Anna Karenina | Page 6

is it, Matrona?" queried Stepan Arkadyevitch, going up to
her at the door.
Although Stepan Arkadyevitch was completely in the wrong as regards
his wife, and was conscious of this himself, almost every one in the
house (even the nurse, Darya Alexandrovna's chief ally) was on his
side.
"Well, what now?" he asked disconsolately.
"Go to her, sir; own your fault again. Maybe God will aid you. She is
suffering so, it's sad to hee her; and besides, everything in the house is
topsy-turvy. You must have pity, sir, on the children. Beg her
forgiveness, sir. There's no help for it! One must take the

consequences..."
"But she won't see me."
"You do your part. God is merciful; pray to God, sir, pray to God."
"Come, that'll do, you can go," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, blushing
suddenly. "Well now, do dress me." He turned to Matvey and threw off
his dressing-gown decisively.
Matvey was already holding up the shirt like a horse's collar, and,
blowing off some invisible speck, he slipped it with obvious pleasure
over the well-groomed body of his master.





Chapter 3
When he was dressed, Stepan Arkadyevitch sprinkled some scent on
himself, pulled down his shirt-cuffs, distributed into his pockets his
cigarettes, pocketbook, matches, and watch with its double chain and
seals, and shaking out his handkerchief, feeling himself clean, fragrant,
healthy, and physically at ease, in spite of his unhappiness, he walked
with a slight swing on each leg into the dining-room, where coffee was
already waiting for him, and beside the coffee, letters and papers from
the office.
He read the letters. One was very unpleasant, from a merchant who was
buying a forest on his wife's property. To sell this forest was absolutely
essential; but at present, until he was reconciled with his wife, the

subject could not be discussed. The most unpleasant thing of all was
that his pecuniary interests should in this way enter into the question of
his reconciliation with his wife. And the idea that he might be let on by
his interests, that he might seek a reconciliation with his wife on
account of the sale of the forest--that idea hurt him.
When he had finished his letters, Stepan Arkadyevitch moved the
office-papers close to him, rapidly looked through two pieces of
business, made a few notes with a big pencil, and pushing away the
papers, turned to his coffee. As he sipped his coffee, he opened a still
damp morning paper, and began reading it.
Stepan Arkadyevitch took in and read a liberal paper, not an extreme
one, but one advocating the views held by the majority. And in spite of
the fact that science, art, and politics had no special interest for him, he
firmly held those views on all these subjects which were held by the
majority and by his paper, and he only changed them when the majority
changed them--or, more strictly speaking, he did not change them, but
they imperceptibly changed of themselves within him.
Stepan Arkadyevitch had not chosen his political opinions or his views;
these political opinions and views had come to him of themselves, just
as he did not choose the shapes of his hat and coat, but simply took
those that were being worn. And for him, living in a certain
society--owing to the need, ordinarily developed at years of discretion,
for some degree of mental activity--to have views was just as
indispensable as to have a hat. If there was a reason for his preferring
liberal to conservative views, which were held also by many of his
circle, it arose not from his considering liberalism more rational, but
from its being in closer accordance with his manner of life. The liberal
party said that in Russia everything is wrong, and certainly Stepan
Arkadyevitch had many debts and was decidedly short of money. The
liberal party said that marriage is an institution quite out of date, and
that it needs reconstruction; and family life certainly afforded Stepan
Arkadyevitch little gratification, and forced him into lying and
hypocrisy, which was so repulsive to his nature. The liberal party said,
or rather allowed it to be understood, that religion is only a curb to keep

in check the barbarous classes of the people; and Stepan Arkadyevitch
could not get through even a short service without his legs aching from
standing up, and could never make out what was the object of all the
terrible and high-flown language about another world when life might
be so very amusing in this world. And with all this, Stepan
Arkadyevitch, who liked a joke, was fond of puzzling a plain man by
saying that if he prided himself on his origin, he ought not to stop at
Rurik and disown the first founder of his