Anna Karenina - Part 3

"Why do you mix things up? I've never been a communist."

"But I have, and I consider it's premature, but rational, and

it has a future, just like Christianity in its first ages."

"All that I maintain is that the labor force ought to be

investigated from the point of view of natural science; that is

to say, it ought to be studied, its qualities ascertained..."

"But that's utter waste of time. That force finds a certain form

of activity of itself, according to the stage of its development.

There have been slaves first everywhere, then metayers; and we

have the half-crop system, rent, and day laborers. What are you

trying to find?"

Levin suddenly lost his temper at these words, because at the

bottom of his heart he was afraid that it was true--true that he

was trying to hold the balance even between communism and the

familiar forms, and that this was hardly possible.

"I am trying to find means of working productively for myself and

for the laborers. I want to organize..." he answered hotly.

"You don't want to organize anything; it's simply just as you've

been all your life, that you want to be original to pose as not

exploiting the peasants simply, but with some idea in view."

"Oh, all right, that's what you think--and let me alone!"

answered Levin, feeling the muscles of his left cheek twitching

uncontrollably.

"You've never had, and never have, convictions; all you want is

to please your vanity."

"Oh, very well; then let me alone!"

"And I will let you alone! and it's high time I did, and go to

the devil with you! and I'm very sorry I ever came!"

In spite of all Levin's efforts to soothe his brother afterwards,

Nikolay would listen to nothing he said, declaring that it was

better to part, and Konstantin saw that it simply was that life

was unbearable to him.

Nikolay was just getting ready to go, when Konstantin went in to

him again and begged him, rather unnaturally, to forgive him if

he had hurt his feelings in any way.

"Ah, generosity!" said Nikolay, and he smiled. "If you want to

be right, I can give you that satisfaction. You're in the right;

but I'm going all the same."

It was only just at parting that Nikolay kissed him, and said,

looking with sudden strangeness and seriousness at his brother: "Anyway, don't remember evil against me, Kostya!" and his voice

quivered. These were the only words that had been spoken

sincerely between them. Levin knew that those words meant, "You

see, and you know, that I'm in a bad way, and maybe we shall not

see each other again." Levin knew this, and the tears gushed

from his eyes. He kissed his brother once more, but he could not

speak, and knew not what to say.