillianteyesandlonghairlyingonthecollarofhiscoat,wasstandingattheendoftheroomgazingattheportraitsonthewall.AftergreetingtheladyofthehouseandAlexeyAlexandrovitch,StepanArkadyevitchcouldnotresistglancingoncemoreattheunknownman.

"MonsieurLandau!

"thecountessaddressedhimwithasoftnessandcautionthatimpressedOblonsky.Andsheintroducedthem.

Landaulookedroundhurriedly,cameup,andsmiling,laidhismoist,lifelesshandinStepanArkadyevitch'soutstretchedhandandimmediatelywalkedawayandfelltogazingattheportraitsagain.ThecountessandAlexeyAlexandrovitchlookedateachothersignificantly.

"Iamverygladtoseeyou,particularlytoday,"saidCountessLidiaIvanovna,pointingStepanArkadyevitchtoaseatbesideKarenin.

"IintroducedyoutohimasLandau,"shesaidinasoftvoice,glancingattheFrenchmanandagainimmediatelyafteratAlexeyAlexandrovitch,"butheisreallyCountBezzubov,asyou'reprobablyaware.Onlyhedoesnotlikethetitle."

"Yes,Iheardso,"answeredStepanArkadyevitch;"theysayhecompletelycuredCountessBezzubova."

"Shewasheretoday,poorthing!

"thecountesssaid,turningtoAlexeyAlexandrovitch."Thisseparationisawfulforher.It'ssuchablowtoher!

"

"Andhepositivelyisgoing?

"queriedAlexeyAlexandrovitch.

"Yes,he'sgoingtoParis.Heheardavoiceyesterday,"saidCountessLidiaIvanovna,lookingatStepanArkadyevitch.

"Ah,avoice!

"repeatedOblonsky,feelingthathemustbeascircumspectashepossiblycouldinthissociety,wheresomethingpeculiarwasgoingon,orwastogoon,towhichhehadnotthekey.

Amoment'ssilencefollowed,afterwhichCountessLidiaIvanovna,asthoughapproachingthemaintopicofconversation,saidwithafinesmiletoOblonsky:

"I'veknownyouforalongwhile,andamverygladtomakeacloseracquaintancewithyou.Lesamisdenosamissontnosamis.Buttobeatruefriend,onemustenterintothespiritualstateofone'sfriend,andIfearthatyouarenotdoingsointhecaseofAlexeyAlexandrovitch.YouunderstandwhatImean?

"shesaid,liftingherfinepensiveeyes.

"Inpart,countess,IunderstandthepositionofAlexeyAlexandrovitch..."saidOblonsky.Havingnoclearideawhattheyweretalkingabout,hewantedtoconfinehimselftogeneralities.

"Thechangeisnotinhisexternalposition,"CountessLidiaIvanovnasaidsternly,followingwitheyesoflovethefigureofAlexeyAlexandrovitchashegotupandcrossedovertoLandau;"hisheartischanged,anewhearthasbeenvouchsafedhim,andIfearyoudon'tfullyapprehendthechangethathastakenplaceinhim."

"Oh,well,ingeneraloutlinesIcanconceivethechange.Wehavealwaysbeenfriendly,andnow..."saidStepanArkadyevitch,respondingwithasympatheticglancetotheexpressionofthecountess,andmentallybalancingthequestionwithwhichofthetwoministersshewasmostintimate,soastoknowaboutwhichtoaskhertospeakforhim.

"Thechangethathastakenplaceinhimcannotlessenhisloveforhisneighbors;onthecontrary,thatchangecanonlyintensifyloveinhisheart.ButIamafraidyoudonotunderstandme.Won'tyouhavesometea?

"shesaid,withhereyesindicatingthefootman,whowashandingroundteaonatray.

"Notquite,countess.Ofcourse,hismisfortune..."

"Yes,amisfortunewhichhasprovedthehighesthappiness,whenhisheartwasmadenew,wasfilledfullofit,"shesaid,gazingwitheyesfullofloveatStepanArkadyevitch.

"IdobelieveImightaskhertospeaktobothofthem,"thoughtStepanArkadyevitch.

"Oh,ofcourse,countess,"hesaid;"butIimaginesuchchangesareamattersoprivatethatnoone,eventhemostintimatefriend,wouldcaretospeakofthem."

"Onthecontrary!

Weoughttospeakfreelyandhelponeanother."

"Yes,undoubtedlyso,butthereissuchadifferenceofconvictions,andbesides..."saidOblonskywithasoftsmile.

"Therecanbenodifferencewhereitisaquestionofholytruth."

"Oh,no,ofcourse;but..."andStepanArkadyevitchpausedinconfusion.Heunderstoodatlastthattheyweretalkingofreligion.

"Ifancyhewillfallasleepimmediately,"saidAlexeyAlexandrovitchinawhisperfullofmeaning,goinguptoLidiaIvanovna.

