Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy. Anna Karenina
Habralyudi, relax, read the classics
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All happy families are alike, each unhappy family.
unhappy in their own way.
Everything was mixed up in the Oblonskys' house. The wife found out that her husband was due to
the French governess in their house, and announced to her husband that he could not
live with him in the same house. The situation lasted for the third day and
it was painfully felt by both the spouses themselves, and all family members, and
households. All family members and households felt that there was no point in their
cohabitation and that in each inn people randomly come together
connected with each other than they, family members and Oblonsky households. Wife not
left her room, her husband was not at home for the third day. The kids ran around
the whole house is lost; Englishwoman quarreled with the housekeeper and wrote
a note to a friend asking for a new place to come to her; the cook left yesterday
from the yard during lunch; the black cook and the coachman asked for a calculation.
On the third day after the quarrel, Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky - Steve, as
his name was in the light, - at the usual hour, that is, at eight in the morning, he woke up
not in his wife's bedroom, but in his office, on a morocco couch ... He turned
his full, well-groomed body on the springs of the sofa, as if wanting to fall asleep again
for a long time, on the other hand, he firmly hugged the pillow and pressed his cheek against it; but
suddenly he jumped up, sat down on the sofa and opened his eyes.
“Yes, yes, how was it? - He thought, remembering a dream. - Yes, how was it?
Yes! Alabin was giving dinner at Darmstadt; No, not in Darmstadt, but something
American Yes, but Darmstadt was there in America. Yes, Alabin was giving lunch on
glass tables, yes, - and the tables were sung: Il mio tesoro, and not Il mio tesoro, but
something is better, and some small decanters, and they are women, ”he recalled.
The eyes of Stepan Arkadyevich gleamed merrily, and he thought, smiling.
“Yes, it was good, very good. A lot more there was great, but can not you say
words and thoughts even in reality can not express. " And, noticing a line of light,
breaking out from the side of one of the wooded stor, he cheerfully kicked off his legs from the sofa
found them sewn by his wife (a birthday present last year), put on
in golden morocco shoes and the old, nine-year habit, without rising,
I reached out to where the robe hung in his bedroom. And here he is
suddenly remembered how and why he sleeps not in his wife’s bedroom, but in the study; smile
disappeared from his face, he wrinkled his forehead.
“Oh, oh, oh! Aah! .. ”- he moaned, remembering all that was. And his
imagination presented themselves again all the details of the quarrel with his wife, all
the hopelessness of his position and the most painful of all is his own fault.
"Yes! she will not forgive and cannot forgive. And the worst thing is that the fault
I am to blame, not guilty. That's the whole drama, he thought. - Oh, oh,
ah! "he said with despair, remembering the hardest for himself
impressions from this quarrel.
The most unpleasant of all was that first minute when, after returning from the theater,
cheerful and contented, with a huge pear for his wife in his hand, did not find his wife in
living room; Surprisingly, I did not find her in the office either, and finally saw her in
the bedroom with the unfortunate, who opened everything, a note in his hand.
She, this ever-preoccupied, and troublesome, and not far away, what he thought
her, Dolly, sat motionless with a note in her hand and with an expression of horror,
despair and anger looked at him.
- What is it? this? She asked, pointing to the note.
And with this memory, as is often the case, tormented Stepan Arkadyevich
not so much the event, but how he responded to these words of his wife.
What happened to him at that moment is what happens to people when they
unexpectedly caught in something too shameful. He failed to cook
his face to the position in which he stood before his wife after
discovery of his guilt. Instead of being offended, denying, making excuses,
ask for forgiveness, remain even indifferent - everything would be better than what
he did! - his face is completely involuntarily (“reflexes of the brain,” thought Stepan Arkadyevich, who loved physiology), completely unwittingly
suddenly she smiled at a familiar, kind and therefore foolish smile.
He could not forgive himself that stupid smile. Seeing that smile, Dolly
flinched, as if from physical pain, broke out, with her characteristic
fervor, a stream of cruel words and ran out of the room. Since then she hasn't
I wanted to see a husband.
“This stupid smile is to blame,” thought Stepan Arkadyevich.
“But what to do? what to do? "he said to himself with despair and not
found the answer.
Stepan Arkadyevich was a true man in relation to himself. He is not
could deceive himself and assure himself that he repented of his deed. is he
could not now repent of the fact that he, thirty-four, handsome,
an amorous man, was not in love with his wife, the mother of five living and two dead
children that was only a year younger than him. He repented only that
knew how to hide from his wife better. But he felt the brunt of his position and
I felt sorry for my wife, children and myself. Maybe he could better hide his sins from
wife, if I expected that this news will affect her so. Clear he
never considered this question, but vaguely it seemed to him that his wife
has long been aware that he is not faithful to her, and looks at it through his fingers. His
it even seemed that she, emaciated, aged, already an ugly woman and
nothing wonderful, simple, only kind mother of the family, by feeling
justice must be indulgent. It turned out quite nasty.
“Ah, terrible! Ah ah ah! terrible! - Stepan Arkadyevich repeated to himself and
couldn't think of anything. - And how good it all was before, how we are good
lived! She was pleased, sympathetic children, I did not interfere with her in anything,
provided her to mess with the children, with the housework, as she wanted. True,
it is not good that she was a governess in our house. Not good! There is something
trivial, vulgar in grooming your governess. But what
governess! (He vividly recalled the black roguish eyes of m-lle Roland and her
smile.) But while she was in our house, I didn’t allow myself anything., and
worst of all, it is already ... Wow, this is all as if on purpose! Ah ah ah! Ayayay!
But what to do? ”
There was no answer, besides the general answer that gives life to all
the most difficult and intractable questions. The answer is this: you need to live with the needs
day, that is, forget. Forgotten sleep is no longer possible, at least until the night
it is no longer possible to return to the music that the decanters-women sang; has become
to be, you have to forget the sleep of life,
“It will be seen there,” Stepan Arkadyevich said to himself, and, getting up, put on a gray
a robe on a blue silk lining, knotted the brushes and taking plenty of
air into your wide chest box, the usual brisk step of twisted legs,
wearing his full body so easily, went to the window, raised the door and loudly
rang the bell. The old friend, the valet Matvey, immediately entered the bell, carrying
dress, boots and telegram. Following Matthew came the barber with supplies
for shaving.
- From the presence of paper? - asked Stepan Arkadyevich, taking
telegram and sitting down to the mirror.
“On the table,” answered Matthew, looked inquiringly, with participation, at
and, having waited a little, he added with a sly smile: - From the host
the cab driver came.
Stepan Arkadyevich did not answer anything and only glanced in the mirror.
Matthew; in the gaze they met in the mirror, it was clear how they
understand each other. The look of Stepan Arkadyevich seemed to ask: “This
why are you saying Do not you know?"
Matvey put his hands in the pockets of his jacket, put his foot down and silently,
kindly, smiling a little, looked at his master.
- I ordered to come on that Sunday, and until then, so as not to be disturbed
you and yourself in vain, - he said, apparently prepared phrase.
Stepan Arkadyevich understood that Matvey wanted to joke and turn on himself
Attention. Breaking the telegram, he read it, guessing correcting the wrong,
as always, words, and his face lit up.
“Matvey, sister Anna Arkadyevna will be tomorrow,” he said, stopping
for a minute the glossy, plump handle of the barber clearing the pink road
between the long curly whiskers.
“Thank God,” said Matvey, with this answer showing that he understands
as well as the master, the significance of this visit, that is, Anna Arkadyevna,
Stepan Arkadyevich’s beloved sister can help reconcile her husband with
wife
- Alone or with a spouse? - Matthew asked.
Stepan Arkadyevich could not speak, since the barber was busy with the upper
lip, and raised one finger. Matvey nodded in the mirror.
- alone. Cook upstairs?
- Darya Alexandrovna report where ordered.
- Darya Alexandrovna? - as if Matvey repeated doubtfully.
- Yes, report it. So take a telegram, tell them what they say.
“You want to try,” Matvey realized, but he said only:
- I listen, sir.
