ber, reading from a paper, after some timid hesitation, replied briefly in a charming though bitter fashion; and then Sviazhsky, — he too was there, — in his turn, expressed his opinions nobly and eloquently.
Levin listened and clearly saw that neither the money to be expended nor the sewer-pipes were of serious importance ; and that they were not really quarreling but were all such pleasant, congenial people, and consequently all was serene among them. They interfered with no one and all seemed happy. Levin noticed with surprise that they all seemed to him to-day transparent, that — from some trifling incidents which once would have entirely escaped his notice — he could read their souls, and see how good they all were. Especially did they seem to like him, Levin. This was shown by the way they talked with him, and even those who did not know him looked at him pleasantly and in a friendly manner.
"Well, how do you like it?" asked Sergyeï Ivanovitch.
"Very much; I never should have believed that it would be so interesting. It is splendid."
Sviazhsky approached Levin and invited him to come and take a cup of tea at his house. Levin could not for the life of him comprehend or remember why he had been prejudiced against Sviazhsky, or what he had seemed to him to lack. He was a clever and wonderfully good fellow,
"I should be delighted," rephed Levin, and he immediately inquired after Madame Sviazhsky and her sister. By a strange association of ideas, as Sviazhsky's sister-in-law suggested marriage, he concluded that nobody would be more interested than she and her sister to hear of his happiness. So he was very much pleased with the idea of going to see them.
Sviazhsky questioned him about his affairs, always refusing to admit that anything could be discovered which had not already been discovered in Europe; but now his theory did not arouse Levin's opposition. On the contrary, he felt that Sviazhsky was right, and Levin admired the gentleness and delicacy with which he avoided the expression of his arguments.
