Part 7, Chapter 4 Summary
Kitty’s older sister Natalia is married to Lvov. Just a year before, he left the diplomatic service and was transferred to the department of the court so he could ensure his sons the best possible education. There was no unpleasantness when he left. Lvov never has any unpleasantness with anyone. He is a refined and rather delicate gentleman, and his glistening silver hair gives him an aristocratic appearance. Though the two men are nothing alike in their habits and views and Lvov is older than Levin, the two men saw each other often over the winter and like one another very much.
Levin’s brother-in-law greets him warmly and the men talk politics for a bit, and then Levin shares his discussion with Metrov and the learned society meeting, which Lvov finds interesting. Lvov envies Levin’s freedom to participate in such things, for he is too busy with his work and his children to do so himself. Lvov claims he is not a particularly well educated man, and Levin appreciates the man’s simple and sincere humility but does not believe him. Even now, Lvov is studying to stay ahead of his children’s lessons, as he feels he must act as an overseer to his sons’ teachers to make sure his boys get the best education.
Levin sees what is ahead for him as he looks at Lvov and will take his own children’s education most seriously. The highest praise he can give Lvov is that his children have been brought up well, but the humble Lvov only wishes for them to be better than he is. Lvov credits much of his success to the support he gets form religion, something he and Levin have talked about before; Lvov knows no father could raise his children if he had only to rely on his own strength.
The men are interrupted by the arrival of Natalia Alexandrovna, Kitty’s sister, and Lvov’s wife. She is pleased to see Levin, and the couple makes their arrangements for the day. It is decided that Levin will accompany Natalia to the concert and they will all meet up again at dinner with Kitty. Lvov repeats Levin’s praise of their children, but Natalia says that is because things have undergone a dramatic change since she was young. In her day, parents had the best of everything and the children got what was left; now it is the reverse, and the parents are expected to subordinate their own lives and exist only for their children. She argues that extremes in anything are not good.
The boys enter the room, followed by one of Lvov’s colleagues, and it is only as he and Natalia are leaving that Levin remembers what he was supposed to speak to Lvov about: talking to Stepan Arkadyevitch about money. Lvov knows his mother-in-law wants him and Levin to talk to Dolly’s husband, but he is not particularly interested in doing so. Natalia smiles and says she will be happy to attack him.
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