Stepan Arkadyevich was already washed and combed and gathered to dress when
Matvey, stepping slowly with his creaking boots, with a telegram in his hand,
returned to the room. The barber was gone.
- Darya Alexandrovna was ordered to report that they were leaving. Let him
they do whatever you like, that is, please, ”he said, laughing only with his eyes, and
putting his hands in his pockets and tilting his head to the side, he stared at the master.
Stepan Arkadyevitch was silent. Then a kind and somewhat pitiful smile
appeared on his beautiful face.
- BUT? Matthew? - He said, shaking his head.
“Nothing, sir, is formed,” said Matthew.
- formed?
- Yes, sir.
- You think? Who is there? - asked Stepan Arkadyevitch, hearing at the door
the noise of a woman's dress.
“It's me,” said a firm and pleasant female voice, and from behind the door.
the strict pockmarked face of Matrona Filimonovna, the nanny, was stuck out.
- Well, Matresha? Asked Stepan Arkadyevitch, going out to her at the door.
Despite the fact that Stepan Arkadyevich was to blame for his wife and
he felt it, almost everything in the house, even the nurse, Darya's main friend
Alexandrovna, were on his side.
- Well? He said dejectedly.
- You go, sir, still obey. Perhaps God will give. Very tormented, and
look pity, and everything in the house went wrong. Children, sir, sorry
need to. Obey, sir. What to do! Love to ride ...
- Why not take ...
- And you do yours. God is merciful, pray to God, sir, to God
pray
“Well, well, go on,” said Stepan Arkadyevich, suddenly flushing. - Well,
so let's get dressed, - he turned to Matvey and resolutely threw off his robe.
- Matvey already held, blowing off something invisible, cooked by a yoke
shirt and with obvious pleasure wrapped in her gentleman's sleek body.
Having dressed, Stepan Arkadyevitch sprinkled himself with perfume, straightened his sleeves.
shirts, in a habitual movement, stuffed cigarettes in his pockets, a wallet,
matches, a watch with a double chain and key rings and, shaking a handkerchief, feeling
clean, fragrant, healthy and physically cheerful despite their
misfortune went out, slightly trembling on each leg, in the dining room, where he was already waiting
his coffee and, next to the coffee, letters and papers from presence.
He read the letters. One thing was very unpleasant - from the merchant who bought
forest in the estate of his wife. This forest needed to be sold; but now, up
reconciliation with his wife, could not be about that speech. Overall, there was more unpleasant
that this mixed up the interest of money in the forthcoming work of his reconciliation
with my wife. And the idea that he can be guided by this interest, that he is
sales of this forest will seek reconciliation with his wife - this thought insulted
him.
Having finished the letters, Stepan Arkadyevich pulled the papers out of his presence to himself,
I quickly turned over two cases, made several marks with a large pencil, and
having put things off, he took up coffee; for coffee he turned another raw morning
newspaper and began to read it.
Stepan Arkadyevich received and read a liberal newspaper, not extreme, but that
directions, which held the majority. And, despite the fact that
science, or art, or politics, in fact, did not interest him, he firmly
held those views on all these subjects, which held the majority and his
newspaper, and changed them, only when the majority changed them, or, better
say, did not change them, but they themselves in him imperceptibly changed.
Stepan Arkadyevich did not choose any direction or views, and these
the directions and the views themselves came to him, just as he did not choose
the form of a hat or coat, and took those that are worn. And to have looks to him
who lived in a certain society, with the needs of some thought activity,
usually developing in summer of maturity, it was as necessary as having
a hat. If there was a reason why he preferred the liberal direction
conservative, which also held many of his circle, it happened
not because he finds the liberal direction more reasonable, but
because it came closer to his way of life. Liberal Party
she said that in Russia everything was bad, and indeed, Stepan Arkadyevich
There were a lot of debts, but there was definitely a lack of money. Liberal Party
She said that marriage was an obsolete institution and that it was necessary to rebuild
he, and indeed, family life, gave little pleasure to Stepan
Arkadyevich and forced him to lie and pretend that he was so disgusted
in kind. The Liberal Party spoke, or, better, implied that religion
there is only a bridle for the barbarian part of the population, and indeed, Stepan
Arkadyevich could not bear even a short prayer without pain in his legs and could not
understand why all these terrible and pompous words about that world when and on
this would be very fun to live with. At the same time Stepan Arkadyevich, who loved
funny joke, it was a pleasure sometimes to perplex a humble person by saying that if
already proud of the breed, you should not dwell on Rurik and repudiate
from the first ancestor - monkeys. So the liberal direction
became the habit of Stepan Arkadyevich, and he loved his newspaper like a cigar
after dinner, for the light fog that she made in his head. is he
I read a leadership article that explained that in our time
it is in vain that a cry is raised that radicalism threatens
devour all conservative elements and supposedly the government is obliged
take steps to suppress the revolutionary hydra, which, on the contrary, “in our
opinion, the danger lies not in the imaginary revolutionary hydra, but in the persistence
of the traditionality that inhibits progress, ”etc. He read another article
financial, in which it was mentioned about Bentam and Millet and thin
studs to the ministry. With the speediness characteristic of him, he understood
the value of any stud: from whom and to whom and on what occasion she was
directed, and this, as always, gave him some pleasure. But
today the pleasure was poisoned by the memory of Matrona's advice
Filimonovna and that the house is so unfavorable. He read and that
Earl Beist, as heard, traveled to Wiesbaden, and that there is no more gray
hair, and the sale of a light carriage, and the proposal of a young person; but these
the information did not give him, as before, a quiet, ironic pleasure.
After graduating from the newspaper, a second cup of coffee and rolls with butter, he got up, shook off
kalachka crumbs from a vest and, straightening his wide chest, smiled happily, not
because he had something particularly pleasant in his soul — joyful
a smile caused a good digestion.
But this joyful smile immediately reminded him of everything, and he thought.
Two children's voices (Stepan Arkadyich recognized the voices of Grisha, the youngest
the boy, and Tanya, the older girl) were heard outside the door. They brought something
and dropped.
“I said you can't put passengers on the roof,” she screamed.
in English girl - here are pick up!
“Everything is mixed up,” thought Stepan Arkadyevich, “some children alone run.” AND,
going to the door, he clicked them. They threw a box representing the train
and went in to the father.
The girl, a favorite of her father, ran boldly, hugged him and, laughing, hung from
on his neck, as always, rejoicing at the familiar scent of perfume that spread
from his sideburn. Having kissed him finally on the reddened from inclined
position and shining face of tenderness, the girl spread her arms and wanted to run
back; but her father kept her ...
- What mom? He asked, running his hand over his daughter's smooth, tender neck. “Hello,” he said, smiling at the hello boy.
He was aware that he loved the boy less, and always tried to be even;
but the boy felt it and did not answer with a smile at his father's cold smile.
- Mama? I got up, - answered the girl.
Stepan Arkadyevitch sighed. “So, I didn’t sleep all night again,” thought
he.
- What, she fun?
The girl knew that there was a quarrel between the father and the mother, and that the mother was not
could be cheerful, and that the father should know this, and that he is pretending,
asking about it is so easy. And she blushed for her father. He immediately understood
this and also turned red.
“I don't know,” she said. - She did not order to learn, and ordered to go for a walk
with Miss Gul to her grandmother.
- Well, go, my Tanchika. Oh yeah, wait, he said, after all.
holding her and stroking her gentle grip.
He pulled from the fireplace. where I put yesterday, a box of chocolates and gave her two,
choosing her favorite chocolate and fondant.
- Grisha? Said the girl, pointing to a chocolate one.
- Yes Yes. - And once again stroking her shoulder, he kissed her roots
hair, in the neck and let her go.
“The carriage is ready,” said Matthew. “Yes, the petitioner,” he added.
- A long time here? Asked Stepan Arkadyevich.
- From half an hour.
- How many times have you been ordered to report right away!
- We must give you at least some coffee to eat, - said Matvey to those friendly
in a harsh tone that could not be angry.
“Well, ask soon,” said Oblonsky, wincing.
