Don Quixote

on a cord, she
held them ready for emergency, and looking toward Levin, whom she
had recognized, she smiled at him and at her own fears. When she had
got round the turn, she got a start with one foot and skated
straight up to Shcherbatsky. Clutching at his arm, she nodded with a
smile to Levin. She was more beautiful than he had imagined her.
When he thought of her, he could call up a vivid picture of her to
himself, especially the charm of that little fair head, so freely
set on the shapely girlish shoulders, and so full of childish
brightness and kindness. Her childish countenance, together with the
delicate beauty of her figure, made up that special charm of hers,
which he appreciated so well. But what always struck him in her as
something unlooked for was the expression of her eyes- soft, serene
and truthful; and, above all, her smile, which always transported
Levin to an enchanted world, where he felt moved and tender, as he
remembered himself during certain rare days of his early childhood.
"Have you been here long?" she said, giving him her hand. "Thank
you," she added, as he picked up the handkerchief that had fallen
out of her muff.
{PART_ONE|CHAPTER_IX ^paragraph 10}
"I? Not long ago... yesterday... I mean I arrived... today..."
answered Levin, in his emotion not comprehending her question
immediately. "I meant to come and see you," he said; and then,
recollecting what his intention was in seeking her, he was promptly
overcome with confusion, and blushed. "I didn't know you could
skate, and skate so well."
She looked at him attentively, as though wishing to make out the
cause of his confusion.
"Your praise is worth having. The tradition is kept up here that you
are the best of skaters," she said, with her little black-gloved
hand brushing some needles of hoarfrost off her muff.
"Yes, I used to skate with passion once upon a time; I wanted to
attain perfection."
"You do everything with passion, I think," she said smiling. "I
should so like to see how you skate. Do put on skates, and let's skate
together."
{PART_ONE|CHAPTER_IX ^paragraph 15}
"Skate together Can that be possible?" thought Levin, gazing at her.
"I'll put them on directly," he said.
And he went off to get skates.
"It's a long while since we've seen you here, sir," said the
attendant, supporting his foot, and screwing on the heel of the skate.
"Except you, there's none of the gentlemen first-rate skaters. Will
that be all right?" said he, tightening the strap.
"Oh, yes, yes; make haste, please," answered Levin, with
difficulty restraining the smile of rapture which would overspread his
face. "Yes," he thought, "this is life, this is happiness! Together,
she said; let us skate together! Speak to her now? But that's just why
I'm afraid to speak- because I'm happy now, happy even though only
in hope.... And then?... But I must! I must! I must! Away,