Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/542

 "Where are you going?"

"To a meeting."

"Well! I'll go with you. May I?"

"Why not?" said Sergyeï Ivanovitch, smiling. "What has happened to you to-day?"

"What has happened? Good fortune," said Levin, letting down the carriage-window. "Have you any objection? I am suffocating. Good fortune has happened to me! Why have you never been married?"

Sergyeï Ivanovitch smiled.

"I am delighted; she seems like a splendid gi...." he began.

"No, don't say anything about it, don't say anything about it!" cried Levin, clutching the collar of his shuba with both hands, and covering his face with the fur, A splendid girl; what commonplace words! and how feebly they corresponded to his feelings!

Sergyeï Ivanovitch laughed a gay laugh; this was a rare occurrence with him.

"I should think I might say that I am very glad of this!"

"To-morrow, to-morrow you may speak; but not another word now, not another word, not another word! Be silent," said Levin, and pulling his shuba still higher round his face, he added: "I love you very much. But tell me, may I go to your meeting?"

"Of course you may."

"What is your subject for discussion to-night?" asked Levin, still smiling.

They reached their destination. Levin heard the secretary stammer through the report, which evidently he did not understand; but he could see, from this secretary's face, that he was a good, amiable, sympathetic fellow; it was evident from the way that he hesitated and became confused while reading.

Then came the debates. They discussed about the disposal of certain sums of money, and the laying of certain sewer-pipes. Sergyeï Ivanovitch attacked two members of the commission, and made a long, triumphant speech against them; after which another mem-