The petitioner, Captain Kalinin, requested the impossible and
stupid; but Stepan Arkadyevich, as usual, sat her down,
attentively, without interrupting, he listened to her and gave her detailed advice to whom and
how to turn, and even briskly and smoothly with his large, stretched, beautiful and
clear handwriting he wrote her a little note to her face that could benefit her.
Letting go of the captain. Stepan Arkadyevich took his hat and stopped,
remembering whether he had forgotten something. It turned out that he had not forgotten anything, except that
he wanted to forget - his wife.
“Oh yes!” He lowered his head, and his beautiful face took on a dreary
expression. "Go or not go?" He said to himself. And the inner voice
told him that it was not necessary to walk, that, apart from falsehood, there could be nothing here
, that it was impossible to fix, repair their relationship, because
it is impossible to make her again attractive and exciting love, or to
make him an old man, unable to love. Apart from falsehood and lies, nothing could
come out now; and falsehood and lies were contrary to his nature.
“However, sometime it is necessary; after all, it cannot remain so, ”he said, trying to give himself courage. He straightened his chest, took out a
cigarette, lit a cigarette, puffed twice, threw it into the mother
-of- pearl ashtray, with quick steps he passed the gloomy drawing room and opened
another door to his wife’s bedroom.
Darya Aleksandrovna, in a blouse and with braids pinned on the back of her head, already
rare, once thick and beautiful hair with a drawn-out, thin face and
large, frightened eyes, posed out from the thinness of her face, stood among the
things scattered around the room before the open wardrobe, from which she
chose something. Hearing her husband's footsteps, she stopped, looking at the door and
trying in vain to give her face a stern and contemptuous expression. She is
she felt that she was afraid of him and was afraid of an upcoming date. She had just
tried to do what she was trying to do for the tenth time in those three days:
take away the children's and her own things that she would take to her mother - and again she
could not decide; but now, as in previous times, she told herself
that it could not remain so that she should undertake something,
punish, shame him, revenge him with at least a small part of the pain he
did to her. She still said she would leave him, but she felt that this was
impossible; it was impossible because she could not let go of considering
him to be her husband and to love him. Moreover, she felt that if here, in
home, she barely managed to care for her five children, it would be
even worse for them where she went with all of them. And then in these three days, the little one
fell ill because he was fed bad broth, and the rest were yesterday
almost without lunch. She felt it was impossible to leave; but, deceiving herself,
she nevertheless selected things and pretended to leave.
When she saw her husband, she put her hand into the drawer of the chiffonier, as if searching for
something, and looked back at him only when he came right up to her.
But her face, to which she wanted to give a stern and resolute expression,
expressed lostness and suffering.
“Dolly!” He said in a low, timid voice. He pulled his head into his shoulders and
I wanted to have a miserable and humble appearance, but he still shone with freshness and
health.
She glanced from head to foot with his quick glance at his radiant, fresh and
healthy figure. “Yes, he is happy and pleased!” She thought, “and I?! .. And this
kindness is disgusting, for which everyone loves him so much and praises him; I hate that
kindness of him , ”she thought. Her mouth clenched, the muscle of her cheeks shook on the right
side of her pale, nervous face.
- What you need? - She said fast, not her, chest voice.
- Dolly! - He repeated with a tremor in his voice. - Anna will arrive today.
- Well, what am I? I can not accept it! She cried.
“But you must, however, Dolly ...”
- Go away, go away, go away! - without looking at him, she screamed, as if
this scream was caused by physical pain.
Stepan Arkadyevich could be calm when he thought about his wife, could hope
that everything would be fine, in the words of Matthew, and he could calmly read a newspaper and drink
coffee; but when he saw her exhausted, suffering face, he heard the
sound of voices, obedient to fate and desperate, he caught his breath, something
came to his throat, and his eyes glittered with tears.
- My God, what have I done! Dolly! For God's sake!After all ... - he could not
continue, the sobbing stopped in his throat.
She slammed the chiffonnier and looked at him.
- Dolly, what can I say? .. One thing: forgive, forgive ... Remember, unless
nine years of life can not atone for minutes, minutes ...
She lowered her eyes and listened, expecting what he would say, as if begging
him to somehow loosed her.
“Minutes ... minutes of passion ...” he said and wanted to continue, but
at the same time, as if from physical pain, her lips again tightened and the
muscle of her cheeks on the right side of her face jumped again .
- Get out, get out of here! - she shouted even sharper - and do not
tell me about your hobbies, about your abominations!
She wanted to leave, but staggered and took up the back of a chair to
lean on. His face widened, his lips swelled, his eyes filled with tears.
- Dolly! - He said, already sobbing. - For God's sake, think about the children,
they are not to blame. I am guilty and punish me, led me to atone for my fault. Than
I can, I'm all ready! I am guilty, there are no words to say how guilty I am! But Dolly,
I'm sorry!
She sat. He heard her heavy, loud breathing, and he was inexpressibly
sorry for her. She wanted to start talking several times, but she couldn't. He was waiting.
“You remember the children to play with them, and I remember and know that they
died now,” she said, apparently, one of the phrases she
had told herself more than once in these three days.
She told him “you,” and he looked at her gratefully and started off
to take her hand, but she pulled away from him in disgust.
- I remember about children and therefore would do everything in the world to save them;
but I myself do not know how I will save them: whether I take them away from my father, or what I
leave with a depraved father - yes, with a depraved father ... Well, tell me, after
that ... what happened, is it possible for us to live together ? Is it possible?
Tell me, is it possible? She repeated, raising her voice. - After
my husband, the father of my children, enters into a love affair with the governess of
his children ...
- But what to do? What to do?- he said in a pitiful voice, not
knowing what he was saying, and lowering his head lower and lower.
“You are disgusting to me, disgusting!” She shouted, getting more and
more hot . - Your tears are water! You never loved me; you have neither heart
nor nobility! You are disgusting to me, disgusting, stranger, yes, stranger! - With pain and anger,
she uttered this terrible word for herself a stranger.
He glanced at her, and the anger on her face frightened and
surprised him. He did not realize that his pity for her irritated her. She is
I saw in him regret, but not love. “No, she hates me. She is
don't forgive, ”he thought.
- It's horrible! Awful! ”He said.
At this time, in another room, probably falling down, the child screamed; Daria
Alexandrovna listened, and her face suddenly softened.
She evidently remembered for a few seconds, as if not knowing where she was and
what she should do, and, having quickly got up, she started off toward the door.
“She loves my child,” he thought, noticing the change in her
face when the child cried, “my child; how can she hate me? ”
“ Dolly, another word, ”he said, following her.
- If you follow me, I will call people, children! Let everyone know that
you are a scoundrel! I'm leaving now, and you live here with your mistress!
And she went out, slamming the door.
Stepan Arkadyevitch sighed, wiped his face and walked with quiet steps out of the room.
“Matvey says: is formed; but how? I do not even see the possibility. Oh, oh,
Horrible! And how trivially she screamed, he told himself, remembering
her scream and words: a scoundrel and lover. - And maybe the girls have heard!
Terribly trivial, terrible. " Stepan Arkadyevich stood for a few seconds alone,
wiped his eyes, sighed and, straightening his chest, left the room.
It was Friday, and a German watchmaker turned on the clock in the dining room. Stepan Arkadyevich
remembered his joke about this neat balding watchmaker that the German “was himself
wound up for life, to wind the watch,” and smiled. Stepan
Arkadyevich loved a good joke. “And maybe it will be! Good word:
formed, he thought. - It is necessary to tell.
“Matvey!” He shouted, “so arrange everything there with Maria in the sitting room for
Anna Arkadevna,” he said to Matthew.
- I listen, sir.
Stepan Arkadyevich put on his fur coat and went out onto the porch.
- Eat at home will not? - said Matthew.
- As it is necessary. Take the expenses, he said, handing ten
rubles out of his wallet. - Will be enough?
- Enough it. it's not enough, you see, you have to do without it, ”said Matvey,
slamming the door and stepping back onto the porch.
Darya Aleksandrovna meanwhile, calming the child and by the sound of the carriage
realizing that he had left, she returned again to the bedroom. It was the only
shelter from the household chores that surrounded her as soon as she left.
