`On the contrary, the finish is always the best. But I must be going,' said Stepan Arkadyevich, getting up for the tenth time.

`Oh, no, stay a bit!' said Levin, detaining him. `Now, when shall we see each other again? I'm going tomorrow.'

`I'm a fine fellow! Why, that's just what I came for! You simply must come to dinner with us today. Your brother's coming, and Karenin, my brother-in-law.'

`You don't mean to say he's here?' said Levin, and he wanted to inquire about Kitty. He had heard at the beginning of the winter that she was at Peterburg with her sister, the wife of the diplomat, and he did not know whether she had come back or not; but he changed his mind and did not ask. `Whether she's coming or not, I don't care,' he said to himself.

`So you'll come?'

`Of course.'

`At five o'clock, then, and wear a frock coat.'

And Stepan Arkadyevich got up and went down below to the new head of his department. Instinct had not misled Stepan Arkadyevich. The terrible new head turned out to be an extremely amenable person, and Stepan Arkadyevich lunched with him and stayed on, so that it was past three o'clock before he got to Alexei Alexandrovich.