Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/55

 She looked at him closely, as if trying to divine the reason of his embarrassment.

"Your praise is precious. A tradition that you are the best of skaters is still floating about," said she, brushing off with her little hand, in its black glove, the pine needles that had fallen on her muff.

"Yes, I used to be passionately fond of skating. I had the ambition to reach perfection."

"It seems to me that you do all things passionately," said she, with a smile. "I should like to see you skate. Put on your skates, and we will skate together."

"Skate together?" he thought, as he looked at her. "Is it possible?"

"I will go and put them right on," he said; and he hastened to find a pair of skates.

"It is a long time, sir, since you have been with us," said the katalshchik, as he lifted his foot to fit the heel to it. "Since your day, we have not had any one who deserved to be called a master in the art. Are they going to suit you?" he asked, as he tightened the strap.

"Excellent, excellent; only please make haste," said Levin, unable to hide the smile of joy which, in spite of him, irradiated his face. "Yes," said he to himself, "this is life, this is happiness. 'We will skate together,' she said. Shall I speak to her now? But I am afraid to speak, because I am happy, happy only in the hope.... Yet when?.... But it must be, it must, it must. Down with weakness!"

Levin stood up, took off his cloak, and, after making his way across the rough ice around the little house, he skated out on the glare surface without effort, hastening, shortening, and directing his pace as if by the mere effort of his will. He felt timid about coming up to her, but again her smile assured him.

She gave him her hand, and they skated side by side, gradually increasing speed; and the faster they went, the closer she held his hand.

"I should learn very quickly with you," she said. "I somehow feel confidence in you."

"I am confident in myself when you cling to my