Already now, in that short time when she went out to the nursery, the Englishwoman
and Matryona Filimonovna had time to make her several questions that could not
wait, and to which she alone could answer: what should the children wear for the
party? Do I give milk? Do not send for another chef?
- Oh, leave, leave me! - She said and, returning to the bedroom,
sat down again at the same place where she spoke with her husband, clenched her skinny hands with the
rings coming down from the bony fingers, and began to sort out
memories of all the former conversation. “Left! But what did he finish with her? She thought. - Does he see her? Why didn't I ask him? No, no,
you can't converge. If we stay in the same house - we are strangers. Forever and ever
strangers! ”she repeated again with a special meaning this terrible
word for her . “And how I loved, my God, how I loved him! .. As I loved! And now
don't I love him? Is it more than before, I love him? Terribly, the
main thing, then ... ”she began, but did not finish her thoughts, because
Matrona Filimonovna leaned out of the door.
“Tell the brother to send,” she said, “he will make
dinner all; and then, yesterday, before six o'clock the children did not eat.
- Well, well, I will now go out and dispose. Have they sent for fresh
milk?
And Darya Alexandrovna plunged into the cares of the day and drowned
her grief for a while.
Stepan Arkadyevich studied well in school thanks to his good abilities,
but he was lazy and naughty, and therefore he left the latter; but, in spite of his
always wild life, small ranks and not old years, he occupied
an honorable and with a good salary the place of the chief in one of the Moscow
presences. He got this place through Anna's sister's husband, Alexei
Alexandrovich Karenin, who occupied one of the most important places in the ministry
to which the presence belonged; but if Karenin had not assigned his
brother-in-law to this place, then through a hundred other persons, brothers, sisters, relatives,
cousins, uncles, aunts, Steve Oblonsky would have received this place or another
similar six thousand salaries that he needed, so how are you doing
it. in spite of the sufficient condition of the wife, they were upset.
Half of Moscow and St. Petersburg were relatives and friends of Stepan Arkadyevich.
He was born in the midst of those people who were and have become powerful of this world. One
third of the statesmen, old men, were friends of his father and knew him
in a shirt; the other third were with him on “you”, and the third third were good
acquaintances; therefore, the distributors of earthly goods in the form of places, leases,
concessions and the like were all his friends and could not get around theirs; and
Oblonsky did not have to try too hard to get a favorable place;
it was necessary only not to refuse, not to envy, not to quarrel, not to
be offended, which he, in his kindness, he never did. It would have
seemed ridiculous to him if he had been told that he would not get a place with the
salary he needed, especially since he did not demand anything
extraordinary; he only wanted what his peers got, and
he could perform this kind of position no worse than any other.
Stepan Arkadyevich was not only loved by everyone who knew him for his kind,
cheerful disposition and undoubted honesty, but in him, in his beautiful, bright
appearance, shining eyes, black eyebrows, hair, whiteness and blush
the person had something that was physically friendly and fun to the people who
met him. “Aha! Steve! Oblonsky! Here he is! ”- almost always, with a
joyful smile, they spoke when they met him. If it sometimes happened that
after the conversation with him it turned out that nothing particularly joyful
happened, the next day, the third one again, everyone was just as happy when they
met him.
Taking the place of the head of one of the government offices in
Moscow for the third year , Stepan Arkadyevich acquired, in addition to love, the respect of his colleagues,
subordinates, bosses, and all those who had business with him. The main qualities of
Stepan Arkadyevich, who deserved this general respect for his service, consisted of
firstly, in extreme condescension to people, based in it on the
consciousness of its shortcomings; secondly, in perfect liberality, not the one
about which he read in the newspapers, but the one that he had in his blood and with
which he treated all people equally and equally to all people, whatever their
condition and rank, and , thirdly, - the main thing - in perfect
indifference to the business in which he was engaged, as a result of which he was never
fond of and did not make mistakes.
Arriving at the place of his ministry, Stepan Arkadyevich, accompanied by a
respectful doorman, with a briefcase, went to his small office, put on
his uniform, and entered the presence. The scribes and servants all got up, fun and
bowing respectfully. Stepan Arkadyevich hastily, as always, went to his
place, shook hands with the members and sat down. He joked and talked, exactly how much it
was decent, and began classes. No one, more truly Stepan Arkadyevich, was able to find
that border of freedom, simplicity and officiality, which is necessary for a pleasant
business. The secretary cheerfully and respectfully, like everything in the presence of
Stepan Arkadyevich, came up with the papers and spoke in that
familiar liberal tone that Stepan Arkadyevich had introduced:
“We did get information from the Penza provincial government.” Here,
do not you like ...
- Finally got it? Said Stepan Arkadyevitch, laying down the
paper with his finger . - Well, gentlemen ... - And the presence began.
“If they knew,” he thought, with a significant look, bowing his head while
listening to the report, “what a guilty boy half an hour ago was their
chairman!” “And his eyes laughed when reading the report ... Until two o'clock the
classes had to go without interruption, and at two o'clock - a break and breakfast.
It was not yet two o'clock when the large glass doors of the presence hall
suddenly opened and someone entered. All the members from under the portrait and from behind the mirror,
rejoicing at the entertainment, looked at the door; but the watchman, who was standing at the door,
immediately expelled the man who had entered and shut the glass door behind him.
When the matter was read, Stepan Arkadyevich stood, stretching, and,
paying tribute to the liberality of time, in the presence he took out a cigarette and went to
his office. Two of his comrades, the old handler Nikitin and the chamber junker
Grinevich, went out with him.
“After breakfast, we will have time to finish,” said Stepan Arkadyevitch.
“How else we will have time!” Said Nikitin.
“A decent trick should be this Fomin,” Grinevich said about one
of the persons involved in the case that they were investigating.
Stepan Arkadyevich frowned at Grinevich's words, making it feel that
it was indecent to make a judgment prematurely, and did not answer him.
- Who is this included? - He asked the guard.
- Some, Your Excellency, climbed without demand, only I
turned away. You were asked. I say: when members come out, then ...
- Where is he?
- Neshto went out into the hall, and then everything went here. This same one, said the watchman,
pointing to a very folded, broad-shouldered man with a curly beard
who, without taking off his lamb cap, quickly and easily ran up the worn out
steps of the stone staircase. One of the thin
officials, who were descending down with a briefcase , paused, looked disapprovingly at the legs of the runner, and
then looked inquiringly at Oblonsky.
Stepan Arkadyevich was standing above the stairs. His good-naturedly shining face because of the
embroidered collar of his uniform brightened even more when he recognized the man who had run.
- And there is! Levin, finally! - he said with a friendly, mocking
smile, looking over Levin coming to him. - How did you not scold to
find me in this den? Said Stepan Arkadyevich, not content with
shaking hands and kissing his friend. - How long?
"I have just arrived, and I really wanted to see you," answered Levin,
shyly and at the same time looking around anxiously and uneasily.
“Well, let's go to the office,” said Stepan Arkadyevich, who knew the proud and
embittered shyness of his friend; and, seizing him by the hand, he drew
him behind him, as if he were passing between dangers.
Stepan Arkadyevich was on “you” with almost all of his acquaintances: with
old men of sixty years old, with boys of twenty years old, with actors, with
ministers, merchants and adjutants-generals, so many of those
who were with him on “you” were at the two extreme points of the public
staircase and would be very surprised to learn that they have something in
common through Oblonsky . He was on “you” with everyone with whom he drank champagne, and he drank champagne with
everyone, and therefore, in the presence of his subordinates meeting with his
shameful “you”, as he called jokingly many of his friends, with his
characteristic tact, was able to reduce the nuisance of this impression for
subordinates. Levin was not the shameful "you", but Oblonsky with his tact
felt that Levin thinks that he may not wish for his subordinates
to show his intimacy with him, and so he hurried to take him to the office.
Levin was almost the same age with Oblonsky and with him on "you" not one
champagne. Levin was his friend and friend of his first youth. They loved
each other, despite the difference in character and taste, as
friends love each other
Vengeance is mine, and I will repay
')
All happy families are alike, each unhappy family.
unhappy in their own way.
