The meeting had already begun ... Around the baize-covered table at which Katavasov and Metrov seated themselves, six men were sitting, and one of them, bending close to a manuscript, was reading something. Levin sat in one of the vacant chairs that stood around the table and in a whisper asked a student who was sitting there what was being read. The student looked Levin over with resentment and said:
‘The biography.’
Though Levin was not interested in the scientist’s biography, he listened involuntarily and learned some interesting and new things about the life of the famous man.
When the reader had finished, the chairman thanked him and read a poem by the poet Ment,4 sent to him for this jubilee, with a few words of gratitude to the author. Then Katavasov, in his loud, piercing voice, read his note on the learned works of the man being honoured.
When Katavasov finished, Levin looked at his watch, saw that it was already past one o‘clock, and reflected that he would not have time to read his work to Metrov before the concert, and besides he no longer wanted to. During the reading he had also been thinking about their conversation. It was now clear to him that, while Metrov’s thought might be important, his own thoughts were also important; these thoughts might be clarified and lead to something only if each of them worked separately on his chosen way, and nothing could come from communicating these thoughts to each other. And, having decided to decline Metrov’s invitation, Levin went over to him at the end of the meeting. Metrov introduced Levin to the chairman, with whom he was discussing the political news. Metrov told the chairman the same thing he had told Levin, and Levin made the same observations he had already made that morning, but for diversity offered a new opinion that had just occurred to him. After that the talk on the university question started up again. Since Levin had already heard it all, he hastened to tell Metrov that he was sorry he could not accept his invitation, made his bows and went to see Lvov.
IV
Lvov, who was married to Kitty’s sister Natalie, had spent all his life in the capitals and abroad, where he had been educated and served as a diplomat.
A year ago he had left the diplomatic service, not owing to unpleasantness (he never had any unpleasantness with anyone), and gone to serve in the palace administration in Moscow, in order to give the best education to his two boys.
Despite the sharpest contrast in habits and views, and the fact that Lvov was older than Levin, they had become very close that winter and grown to love each other.
Lvov was at home, and Levin went in without being announced.
Lvov, wearing a belted house jacket and suede boots, was sitting in an armchair, a pince-nez with blue lenses on his nose, reading a book propped on a lectern, carefully holding out in a shapely hand a cigar half turned to ash.
His handsome, fine, and still-young face, to which his curly, shining silver hair lent a still more thoroughbred appearance, brightened with a smile when he saw Levin.
‘Excellent! And I was about to send to you. Well, how’s Kitty? Sit here, it’s more comfortable ...’ He got up and moved a rocking chair over. ‘Have you read the latest circular letter in the
Levin told him what he had heard from Katavasov about the talk in Petersburg and, after discussing politics, told of his making the acquaintance of Metrov and going to the meeting. Lvov became very interested in that.
‘I envy you your entry into that interesting world of learning,’ he said. And, warming to the subject, he switched, as usual, to French, which suited him better. ‘True, I also have no time. My service and the children’s education deprive me of that; and besides, I’m not ashamed to say that my education is much too deficient.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Levin said with a smile, touched as always by his low opinion of himself, by no means affected out of a desire to seem or even be modest, but perfectly sincere.
‘Ah, yes! I feel now how little learning I have. For my children’s education I even have to refresh my memory a good deal and simply study. Because it’s not enough to have teachers, there must also be a supervisor, just as in your farming you need workers and an overseer. See what I’m reading?’ he pointed to Buslaev’s grammar6 on the lectern. ‘It’s required of Misha, and it’s so difficult ... Explain this to me now. He says here ...’
Levin tried to explain to him that one cannot understand it but must simply learn it; but Lvov did not agree with him.
‘Yes, see how you laugh at it!’
‘On the contrary, you can’t imagine how, by looking at you, I always learn what’s in store for me - I mean children’s education.’
‘There certainly isn’t anything to learn,’ said Lvov.
‘I only know,’ said Levin, ‘that I’ve never met better-brought-up children than yours and couldn’t wish for better myself.’
