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 CHAPTER XIII

the company arose from dinner Levin wanted to follow Kitty into the drawing-room, but he was afraid, not that it would be disagreeable to her, but that it would be too obvious a wooing of her. So he remained with the men, and took part in the general conversation. And without looking at Kitty, he was conscious of her motions, of her glances, and of the place where she was in the drawing-room. Without the least effort he immediately began to fulfil the promise that he had made her to love all men, and to think nothing but good of them.

The conversation turned on the commune in Russia, which Pestsof considered as the beginning of what he called a new order of things. Levin agreed as little with him as he did with Sergyeï Ivanovitch, who it seemed to him recognized, and at the same time denied, the value of this institution; but he talked with them, trying only to reconcile them and tone down their excitability. He was not in the least interested in what he himself said and was still less interested in what they said, but his one desire was, to see all of them happy and contented. He now realized what one thing was important. And that one was at first yonder in the drawing-room and afterward moved about and was now near the door. Without turning around he was conscious of a look and a smile fixed on him, and he could not help looking. She was standing there with Shcherbatsky, and looking at him.

"I thought you were going to the piano," said he, approaching her. "Music is what I have to do without in the country."

"No, we merely came to find you; and I thank you for coming to us," she replied, recompensing him with a smile. "What pleasure can there be in discussing? Really, no one ever convinced another."

"Yes; that is true!" said Levin. "It generally happens that you get excited in a discussion simply from