第750页 / 共2288页

"You know, Kitty's coming here, and is going to spend the summer

with me."

"Really," he said, flushing, and at once, to change the

conversation, he said: "Then I'll send you two cows, shall I? If

you insist on a bill you shall pay me five roubles a month; but

it's really too bad of you."

"No, thank you. We can manage very well now."

"Oh, well, then, I'll have a look at your cows, and if you'll

allow me, I'll give directions about their food. Everything

depends on their food."

And Levin, to turn the conversation, explained to Darya

Alexandrovna the theory of cow-keeping, based on the principle

that the cow is simply a machine for the transformation of food

into milk, and so on.

He talked of this, and passionately longed to hear more of Kitty,

and, at the same time, was afraid of hearing it. He dreaded the

breaking up of the inward peace he had gained with such effort.