"Perhaps they're not at home?" said Levin, as he went into the

hall of Countess Bola's house.

"At home; please walk in," said the porter, resolutely removing

his overcoat.

"How annoying!" thought Levin with a sigh, taking off one glove

and stroking his hat. "What did I come for? What have I to say

to them?"

As he passed through the first drawing room Levin met in the

doorway Countess Bola, giving some order to a servant with a

care-worn and severe face. On seeing Levin she smiled, and asked

him to come into the little drawing room, where he heard voices.

In this room there were sitting in armchairs the two daughters of

the countess, and a Moscow colonel, whom Levin knew. Levin went

up, greeted them, and sat down beside the sofa with his hat on

his knees.

"How is your wife? Have you been at the concert? We couldn't

go. Mamma had to be at the funeral service."

"Yes, I heard.... What a sudden death!" said Levin.

The countess came in, sat down on the sofa, and she too asked

after his wife and inquired about the concert.

Levin answered, and repeated an inquiry about Madame Apraksina's

sudden death.

"But she was always in weak health."

"Were you at the opera yesterday?"

"Yes, I was."

"Lucca was very good."

"Yes, very good," he said, and as it was utterly of no

consequence to him what they thought of him, he began repeating

what they had heard a hundred times about the characteristics of

the singer's talent. Countess Bola pretended to be listening.

Then, when he had said enough and paused, the colonel, who had

been silent till then, began to talk. The colonel too talked of

the opera, and about culture. At last, after speaking of the

proposed _folle journée_ at Turin's, the colonel laughed, got up

noisily, and went away. Levin too rose, but he saw by the face

of the countess that it was not yet time for him to go. He must

stay two minutes longer. He sat down.

But as he was thinking all the while how stupid it was, he could

not find a subject for conversation, and sat silent.

"You are not going to the public meeting? They say it will be

very interesting," began the countess.

"No, I promised my belle-soeur to fetch her from it," said

Levin.

A silence followed. The mother once more exchanged glances with

a daughter.

"Well, now I think the time has come," thought Levin, and he got

up. The ladies shook hands with him, and begged him to say

_mille choses_ to his wife for them.




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