ons, it would be time enough to think about
answering them.

"You are entering upon a time of life," pursued the priest, "when
you must choose your path and keep to it. Pray to God that He
may in His mercy aid you and have mercy on you!" he concluded.
"Our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, in the abundance and riches of
His lovingkindness, forgives this child..." and, finishing the
prayer of absolution, the priest blessed him and dismissed him.

On getting home that day, Levin had a delightful sense of relief
at the awkward position being over and having been got through
without his having to tell a lie. Apart from this, there
remained a vague memory that what the kind, nice old fellow had
said had not been at all so stupid as he had fancied at first,
and that there was something in it that must be cleared up.

"Of course, not now," thought Levin, "but some day later on."
Levin felt more than ever now that there was something not clear
and not clean in his soul, and that, in regard to religion, he
was in the same position which he perceived so clearly and
disliked in others, and for which he blamed his friend Sviazhsky.

Levin spent that evening with his betrothed at Dolly's, and was
in very high spirits. To explain to Stepan Arkadyevitch the
state of excitement in which he found himself, he said that he
was happy like a dog being trained to jump through a hoop, who,
having at last caught the idea, and done what was required of
him, whines and wags its tail, and jumps up to the table and the
windows in its delight.

Chapter 2

On the day of the wedding, according to the Russian custom (the
princess and Darya Alexandrovna insisted on strictly keeping all
the customs), Levin did not see his betrothed, and dined at his
hotel with three bachelor friends, casually brought together at
his rooms. These were Sergey Ivanovitch, Katavasov, a university
friend, now professor of natural science, whom Levin had met in
the street and insisted on taking home with him, and Tchirikov,
his best man, a Moscow conciliation-board judge, Levin's
companion in his bear-hunts. The dinner was a very merry one:
Sergey Ivanovitch was in his happiest mood, and was much amused
by Katavasov's originality. Katavasov, feeling his originality
was appreciated and understood, made the most of it. Tchirikov
always gave a lively and good-humored support to conversation of
any sort.

"See, now," said Katavasov, drawling his words from a hab