Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/368

 CHAPTER IX

, with a kerchief on her head, and surrounded by all her flock of bathers with wet hair, was just drawing near the house when the coachman called out, "Here comes some barin,—Pokrovsky, it looks like."

Darya Aleksandrovna looked out, and, to her great joy, saw that it was indeed Levin's well-known form in gray hat and gray overcoat. She was always glad to see him, but now she was particularly delighted, because he saw her in all her glory. No one could appreciate her splendor better than Levin.

When he caught sight of her, it seemed to him that he saw one of his visions of family life.

"You are like a brooding hen, Darya Aleksandrovna."

"Oh, how glad I am!" said she, offering him her hand.

"Glad! But you did not let me know. My brother is staying with me; I had a little note from Stiva, telling me you were here."

"From Stiva?" repeated Dolly, astonished.

"Yes. He wrote me that you had come into the country, and thought that you would allow me to be of some use to you," said Levin; and, even while speaking, he became confused, and breaking off suddenly, walked in silence by the lineïka, pulling off and biting linden twigs as he went. It had occurred to him that Darya Aleksandrovna would doubtless find it painful to have a neighbor offer her the assistance which her husband should have given. In fact, Darya Aleksandrovna was displeased at the way in which Stepan Arkadyevitch had thrust his domestic difficulties upon a stranger. She immediately perceived that Levin felt this, and she felt grateful to him for his tact and delicacy.

"Of course, I understood," said Levin, "that this only meant that you would be glad to see me; and I was glad. Of course, I imagine that you, a city house-keeper, find it uncivilized here; and, if I can be of the least use to you, I am wholly at your service."

"Oh, no!" said Dolly. "At first it was rather hard,