Shrinking from the cold, Levin walked rapidly, looking at the ground.

" What's that? Someone coming," he thought, catching the tinkle of bells, and lifting his head.

Forty paces from him a carriage with four horses harnessed abreast was driving towards him along the grassy road on which he was walking.

The shaft-horses were tilted against the shafts by the ruts, but the dexterous driver sitting on the box held the shaft over the ruts, so that the wheels ran on the smooth part of the road.