ness, and his ideas fell naturally into flowing periods, which expressed the essence of his thought.
"I must write this down," he said to himself, "It must go into a short introduction, though before I thought that was unnecessary."
He got up to go to his writing-table; and Laska, who had been lying at his feet, also got up, and, stretching herself, looked at him, as if asking where he was going. But he had no time for writing; for the various superintendents came for their orders, and he had to go to meet them in the anteroom.
After giving them their orders, or rather, having made arrangements for their morrow's work, and having received all the muzhiks who came to consult with him. Levin went back to his library, and sat down to his work. Laska lay under the table; Agafya Mikhaïlovna, with her knitting, took her usual place.
After writing some time. Levin suddenly arose, and began to walk up and down the room. The memory of Kitty and her refusal, and the recent glimpse of her, came before his imagination with extraordinary vividness.
"Now, there's no need of your getting blue," said Agafya Mikhaïlovna. "Now why do you stay at home? You had better go to the warm springs if your mind is made up."
"I am going day after to-morrow, Agafya Mikhaïlovna; but I had to finish up my business."
"Your business, indeed! Have n't you given these muzhiks enough already? And they say, 'Our barin is trying to buy some favor from the Tsar;' and strange it is: why do you bother yourself so about the muzhiks?"
"I am not bothering myself about them; I am doing it for my own good."
Agafya Mikhaïlovna knew all the details of Levin's plans, for he had explained them to her, and he had often had discussions with her and had not agreed with her comments; but now she entirely misapprehended what he said to her.
"For your own soul it is certainly important; to think of that is above everything," said she, with a sigh.
