Anna Karenina полностью

They were turning to go back when they suddenly heard not loud talking now, but shouting. Levin had stopped and was shouting, and the doctor, too, was excited. A crowd was gathering around them. The princess and Kitty hastily withdrew, and the colonel joined the crowd to find out what was the matter.

A few minutes later, the colonel caught up with them.

‘What was it?’ asked the princess.

‘Shame and disgrace!’ replied the colonel. ‘There is only one thing to fear - meeting Russians abroad. That tall gentleman quarrelled with the doctor, said impertinent things to him for not treating him correctly, and even raised his stick. It’s simply a disgrace!’

‘Ah, how unpleasant!’ said the princess. ‘Well, how did it end?’

‘Thank heavens, that girl intervened ... the one in the mushroom hat. A Russian, it seems,’ said the colonel.

‘Mile Varenka?’ Kitty asked joyfully.

‘Yes, yes. She found the way more quickly than anyone: she took the gentleman by the arm and led him away.’

‘See, mama,’ Kitty said to her mother, ‘and you’re surprised that I admire her.’

The next day, observing her unknown friend, Kitty noticed that Mlle Varenka already had the same sort of relations with Levin and his woman as with her other protégés. She went up to them, talked, served as interpreter for the woman, who could not speak any foreign languages.

Kitty started pleading still more with her mother to allow her to make Varenka’s acquaintance. And, disagreeable though it was for the princess to take, as it were, the first step towards becoming acquainted with Mme Stahl, who permitted herself to be proud of something, she made inquiries about Varenka and, learning details about her allowing her to conclude that there was nothing bad, though also little good, in this acquaintance, first approached Varenka herself and became acquainted with her.

Choosing a moment when her daughter had gone to the springs and Varenka had stopped in front of the bakery, the princess approached her.

‘Allow me to make your acquaintance,’ she said with her dignified smile. ‘My daughter is in love with you,’ she said. ‘Perhaps you do not know me. I am ...’

‘It’s more than reciprocated, Princess,’ Varenka replied hastily.

‘What a good deed you did yesterday for our pathetic compatriot!’ said the princess.

Varenka blushed.

‘I don’t remember. I don’t think I did anything,’ she said.

‘Why, you saved this Levin from unpleasantness.’

‘Yes, sa compagne^o called me, and I did my best to calm him down: he’s very ill and was displeased with the doctor. And I’m used to looking after these patients.’

‘Yes, I’ve heard that you live in Menton with Mme Stahl - your aunt, I believe. I knew her belle-soeur.’

‘No, she’s not my aunt. I call her maman, but I’m not related to her; I was brought up by her,’ Varenka replied, blushing again.

This was said so simply, so sweet was the truthful and open expression of her face, that the princess understood why her Kitty loved Varenka.

‘Well, what about this Levin?’ asked the princess.

‘He’s leaving,’ replied Varenka.

At that moment, beaming with joy that her mother had made the acquaintance of her unknown friend, Kitty came from the springs.

‘So, Kitty, your great desire to make the acquaintance of Mlle ...’

‘Varenka,’ prompted Varenka, smiling, ‘that’s what everyone calls me.’

Kitty blushed with joy and for a long time silently pressed her new friend’s hand, which did not respond to this pressing but lay motionless in her hand. But though her hand did not respond, the face of Mlle Varenka lit up with a quiet, joyful, though also somewhat sad smile, revealing big but beautiful teeth.

‘I’ve long wanted this myself,’ she said.

‘But you’re so busy ...’

‘Ah, on the contrary, I’m not busy at all,’ replied Varenka, but that same minute she had to leave her new acquaintances because two little Russian girls, daughters of one of the patients, came running to her.

‘Varenka, mama’s calling!’ they shouted.

And Varenka went after them.

XXXII

The details that the princess had learned about Varenka’s past and her relations with Mme Stahl, and about Mme Stahl herself, were the following.

Mme Stahl, of whom some said that she had tormented her husband, and others that he had tormented her with his immoral behaviour, had always been a sickly and rapturous woman. She gave birth to her first child when she was already divorced from her husband. The child died at once, and Mme Stahl’s family, knowing her susceptibility and fearing the news might kill her, replaced the baby, taking the daughter of a court cook born the same night and in the same house in Petersburg. This was Varenka. Mme Stahl learned later that Varenka was not her daughter, but continued to bring her up, the more so as Varenka soon afterwards had no family left.