Everything was mixed up in the Oblonskys' house. The wife found out that her husband was due to
the French governess in their house, and announced to her husband that he could not
live with him in the same house. The situation lasted for the third day and
it was painfully felt by both the spouses themselves, and all family members, and
households. All family members and households felt that there was no point in their
cohabitation and that in each inn people randomly come together
connected with each other than they, family members and Oblonsky households. Wife not
left her room, her husband was not at home for the third day. The kids ran around
the whole house is lost; Englishwoman quarreled with the housekeeper and wrote
a note to a friend asking for a new place to come to her; the cook left yesterday
from the yard during lunch; the black cook and the coachman asked for a calculation.
On the third day after the quarrel, Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky - Steve, as
his name was in the light, - at the usual hour, that is, at eight in the morning, he woke up
not in his wife's bedroom, but in his office, on a morocco couch ... He turned
his full, well-groomed body on the springs of the sofa, as if wanting to fall asleep again
for a long time, on the other hand, he firmly hugged the pillow and pressed his cheek against it; but
suddenly he jumped up, sat down on the sofa and opened his eyes.
“Yes, yes, how was it? - He thought, remembering a dream. - Yes, how was it?
Yes! Alabin was giving dinner at Darmstadt; No, not in Darmstadt, but something
American Yes, but Darmstadt was there in America. Yes, Alabin was giving lunch on
glass tables, yes, - and the tables were sung: Il mio tesoro, and not Il mio tesoro, but
something is better, and some small decanters, and they are women, ”he recalled.
The eyes of Stepan Arkadyevich gleamed merrily, and he thought, smiling.
“Yes, it was good, very good. A lot more there was great, but can not you say
words and thoughts even in reality can not express. " And, noticing a line of light,
breaking out from the side of one of the wooded stor, he cheerfully kicked off his legs from the sofa
found them sewn by his wife (a birthday present last year), put on
in golden morocco shoes and the old, nine-year habit, without rising,
I reached out to where the robe hung in his bedroom. And here he is
suddenly remembered how and why he sleeps not in his wife’s bedroom, but in the study; smile
disappeared from his face, he wrinkled his forehead.
“Oh, oh, oh! Aah! .. ”- he moaned, remembering all that was. And his
imagination presented themselves again all the details of the quarrel with his wife, all
the hopelessness of his position and the most painful of all is his own fault.
"Yes! she will not forgive and cannot forgive. And the worst thing is that the fault
I am to blame, not guilty. That's the whole drama, he thought. - Oh, oh,
ah! "he said with despair, remembering the hardest for himself
impressions from this quarrel.
The most unpleasant of all was that first minute when, after returning from the theater,
cheerful and contented, with a huge pear for his wife in his hand, did not find his wife in
living room; Surprisingly, I did not find her in the office either, and finally saw her in
the bedroom with the unfortunate, who opened everything, a note in his hand.
She, this ever-preoccupied, and troublesome, and not far away, what he thought
her, Dolly, sat motionless with a note in her hand and with an expression of horror,
despair and anger looked at him.
- What is it? this? She asked, pointing to the note.
And with this memory, as is often the case, tormented Stepan Arkadyevich
not so much the event, but how he responded to these words of his wife.
What happened to him at that moment is what happens to people when they
unexpectedly caught in something too shameful. He failed to cook
his face to the position in which he stood before his wife after
discovery of his guilt. Instead of being offended, denying, making excuses,
ask for forgiveness, remain even indifferent - everything would be better than what
he did! - his face is completely involuntarily (“reflexes of the brain,” thought Stepan Arkadyevich, who loved physiology), completely unwittingly
suddenly she smiled at a familiar, kind and therefore foolish smile.
He could not forgive himself that stupid smile. Seeing that smile, Dolly
flinched, as if from physical pain, broke out, with her characteristic
fervor, a stream of cruel words and ran out of the room. Since then she hasn't
I wanted to see a husband.
“This stupid smile is to blame,” thought Stepan Arkadyevich.
“But what to do? what to do? "he said to himself with despair and not
found the answer.
Stepan Arkadyevich was a true man in relation to himself. He is not
could deceive himself and assure himself that he repented of his deed. is he
could not now repent of the fact that he, thirty-four, handsome,
an amorous man, was not in love with his wife, the mother of five living and two dead
children that was only a year younger than him. He repented only that
knew how to hide from his wife better. But he felt the brunt of his position and
I felt sorry for my wife, children and myself. Maybe he could better hide his sins from
wife, if I expected that this news will affect her so. Clear he
never considered this question, but vaguely it seemed to him that his wife
has long been aware that he is not faithful to her, and looks at it through his fingers. His
it even seemed that she, emaciated, aged, already an ugly woman and
nothing wonderful, simple, only kind mother of the family, by feeling
justice must be indulgent. It turned out quite nasty.
“Ah, terrible! Ah ah ah! terrible! - Stepan Arkadyevich repeated to himself and
couldn't think of anything. - And how good it all was before, how we are good
lived! She was pleased, sympathetic children, I did not interfere with her in anything,
provided her to mess with the children, with the housework, as she wanted. True,
it is not good that she was a governess in our house. Not good! There is something
trivial, vulgar in grooming your governess. But what
governess! (He vividly recalled the black roguish eyes of m-lle Roland and her
smile.) But while she was in our house, I didn’t allow myself anything., and
worst of all, it is already ... Wow, this is all as if on purpose! Ah ah ah! Ayayay!
But what to do? ”
There was no answer, besides the general answer that gives life to all
the most difficult and intractable questions. The answer is this: you need to live with the needs
day, that is, forget. Forgotten sleep is no longer possible, at least until the night
it is no longer possible to return to the music that the decanters-women sang; has become
to be, you have to forget the sleep of life,
“It will be seen there,” Stepan Arkadyevich said to himself, and, getting up, put on a gray
a robe on a blue silk lining, knotted the brushes and taking plenty of
air into your wide chest box, the usual brisk step of twisted legs,
wearing his full body so easily, went to the window, raised the door and loudly
rang the bell. The old friend, the valet Matvey, immediately entered the bell, carrying
dress, boots and telegram. Following Matthew came the barber with supplies
for shaving.
- From the presence of paper? - asked Stepan Arkadyevich, taking
telegram and sitting down to the mirror.
“On the table,” answered Matthew, looked inquiringly, with participation, at
and, having waited a little, he added with a sly smile: - From the host
the cab driver came.
Stepan Arkadyevich did not answer anything and only glanced in the mirror.
Matthew; in the gaze they met in the mirror, it was clear how they
understand each other. The look of Stepan Arkadyevich seemed to ask: “This
why are you saying Do not you know?"
Matvey put his hands in the pockets of his jacket, put his foot down and silently,
kindly, smiling a little, looked at his master.
- I ordered to come on that Sunday, and until then, so as not to be disturbed
you and yourself in vain, - he said, apparently prepared phrase.
Stepan Arkadyevich understood that Matvey wanted to joke and turn on himself
Attention. Breaking the telegram, he read it, guessing correcting the wrong,
as always, words, and his face lit up.
“Matvey, sister Anna Arkadyevna will be tomorrow,” he said, stopping
for a minute the glossy, plump handle of the barber clearing the pink road
between the long curly whiskers.
“Thank God,” said Matvey, with this answer showing that he understands
as well as the master, the significance of this visit, that is, Anna Arkadyevna,
Stepan Arkadyevich’s beloved sister can help reconcile her husband with
wife
- Alone or with a spouse? - Matthew asked.
Stepan Arkadyevich could not speak, since the barber was busy with the upper
lip, and raised one finger. Matvey nodded in the mirror.
- alone. Cook upstairs?
- Darya Alexandrovna report where ordered.
- Darya Alexandrovna? - as if Matvey repeated doubtfully.
- Yes, report it. So take a telegram, tell them what they say.
“You want to try,” Matvey realized, but he said only:
- I listen, sir.