StepanArkadyevitchlookedround.Landauwassittingatthewindow,leaningonhiselbowandthebackofhischair,hisheaddrooping.Noticingthatalleyeswereturnedonhimheraisedhisheadandsmiledasmileofchildlikeartlessness.

"Don'ttakeanynotice,"saidLidiaIvanovna,andshelightlymovedachairupforAlexeyAlexandrovitch."Ihaveobserved..."shewasbeginning,whenafootmancameintotheroomwithaletter.LidiaIvanovnarapidlyranhereyesoverthenote,andexcusingherself,wroteananswerwithextraordinaryrapidity,handedittotheman,andcamebacktothetable."Ihaveobserved,"shewenton,"thatMoscowpeople,especiallythemen,aremoreindifferenttoreligionthananyone."

"Oh,no,countess,IthoughtMoscowpeoplehadthereputationofbeingthefirmestinthefaith,"answeredStepanArkadyevitch.

"ButasfarasIcanmakeout,youareunfortunatelyoneoftheindifferentones,"saidAlexeyAlexandrovitch,turningtohimwithawearysmile.

"Howanyonecanbeindifferent!

"saidLidiaIvanovna.

"IamnotsomuchindifferentonthatsubjectasIamwaitinginsuspense,"saidStepanArkadyevitch,withhismostdeprecatingsmile."Ihardlythinkthatthetimeforsuchquestionshascomeyetforme."

AlexeyAlexandrovitchandLidiaIvanovnalookedateachother.

"Wecannevertellwhetherthetimehascomeforusornot,"saidAlexeyAlexandrovitchseverely."Weoughtnottothinkwhetherwearereadyornotready.God'sgraceisnotguidedbyhumanconsiderations:

sometimesitcomesnottothosethatstriveforit,andcomestothosethatareunprepared,likeSaul."

"No,Ibelieveitwon'tbejustyet,"saidLidiaIvanovna,whohadbeenmeanwhilewatchingthemovementsoftheFrenchman.Landaugotupandcametothem.

"Doyouallowmetolisten?

"heasked.

"Oh,yes;Ididnotwanttodisturbyou,"saidLidiaIvanovna,gazingtenderlyathim;"sitherewithus."

"Onehasonlynottocloseone'seyestoshutoutthelight,"AlexeyAlexandrovitchwenton.

"Ah,ifyouknewthehappinessweknow,feelingHispresenceeverinourhearts!

"saidCountessLidiaIvanovnawitharapturoussmile.

"Butamanmayfeelhimselfunworthysometimestorisetothatheight,"saidStepanArkadyevitch,consciousofhypocrisyinadmittingthisreligiousheight,butatthesametimeunabletobringhimselftoacknowledgehisfree-thinkingviewsbeforeapersonwho,byasinglewordtoPomorsky,mightprocurehimthecovetedappointment.

"Thatis,youmeanthatsinkeepshimback?

"saidLidiaIvanovna."Butthatisafalseidea.Thereisnosinforbelievers,theirsinhasbeenatonedfor.Pardon,"sheadded,lookingatthefootman,whocameinagainwithanotherletter.Shereaditandgaveaverbalanswer:

"TomorrowattheGrandDuchess's,say.""Forthebelieversinisnot,"shewenton.

"Yes,butfaithwithoutworksisdead,"saidStepanArkadyevitch,recallingthephrasefromthecatechism,andonlybyhissmileclingingtohisindependence.

"Thereyouhaveit--fromtheepistleofSt.James,"saidAlexeyAlexandrovitch,addressingLidiaIvanovna,withacertainreproachfulnessinhistone.Itwasunmistakablyasubjecttheyhaddiscussedmorethanoncebefore."Whatharmhasbeendonebythefalseinterpretationofthatpassage!

Nothingholdsmenbackfrombelieflikethatmisinterpretation.'Ihavenotworks,soIcannotbelieve,'thoughallthewhilethatisnotsaid.Buttheveryoppositeissaid."

"StrivingforGod,savingthesoulbyfasting,"saidCountessLidiaIvanovna,withdisgustedcontempt,"thosearethecrudeideasofourmonks....Yetthatisnowheresaid.Itisfarsimplerandeasier,"sheadded,lookingatOblonskywiththesameencouragingsmilewithwhichatcourtsheencouragedyouthfulmaidsofhonor,disconcertedbythenewsurroundingsofthecourt.

"WearesavedbyChristwhosufferedforus.Wearesavedbyfaith,"AlexeyAlexandrovitchchimedin,withaglanceofapprovalatherwords.

"Vouscomprenezl'anglais?

"askedLidiaIvanovna,andreceivingareplyintheaffirmative,shegotupandbeganlookingthroughashelfofbooks.

"Iwanttoreadhim'SafeandHappy,'or'UndertheWing,'"shesaid,lookinginquiringlyatKarenin.Andfindingthebook,andsittingdownagaininherplace,sheopenedit."It'sveryshort.Initisdescribedthewaybywhichfaithcanbereached,andthehappiness,aboveallear