"Confess that, like Gogolevsky, when he was engaged, you feel like jumping out of the window."
"Certainly; but he won't confess it," said Katavasof, with a loud laugh.
"The window is open Come now, let us go to Tver! We might find one bear in her lair. Indeed, we have still time to catch the five o'clock train," said Chirikof, smiling. "Hear them laugh!"
"Well, upon my honor," replied Levin, smiling, too, "I cannot discover the least trace of regret in my soul for my lost liberty."
"Yes! your soul is in such a chaos now that you cannot find anything in it," said Katavasof. "Wait till it becomes calmer; then you will see."
"No, if I felt in the least degree that there was nothing beyond my feeling of" — he did not like to speak of love before Katavasof — "of happiness, I should regret my lost freedom. But it is not so at all; I am even delighted at my loss of freedom."
"You are a hopeless case," exclaimed Katavasof. "However, let us drink to his recovery, or let us at least hope for him that one per cent of his illusions may be accomplished. And even that would be such happiness as was never known on this earth!"
Shortly after dinner the guests separated, to dress for the wedding.
When he was left alone, and had a chance to think over the conversation of these bachelors. Levin again asked himself whether he really regretted the liberty of which his friends had just been talking, and he smiled at the idea.
"Liberty? why liberty? Happiness for me consists in loving, in thinking her thoughts, in wishing her wishes, without any liberty. That is happiness!"
"But can I know her thoughts, her wishes, her feelings?" whispered some voice. The smile disappeared from his face and he fell into a deep study. And suddenly a strange feeling came over him: fear and doubt came over him — doubt about everything.
"Suppose she does not love me? What if she is