Stepan Arkadyevich was already washed and combed and gathered to dress when
Matvey, stepping slowly with his creaking boots, with a telegram in his hand,
returned to the room. The barber was gone.
- Darya Alexandrovna was ordered to report that they were leaving. Let him
they do whatever you like, that is, please, ”he said, laughing only with his eyes, and
putting his hands in his pockets and tilting his head to the side, he stared at the master.
Stepan Arkadyevitch was silent. Then a kind and somewhat pitiful smile
appeared on his beautiful face.
- BUT? Matthew? - He said, shaking his head.
“Nothing, sir, is formed,” said Matthew.
- formed?
- Yes, sir.
- You think? Who is there? - asked Stepan Arkadyevitch, hearing at the door
the noise of a woman's dress.
“It's me,” said a firm and pleasant female voice, and from behind the door.
the strict pockmarked face of Matrona Filimonovna, the nanny, was stuck out.
- Well, Matresha? Asked Stepan Arkadyevitch, going out to her at the door.
Despite the fact that Stepan Arkadyevich was to blame for his wife and
he felt it, almost everything in the house, even the nurse, Darya's main friend
Alexandrovna, were on his side.
- Well? He said dejectedly.
- You go, sir, still obey. Perhaps God will give. Very tormented, and
look pity, and everything in the house went wrong. Children, sir, sorry
need to. Obey, sir. What to do! Love to ride ...
- Why not take ...
- And you do yours. God is merciful, pray to God, sir, to God
pray
“Well, well, go on,” said Stepan Arkadyevich, suddenly flushing. - Well,
so let's get dressed, - he turned to Matvey and resolutely threw off his robe.
- Matvey already held, blowing off something invisible, cooked by a yoke
shirt and with obvious pleasure wrapped in her gentleman's sleek body.
Having dressed, Stepan Arkadyevitch sprinkled himself with perfume, straightened his sleeves.
shirts, in a habitual movement, stuffed cigarettes in his pockets, a wallet,
matches, a watch with a double chain and key rings and, shaking a handkerchief, feeling
clean, fragrant, healthy and physically cheerful despite their
misfortune went out, slightly trembling on each leg, in the dining room, where he was already waiting
his coffee and, next to the coffee, letters and papers from presence.
He read the letters. One thing was very unpleasant - from the merchant who bought
forest in the estate of his wife. This forest needed to be sold; but now, up
reconciliation with his wife, could not be about that speech. Overall, there was more unpleasant
that this mixed up the interest of money in the forthcoming work of his reconciliation
with my wife. And the idea that he can be guided by this interest, that he is
sales of this forest will seek reconciliation with his wife - this thought insulted
him.
Having finished the letters, Stepan Arkadyevich pulled the papers out of his presence to himself,
I quickly turned over two cases, made several marks with a large pencil, and
having put things off, he took up coffee; for coffee he turned another raw morning
newspaper and began to read it.
Stepan Arkadyevich received and read a liberal newspaper, not extreme, but that
directions, which held the majority. And, despite the fact that
science, or art, or politics, in fact, did not interest him, he firmly
held those views on all these subjects, which held the majority and his
newspaper, and changed them, only when the majority changed them, or, better
say, did not change them, but they themselves in him imperceptibly changed.
Stepan Arkadyevich did not choose any direction or views, and these
the directions and the views themselves came to him, just as he did not choose
the form of a hat or coat, and took those that are worn. And to have looks to him
who lived in a certain society, with the needs of some thought activity,
usually developing in summer of maturity, it was as necessary as having
a hat. If there was a reason why he preferred the liberal direction
conservative, which also held many of his circle, it happened
not because he finds the liberal direction more reasonable, but
because it came closer to his way of life. Liberal Party
she said that in Russia everything was bad, and indeed, Stepan Arkadyevich
There were a lot of debts, but there was definitely a lack of money. Liberal Party
She said that marriage was an obsolete institution and that it was necessary to rebuild
he, and indeed, family life, gave little pleasure to Stepan
Arkadyevich and forced him to lie and pretend that he was so disgusted
in kind. The Liberal Party spoke, or, better, implied that religion
there is only a bridle for the barbarian part of the population, and indeed, Stepan
Arkadyevich could not bear even a short prayer without pain in his legs and could not
understand why all these terrible and pompous words about that world when and on
this would be very fun to live with. At the same time Stepan Arkadyevich, who loved
funny joke, it was a pleasure sometimes to perplex a humble person by saying that if
already proud of the breed, you should not dwell on Rurik and repudiate
from the first ancestor - monkeys. So the liberal direction
became the habit of Stepan Arkadyevich, and he loved his newspaper like a cigar
after dinner, for the light fog that she made in his head. is he
I read a leadership article that explained that in our time
it is in vain that a cry is raised that radicalism threatens
devour all conservative elements and supposedly the government is obliged
take steps to suppress the revolutionary hydra, which, on the contrary, “in our
opinion, the danger lies not in the imaginary revolutionary hydra, but in the persistence
of the traditionality that inhibits progress, ”etc. He read another article
financial, in which it was mentioned about Bentam and Millet and thin
studs to the ministry. With the speediness characteristic of him, he understood
the value of any stud: from whom and to whom and on what occasion she was
directed, and this, as always, gave him some pleasure. But
today the pleasure was poisoned by the memory of Matrona's advice
Filimonovna and that the house is so unfavorable. He read and that
Earl Beist, as heard, traveled to Wiesbaden, and that there is no more gray
hair, and the sale of a light carriage, and the proposal of a young person; but these
the information did not give him, as before, a quiet, ironic pleasure.
After graduating from the newspaper, a second cup of coffee and rolls with butter, he got up, shook off
kalachka crumbs from a vest and, straightening his wide chest, smiled happily, not
because he had something particularly pleasant in his soul — joyful
a smile caused a good digestion.
But this joyful smile immediately reminded him of everything, and he thought.
Two children's voices (Stepan Arkadyich recognized the voices of Grisha, the youngest
the boy, and Tanya, the older girl) were heard outside the door. They brought something
and dropped.
“I said you can't put passengers on the roof,” she screamed.
in English girl - here are pick up!
“Everything is mixed up,” thought Stepan Arkadyevich, “some children alone run.” AND,
going to the door, he clicked them. They threw a box representing the train
and went in to the father.
The girl, a favorite of her father, ran boldly, hugged him and, laughing, hung from
on his neck, as always, rejoicing at the familiar scent of perfume that spread
from his sideburn. Having kissed him finally on the reddened from inclined
position and shining face of tenderness, the girl spread her arms and wanted to run
back; but her father kept her ...
- What mom? He asked, running his hand over his daughter's smooth, tender neck. “Hello,” he said, smiling at the hello boy.
He was aware that he loved the boy less, and always tried to be even;
but the boy felt it and did not answer with a smile at his father's cold smile.
- Mama? I got up, - answered the girl.
Stepan Arkadyevitch sighed. “So, I didn’t sleep all night again,” thought
he.
- What, she fun?
The girl knew that there was a quarrel between the father and the mother, and that the mother was not
could be cheerful, and that the father should know this, and that he is pretending,
asking about it is so easy. And she blushed for her father. He immediately understood
this and also turned red.
“I don't know,” she said. - She did not order to learn, and ordered to go for a walk
with Miss Gul to her grandmother.
- Well, go, my Tanchika. Oh yeah, wait, he said, after all.
holding her and stroking her gentle grip.
He pulled from the fireplace. where I put yesterday, a box of chocolates and gave her two,
choosing her favorite chocolate and fondant.
- Grisha? Said the girl, pointing to a chocolate one.
- Yes Yes. - And once again stroking her shoulder, he kissed her roots
hair, in the neck and let her go.
“The carriage is ready,” said Matthew. “Yes, the petitioner,” he added.
- A long time here? Asked Stepan Arkadyevich.
- From half an hour.
- How many times have you been ordered to report right away!
- We must give you at least some coffee to eat, - said Matvey to those friendly
in a harsh tone that could not be angry.
“Well, ask soon,” said Oblonsky, wincing.
