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 and quickly running up the well-worn steps of the stone staircase. A lean chinovnik, on his way down, with a portfolio under his arm, stopped to look, with some indignation, at the newcomer's feet, and turned to Oblonsky with a glance of inquiry. Stepan Arkadyevitch stood at the top of the staircase, and his bright, good-natured face, set off by the embroidered collar of his uniform, was still more radiant when he recognized the visitor.

"Here he is! Levin, at last," he cried, with a friendly, ironical smile, as he looked at his approaching friend. "What! you got tired of waiting for me, and have come to find me in this den?" he went on to say, not satisfied with pressing his hand, but kissing him affectionately. "Have you been in town long?"

"I just got here, and was in a hurry to see you," said Levin, looking about him timidly, and at the same time with a fierce and anxious expression.

"Well, come into my office," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, who was aware of his visitor's egotistic sensitiveness, and, taking him by the hand, he led him along as if he were conducting him through manifold dangers.

Stepan Arkadyevitch addressed almost all his acquaintances with the familiar "thou,"—old men of three-score, young men of twenty, actors and ministers, merchants and generals, so that there were very many of these familiarly addressed acquaintances from both extremes of the social scale, and they would have been astonished to know that through Oblonsky they had something in common. He thus addressed all with whom he had drunk champagne, and he had drunk champagne with every one, and so when in the presence of his subordinates he met any of his shameful intimates, as he jestingly called some of his acquaintances, his characteristic tact was sufficient to diminish the disagreeable impressions that they might have.

Levin was not one of his shameful intimates, but Oblonsky instinctively felt that Levin might think he would not like to make a display of their intimacy before his subordinates, and so he hastened to take him into his private office.