Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/375

 Levin stayed to tea; but all his gayety was gone, and he felt uncomfortable.

After tea he went out into the anteroom to give orders about harnessing the horses; and when he came in he found Darya Aleksandrovna in great disturbance, with flushed face, and tears in her eyes. During his short absence an occurrence had ruthlessly destroyed all the pleasure and pride that she took in her children. Grisha and Tania had quarreled about a ball. Darya Aleksandrovna, hearing their cries, ran to them, and found them in a frightful state. Tania was pulling her brother's hair; and he, with face distorted with rage, was pounding his sister with all his might. When Darya Aleksandrovna saw it, something seemed to snap in her heart. A black cloud, as it were, came down on her life. She saw that these children of hers, of whom she was so proud, were not only ordinary and ill-trained, but were even bad, and inclined to the most evil and tempestuous passions.

This thought troubled her so that she could not speak or think, or even explain her sorrow to Levin.

Levin saw that she was unhappy, and he did his best to comfort her, saying that this was not so very terrible, after all, and that all children quarreled; but in his heart he said, "No, I will not bother myself to speak French with my children. I shall not have such children. There is no need of spoiling them, and making them unnatural; and they will be charming. No! my children shall not be like these."

He took his leave, and rode away; and she did not try to keep him longer.

CHAPTER XI

the end of July, Levin received a visit from the starosta of his sister's estate, situated about twenty versts from Pokrovskoye. He brought the report about the progress of affairs, and about the haymaking.