The petitioner, Captain Kalinin, requested the impossible and
stupid; but Stepan Arkadyevich, as usual, sat her down,
attentively, without interrupting, he listened to her and gave her detailed advice to whom and
how to turn, and even briskly and smoothly with his large, stretched, beautiful and
clear handwriting he wrote her a little note to her face that could benefit her.
Letting go of the captain. Stepan Arkadyevich took his hat and stopped,
remembering whether he had forgotten something. It turned out that he had not forgotten anything, except that
he wanted to forget - his wife.
“Oh yes!” He lowered his head, and his beautiful face took on a dreary
expression. "Go or not go?" He said to himself. And the inner voice
told him that it was not necessary to walk, that, apart from falsehood, there could be nothing here
, that it was impossible to fix, repair their relationship, because
it is impossible to make her again attractive and exciting love, or to
make him an old man, unable to love. Apart from falsehood and lies, nothing could
come out now; and falsehood and lies were contrary to his nature.
“However, sometime it is necessary; after all, it cannot remain so, ”he said, trying to give himself courage. He straightened his chest, took out a
cigarette, lit a cigarette, puffed twice, threw it into the mother
-of- pearl ashtray, with quick steps he passed the gloomy drawing room and opened
another door to his wife’s bedroom.
Darya Aleksandrovna, in a blouse and with braids pinned on the back of her head, already
rare, once thick and beautiful hair with a drawn-out, thin face and
large, frightened eyes, posed out from the thinness of her face, stood among the
things scattered around the room before the open wardrobe, from which she
chose something. Hearing her husband's footsteps, she stopped, looking at the door and
trying in vain to give her face a stern and contemptuous expression. She is
she felt that she was afraid of him and was afraid of an upcoming date. She had just
tried to do what she was trying to do for the tenth time in those three days:
take away the children's and her own things that she would take to her mother - and again she
could not decide; but now, as in previous times, she told herself
that it could not remain so that she should undertake something,
punish, shame him, revenge him with at least a small part of the pain he
did to her. She still said she would leave him, but she felt that this was
impossible; it was impossible because she could not let go of considering
him to be her husband and to love him. Moreover, she felt that if here, in
home, she barely managed to care for her five children, it would be
even worse for them where she went with all of them. And then in these three days, the little one
fell ill because he was fed bad broth, and the rest were yesterday
almost without lunch. She felt it was impossible to leave; but, deceiving herself,
she nevertheless selected things and pretended to leave.
When she saw her husband, she put her hand into the drawer of the chiffonier, as if searching for
something, and looked back at him only when he came right up to her.
But her face, to which she wanted to give a stern and resolute expression,
expressed lostness and suffering.
“Dolly!” He said in a low, timid voice. He pulled his head into his shoulders and
I wanted to have a miserable and humble appearance, but he still shone with freshness and
health.
She glanced from head to foot with his quick glance at his radiant, fresh and
healthy figure. “Yes, he is happy and pleased!” She thought, “and I?! .. And this
kindness is disgusting, for which everyone loves him so much and praises him; I hate that
kindness of him , ”she thought. Her mouth clenched, the muscle of her cheeks shook on the right
side of her pale, nervous face.
- What you need? - She said fast, not her, chest voice.
- Dolly! - He repeated with a tremor in his voice. - Anna will arrive today.
- Well, what am I? I can not accept it! She cried.
“But you must, however, Dolly ...”
- Go away, go away, go away! - without looking at him, she screamed, as if
this scream was caused by physical pain.
Stepan Arkadyevich could be calm when he thought about his wife, could hope
that everything would be fine, in the words of Matthew, and he could calmly read a newspaper and drink
coffee; but when he saw her exhausted, suffering face, he heard the
sound of voices, obedient to fate and desperate, he caught his breath, something
came to his throat, and his eyes glittered with tears.
- My God, what have I done! Dolly! For God's sake!After all ... - he could not
continue, the sobbing stopped in his throat.
She slammed the chiffonnier and looked at him.
- Dolly, what can I say? .. One thing: forgive, forgive ... Remember, unless
nine years of life can not atone for minutes, minutes ...
She lowered her eyes and listened, expecting what he would say, as if begging
him to somehow loosed her.
“Minutes ... minutes of passion ...” he said and wanted to continue, but
at the same time, as if from physical pain, her lips again tightened and the
muscle of her cheeks on the right side of her face jumped again .
- Get out, get out of here! - she shouted even sharper - and do not
tell me about your hobbies, about your abominations!
She wanted to leave, but staggered and took up the back of a chair to
lean on. His face widened, his lips swelled, his eyes filled with tears.
- Dolly! - He said, already sobbing. - For God's sake, think about the children,
they are not to blame. I am guilty and punish me, led me to atone for my fault. Than
I can, I'm all ready! I am guilty, there are no words to say how guilty I am! But Dolly,
I'm sorry!
She sat. He heard her heavy, loud breathing, and he was inexpressibly
sorry for her. She wanted to start talking several times, but she couldn't. He was waiting.
“You remember the children to play with them, and I remember and know that they
died now,” she said, apparently, one of the phrases she
had told herself more than once in these three days.
She told him “you,” and he looked at her gratefully and started off
to take her hand, but she pulled away from him in disgust.
- I remember about children and therefore would do everything in the world to save them;
but I myself do not know how I will save them: whether I take them away from my father, or what I
leave with a depraved father - yes, with a depraved father ... Well, tell me, after
that ... what happened, is it possible for us to live together ? Is it possible?
Tell me, is it possible? She repeated, raising her voice. - After
my husband, the father of my children, enters into a love affair with the governess of
his children ...
- But what to do? What to do?- he said in a pitiful voice, not
knowing what he was saying, and lowering his head lower and lower.
“You are disgusting to me, disgusting!” She shouted, getting more and
more hot . - Your tears are water! You never loved me; you have neither heart
nor nobility! You are disgusting to me, disgusting, stranger, yes, stranger! - With pain and anger,
she uttered this terrible word for herself a stranger.
He glanced at her, and the anger on her face frightened and
surprised him. He did not realize that his pity for her irritated her. She is
I saw in him regret, but not love. “No, she hates me. She is
don't forgive, ”he thought.
- It's horrible! Awful! ”He said.
At this time, in another room, probably falling down, the child screamed; Daria
Alexandrovna listened, and her face suddenly softened.
She evidently remembered for a few seconds, as if not knowing where she was and
what she should do, and, having quickly got up, she started off toward the door.
“She loves my child,” he thought, noticing the change in her
face when the child cried, “my child; how can she hate me? ”
“ Dolly, another word, ”he said, following her.
- If you follow me, I will call people, children! Let everyone know that
you are a scoundrel! I'm leaving now, and you live here with your mistress!
And she went out, slamming the door.
Stepan Arkadyevitch sighed, wiped his face and walked with quiet steps out of the room.
“Matvey says: is formed; but how? I do not even see the possibility. Oh, oh,
Horrible! And how trivially she screamed, he told himself, remembering
her scream and words: a scoundrel and lover. - And maybe the girls have heard!
Terribly trivial, terrible. " Stepan Arkadyevich stood for a few seconds alone,
wiped his eyes, sighed and, straightening his chest, left the room.
It was Friday, and a German watchmaker turned on the clock in the dining room. Stepan Arkadyevich
remembered his joke about this neat balding watchmaker that the German “was himself
wound up for life, to wind the watch,” and smiled. Stepan
Arkadyevich loved a good joke. “And maybe it will be! Good word:
formed, he thought. - It is necessary to tell.
“Matvey!” He shouted, “so arrange everything there with Maria in the sitting room for
Anna Arkadevna,” he said to Matthew.
- I listen, sir.
Stepan Arkadyevich put on his fur coat and went out onto the porch.
- Eat at home will not? - said Matthew.
- As it is necessary. Take the expenses, he said, handing ten
rubles out of his wallet. - Will be enough?
- Enough it. it's not enough, you see, you have to do without it, ”said Matvey,
slamming the door and stepping back onto the porch.
Darya Aleksandrovna meanwhile, calming the child and by the sound of the carriage
realizing that he had left, she returned again to the bedroom. It was the only
shelter from the household chores that surrounded her as soon as she left.
