<h3>Chapter 11</h3>
<p>Everyone took part in the conversation except Kitty and Levin. At first, when
they were talking of the influence that one people has on another, there rose
to Levin’s mind what he had to say on the subject. But these ideas, once
of such importance in his eyes, seemed to come into his brain as in a dream,
and had now not the slightest interest for him. It even struck him as strange
that they should be so eager to talk of what was of no use to anyone. Kitty,
too, should, one would have supposed, have been interested in what they were
saying of the rights and education of women. How often she had mused on the
subject, thinking of her friend abroad, Varenka, of her painful state of
dependence, how often she had wondered about herself what would become of her
if she did not marry, and how often she had argued with her sister about it!
But it did not interest her at all. She and Levin had a conversation of their
own, yet not a conversation, but some sort of mysterious communication, which
brought them every moment nearer, and stirred in both a sense of glad terror
before the unknown into which they were entering.</p>
<p>At first Levin, in answer to Kitty’s question how he could have seen her
last year in the carriage, told her how he had been coming home from the mowing
along the highroad and had met her.</p>
<p>“It was very, very early in the morning. You were probably only just
awake. Your mother was asleep in the corner. It was an exquisite morning. I was
walking along wondering who it could be in a four-in-hand? It was a splendid
set of four horses with bells, and in a second you flashed by, and I saw you at
the window—you were sitting like this, holding the strings of your cap in
both hands, and thinking awfully deeply about something,” he said,
smiling. “How I should like to know what you were thinking about then!
Something important?”</p>
<p>“Wasn’t I dreadfully untidy?” she wondered, but seeing the
smile of ecstasy these reminiscences called up, she felt that the impression
she had made had been very good. She blushed and laughed with delight;
“Really I don’t remember.”</p>
<p>“How nicely Turovtsin laughs!” said Levin, admiring his moist eyes
and shaking chest.</p>
<p>“Have you known him long?” asked Kitty.</p>
<p>“Oh, everyone knows him!”</p>
<p>“And I see you think he’s a horrid man?”</p>
<p>“Not horrid, but nothing in him.”</p>
<p>“Oh, you’re wrong! And you must give up thinking so
directly!” said Kitty. “I used to have a very poor opinion of him
too, but he, he’s an awfully nice and wonderfully good-hearted man. He
has a heart of gold.”</p>
<p>“How could you find out what sort of heart he has?”</p>
<p>“We are great friends. I know him very well. Last winter, soon after ...
you came to see us,” she said, with a guilty and at the same time
confiding smile, “all Dolly’s children had scarlet fever, and he
happened to come and see her. And only fancy,” she said in a whisper,
“he felt so sorry for her that he stayed and began to help her look after
the children. Yes, and for three weeks he stopped with them, and looked after
the children like a nurse.”</p>
<p>“I am telling Konstantin Dmitrievitch about Turovtsin in the scarlet
fever,” she said, bending over to her sister.</p>
<p>“Yes, it was wonderful, noble!” said Dolly, glancing towards
Turovtsin, who had become aware they were talking of him, and smiling gently to
him. Levin glanced once more at Turovtsin, and wondered how it was he had not
realized all this man’s goodness before.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, and I’ll never think ill of
people again!” he said gaily, genuinely expressing what he felt at the
moment.</p>
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