The day after his arrival he went to visit the governor general. At the intersection of Gazetny Lane, where there is always a crowd of carriages and cabs, Alexei Alexandrovich suddenly heard his name called out in such a loud and merry voice that he could not help turning round. On the corner pavement, in a short, fashionable coat, with his short, fashionable hat cocked to one side, the gleam of a white-toothed smile between his red lips, merry, young and beaming, stood Stepan Arkadyich, resolutely and insistently shouting and demanding that he stop. He was holding on with one hand to the window of a carriage that had stopped at the corner, out of which peered a woman’s head in a velvet hat and two children’s heads, and was smiling and beckoning to his brother-in-law with the other hand. The lady smiled a kindly smile and also waved her hand to Alexei Alexandrovich. It was Dolly with the children.
Alexei Alexandrovich did not want to see anyone in Moscow, least of all his wife’s brother. He raised his hat and was about to drive on, but Stepan Arkadyich told his coachman to stop and ran to him across the snow.
‘How wicked of you not to send word! Have you been here long? And I was at the Dussot yesterday and saw “Karenin” on the board, and it never occurred to me that it was you!’ said Stepan Arkadyich, thrusting his head inside the carriage. ‘Otherwise I’d have called on you. I’m so glad to see you!’ he said, knocking one foot against the other to shake off the snow. ‘How wicked of you not to let us know!’ he repeated.
‘I had no time, I’m very busy,’ Alexei Alexandrovich replied drily.
‘Let’s go to my wife, she wants so much to see you.’
Alexei Alexandrovich removed the rug in which his chill-prone legs were wrapped and, getting out of the carriage, made his way over the snow to Darya Alexandrovna.
‘What is it, Alexei Alexandrovich, why do you avoid us like this?’ Dolly said, smiling sadly.
‘I’ve been very busy. Very glad to see you,’ he said, in a tone which showed clearly that he was upset by it. ‘How are you?’
‘And how is my dear Anna?’
Alexei Alexandrovich mumbled something and was about to leave. But Stepan Arkadyich stopped him.
‘Here’s what we’ll do tomorrow. Dolly, invite him for dinner! We’ll invite Koznyshev and Pestsov and treat him to the Moscow intelligentsia.’
‘Yes, please do come,’ said Dolly, ‘we’ll expect you at five, six if you like. Well, how is my dear Anna? It’s so long since ...’
‘She’s well,’ Alexei Alexandrovich mumbled, frowning. ‘Very glad to see you!’ and he made for his carriage.
‘Will you come?’ Dolly called out.
Alexei Alexandrovich said something that Dolly could not make out in the noise of moving carriages.
‘I’ll drop in tomorrow!’ Stepan Arkadyich called to him.
Alexei Alexandrovich got into his carriage and sank deep inside, so as not to see or be seen.
‘An odd bird!’ Stepan Arkadyich said to his wife and, looking at his watch, made a gesture in front of his face signifying love for his wife and children, and went off jauntily down the pavement.
‘Stiva! Stiva!’ Dolly called out, blushing.
He turned.
‘I have to buy coats for Grisha and Tanya. Give me some money!’
‘Never mind. Tell them I’ll pay,’ and he disappeared, nodding gaily to an acquaintance driving by.
VII
The next day was Sunday. Stepan Arkadyich called in on the ballet rehearsal at the Bolshoi Theatre and gave Masha Chibisova, a pretty dancer, newly signed on through his patronage, the coral necklace he had promised her the day before and, backstage, in the theatre’s daytime darkness, managed to kiss her pretty face, brightened by the gift. Besides giving her the coral necklace, he had to arrange to meet her after the performance. Explaining to her that he could not be there for the beginning of the ballet, he promised to come by the last act and take her to supper. From the theatre Stepan Arkadyich went to the Okhotny Market, personally selected the fish and asparagus for dinner, and by noon was already at the Dussot, where he had to see three people who, fortunately for him, were staying at the same hotel: Levin, who was staying there after recently returning from abroad; his newly appointed superior, who had just taken over that high position and was inspecting Moscow; and his brother-in-law Karenin, to bring him to dinner without fail.
