Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/63

 "It is of no use," replied Levin. "Suppose you come to me and try the standpoint of a man accustomed to living in the country. We in the country try to have hands suitable to work with; therefore we cut off our finger-nails, and oftentimes we even turn back our sleeves. But here men let their nails grow as long as possible, and so as to be sure of not being able to do any work with their hands, they fasten their sleeves with plates for buttons."

Stepan Arkadyevitch smiled gayly:—

"That is a sign that he has no need of manual labor; it is brain-work ...."

"Perhaps so. Yet it seems strange to me, no less than this that we are doing here. In the country we make haste to get through our meals so as to be at work again; but here you and I are doing our best to eat as long as possible without getting satisfied, and so we are eating oysters."....

"Well, there's something in that," replied Stepan Arkadyevitch; "but the aim of civilization is to translate everything into enjoyment."

"If that is its aim, I should prefer to be untamed."

"And you are untamed! All you Levins are untamed."

Levin sighed. He thought of his brother Nikolaï, and felt mortified and saddened, and his face grew dark; but Oblonsky introduced a topic which had the immediate effect of diverting him.

"Very well, come this evening to our house. I mean to the Shcherbatskys'," said he, pushing away the empty oyster-shells, drawing the cheese toward him, and flashing his eyes significantly.

"Yes, I will surely come," replied Levin; "though it did not seem that the princess was very cordial in her invitation."

"What rubbish! It was only her manner. .... Come, friend, bring us the soup. .... It was only her grande dame manner," replied Stepan Arkadyevitch. "I shall come there immediately after a rehearsal at the Countess Bonina's. .... How can we help calling you untamed?