Already now, in that short time when she went out to the nursery, the Englishwoman
and Matryona Filimonovna had time to make her several questions that could not
wait, and to which she alone could answer: what should the children wear for the
party? Do I give milk? Do not send for another chef?
- Oh, leave, leave me! - She said and, returning to the bedroom,
sat down again at the same place where she spoke with her husband, clenched her skinny hands with the
rings coming down from the bony fingers, and began to sort out
memories of all the former conversation. “Left! But what did he finish with her? She thought. - Does he see her? Why didn't I ask him? No, no,
you can't converge. If we stay in the same house - we are strangers. Forever and ever
strangers! ”she repeated again with a special meaning this terrible
word for her . “And how I loved, my God, how I loved him! .. As I loved! And now
don't I love him? Is it more than before, I love him? Terribly, the
main thing, then ... ”she began, but did not finish her thoughts, because
Matrona Filimonovna leaned out of the door.
“Tell the brother to send,” she said, “he will make
dinner all; and then, yesterday, before six o'clock the children did not eat.
- Well, well, I will now go out and dispose. Have they sent for fresh
milk?
And Darya Alexandrovna plunged into the cares of the day and drowned
her grief for a while.
Stepan Arkadyevich studied well in school thanks to his good abilities,
but he was lazy and naughty, and therefore he left the latter; but, in spite of his
always wild life, small ranks and not old years, he occupied
an honorable and with a good salary the place of the chief in one of the Moscow
presences. He got this place through Anna's sister's husband, Alexei
Alexandrovich Karenin, who occupied one of the most important places in the ministry
to which the presence belonged; but if Karenin had not assigned his
brother-in-law to this place, then through a hundred other persons, brothers, sisters, relatives,
cousins, uncles, aunts, Steve Oblonsky would have received this place or another
similar six thousand salaries that he needed, so how are you doing
it. in spite of the sufficient condition of the wife, they were upset.
Half of Moscow and St. Petersburg were relatives and friends of Stepan Arkadyevich.
He was born in the midst of those people who were and have become powerful of this world. One
third of the statesmen, old men, were friends of his father and knew him
in a shirt; the other third were with him on “you”, and the third third were good
acquaintances; therefore, the distributors of earthly goods in the form of places, leases,
concessions and the like were all his friends and could not get around theirs; and
Oblonsky did not have to try too hard to get a favorable place;
it was necessary only not to refuse, not to envy, not to quarrel, not to
be offended, which he, in his kindness, he never did. It would have
seemed ridiculous to him if he had been told that he would not get a place with the
salary he needed, especially since he did not demand anything
extraordinary; he only wanted what his peers got, and
he could perform this kind of position no worse than any other.
Stepan Arkadyevich was not only loved by everyone who knew him for his kind,
cheerful disposition and undoubted honesty, but in him, in his beautiful, bright
appearance, shining eyes, black eyebrows, hair, whiteness and blush
the person had something that was physically friendly and fun to the people who
met him. “Aha! Steve! Oblonsky! Here he is! ”- almost always, with a
joyful smile, they spoke when they met him. If it sometimes happened that
after the conversation with him it turned out that nothing particularly joyful
happened, the next day, the third one again, everyone was just as happy when they
met him.
Taking the place of the head of one of the government offices in
Moscow for the third year , Stepan Arkadyevich acquired, in addition to love, the respect of his colleagues,
subordinates, bosses, and all those who had business with him. The main qualities of
Stepan Arkadyevich, who deserved this general respect for his service, consisted of
firstly, in extreme condescension to people, based in it on the
consciousness of its shortcomings; secondly, in perfect liberality, not the one
about which he read in the newspapers, but the one that he had in his blood and with
which he treated all people equally and equally to all people, whatever their
condition and rank, and , thirdly, - the main thing - in perfect
indifference to the business in which he was engaged, as a result of which he was never
fond of and did not make mistakes.
Arriving at the place of his ministry, Stepan Arkadyevich, accompanied by a
respectful doorman, with a briefcase, went to his small office, put on
his uniform, and entered the presence. The scribes and servants all got up, fun and
bowing respectfully. Stepan Arkadyevich hastily, as always, went to his
place, shook hands with the members and sat down. He joked and talked, exactly how much it
was decent, and began classes. No one, more truly Stepan Arkadyevich, was able to find
that border of freedom, simplicity and officiality, which is necessary for a pleasant
business. The secretary cheerfully and respectfully, like everything in the presence of
Stepan Arkadyevich, came up with the papers and spoke in that
familiar liberal tone that Stepan Arkadyevich had introduced:
“We did get information from the Penza provincial government.” Here,
do not you like ...
- Finally got it? Said Stepan Arkadyevitch, laying down the
paper with his finger . - Well, gentlemen ... - And the presence began.
“If they knew,” he thought, with a significant look, bowing his head while
listening to the report, “what a guilty boy half an hour ago was their
chairman!” “And his eyes laughed when reading the report ... Until two o'clock the
classes had to go without interruption, and at two o'clock - a break and breakfast.
It was not yet two o'clock when the large glass doors of the presence hall
suddenly opened and someone entered. All the members from under the portrait and from behind the mirror,
rejoicing at the entertainment, looked at the door; but the watchman, who was standing at the door,
immediately expelled the man who had entered and shut the glass door behind him.
When the matter was read, Stepan Arkadyevich stood, stretching, and,
paying tribute to the liberality of time, in the presence he took out a cigarette and went to
his office. Two of his comrades, the old handler Nikitin and the chamber junker
Grinevich, went out with him.
“After breakfast, we will have time to finish,” said Stepan Arkadyevitch.
“How else we will have time!” Said Nikitin.
“A decent trick should be this Fomin,” Grinevich said about one
of the persons involved in the case that they were investigating.
Stepan Arkadyevich frowned at Grinevich's words, making it feel that
it was indecent to make a judgment prematurely, and did not answer him.
- Who is this included? - He asked the guard.
- Some, Your Excellency, climbed without demand, only I
turned away. You were asked. I say: when members come out, then ...
- Where is he?
- Neshto went out into the hall, and then everything went here. This same one, said the watchman,
pointing to a very folded, broad-shouldered man with a curly beard
who, without taking off his lamb cap, quickly and easily ran up the worn out
steps of the stone staircase. One of the thin
officials, who were descending down with a briefcase , paused, looked disapprovingly at the legs of the runner, and
then looked inquiringly at Oblonsky.
Stepan Arkadyevich was standing above the stairs. His good-naturedly shining face because of the
embroidered collar of his uniform brightened even more when he recognized the man who had run.
- And there is! Levin, finally! - he said with a friendly, mocking
smile, looking over Levin coming to him. - How did you not scold to
find me in this den? Said Stepan Arkadyevich, not content with
shaking hands and kissing his friend. - How long?
"I have just arrived, and I really wanted to see you," answered Levin,
shyly and at the same time looking around anxiously and uneasily.
“Well, let's go to the office,” said Stepan Arkadyevich, who knew the proud and
embittered shyness of his friend; and, seizing him by the hand, he drew
him behind him, as if he were passing between dangers.
Stepan Arkadyevich was on “you” with almost all of his acquaintances: with
old men of sixty years old, with boys of twenty years old, with actors, with
ministers, merchants and adjutants-generals, so many of those
who were with him on “you” were at the two extreme points of the public
staircase and would be very surprised to learn that they have something in
common through Oblonsky . He was on “you” with everyone with whom he drank champagne, and he drank champagne with
everyone, and therefore, in the presence of his subordinates meeting with his
shameful “you”, as he called jokingly many of his friends, with his
characteristic tact, was able to reduce the nuisance of this impression for
subordinates. Levin was not the shameful "you", but Oblonsky with his tact
felt that Levin thinks that he may not wish for his subordinates
to show his intimacy with him, and so he hurried to take him to the office.
Levin was almost the same age with Oblonsky and with him on "you" not one
champagne. Levin was his friend and friend of his first youth. They loved
each other, despite the difference in character and taste, as
friends love each other
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/29947/
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