pleasure. "Well! and how is Kitty? I am going to dine with you to-day. See here, Arseny," she said, turning to her husband, "you take the carriage." ....
And between husband and wife began a discussion of the question how they should spend the day. As the husband had to attend to his official business, and the wife was going to the concert and to a public session of the Committee of the Southeast, it was needful to discuss and think it all over. Levin, as a member of the family, was obliged to take part in these plans. It was decided that he should go with Natalie to the concert and to the public meeting, and then send the carriage to the office for Arseny, who would come and take her to Kitty's, or if he was not yet ready Levin would serve as her escort.
"This man is spoiling me," said Lvof to his wife; "he assures me that our children are lovely, when I know that they are full of faults."
"Arseny goes to extremes. I always say so," said his wife. "If you expect perfection, you will never be satisfied. And papa is right in saying that when we were children they went to one extreme: they kept us on the entresol, while the parents lived in the bel-étage; but now, on the contrary, the parents live in the lumber-room, and the children in the bel-étage. The parents are now of no account; everything must be for the children."
"Supposing this is more agreeable?" suggested Lvof, with his winning smile, as he offered her his arm. "Any one not knowing you would think that you were not a mother, but a step-mother."
"No, it is not good to go to extremes in anything," said Natalie, gently, laying his paper-cutter in its proper place on the table.
"Ah, here they are! Come in, ye perfect children," said Lvof to the handsome lads, who came in, and, after bowing to Levin, went to their father, evidently wishing to ask some favor of him.
Levin wanted to speak with them, and to hear what they said to their father, but Natalie was talking with
