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Sergey Ivanovitch had caught nothing, but he was not bored, and

seemed in the most cheerful frame of mind. Levin saw that,

stimulated by his conversation with the doctor, he wanted to

talk. Levin, on the other hand, would have liked to get home as

soon as possible to give orders about getting together the mowers

for next day, and to set at rest his doubts about the mowing,

which greatly absorbed him.

"Well, let's be going," he said.

"Why be in such a hurry? Let's stay a little. But how wet you

are! Even though one catches nothing, it's nice. That's the best

thing about every part of sport, that one has to do with nature.

How exquisite this steely water is!" said Sergey Ivanovitch.

"These riverside banks always remind me of the riddle-do you know

it? 'The grass says to the water: we quiver and we quiver.'"

"I don't know the riddle," answered Levin wearily.

Chapter 3