Kitty was distressed, as she always was, at parting for a couple
of days from her husband, but when she saw his eager figure,
looking big and strong in his shooting-boots and his white
blouse, and a sort of sportsman elation and excitement
incomprehensible to her, she forgot her own chagrin for the sake
of his pleasure, and said good-bye to him cheerfully.
"Pardon, gentlemen!" he said, running out onto the steps. "Have
you put the lunch in? Why is the chestnut on the right? Well,
it doesn't matter. Laska, down; go and lie down!"
"Put it with the herd of oxen," he said to the herdsman, who was
waiting for him at the steps with some question. "Excuse me,
here comes another villain."
Levin jumped out of the wagonette, in which he had already taken
his seat, to meet the carpenter, who came towards the steps with
a rule in his hand.
"You didn't come to the counting house yesterday, and now you're
detaining me. Well, what is it?"
"Would your honor let me make another turning? It's only three
steps to add. And we make it just fit at the same time. It will
be much more convenient."
"You should have listened to me," Levin answered with annoyance.
"I said: Put the lines and then fit in the steps. Now there's
no setting it right. Do as I told you, and make a new
staircase."
The point was that in the lodge that was being built the
carpenter had spoiled the staircase, fitting it together without
calculating the space it was to fill, so that the steps were all
sloping when it was put in place. Now the carpenter wanted,
keeping the same staircase, to add three steps.
"It will be much better."
"But where's your staircase coming out with its three steps?"
"Why, upon my word, sir," the carpenter said with a contemptuous
smile. "It comes out right at the very spot. It starts, so to
speak," he said, with a persuasive gesture; "it comes down, and
comes down, and comes out."
"But three steps will add to the length too...where is it to
come out?"
"Why, to be sure, it'll start from the bottom and go up and go
up, and come out so," the carpenter said obstinately and
convincingly.
"It'll reach the ceiling and the wall."
"Upon my word! Why, it'll go up, and up, and come out like
this."