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The Countess Nordston and Levin got into that relation with one

another not seldom seen in society, when two persons, who remain

externally on friendly terms, despise each other to such a degree

that they cannot even take each other seriously, and cannot even

be offended by each other.

The Countess Nordston pounced upon Levin at once.

"Ah, Konstantin Dmitrievitch! So you've come back to our corrupt

Babylon," she said, giving him her tiny, yellow hand, and

recalling what he had chanced to say early in the winter, that

Moscow was a Babylon. "Come, is Babylon reformed, or have you

degenerated?" she added, glancing with a simper at Kitty.

"It's very flattering for me, countess, that you remember my

words so well," responded Levin, who had succeeded in recovering

his composure, and at once from habit dropped into his tone of

joking hostility to the Countess Nordston. "They must certainly

make a great impression on you."