As for the guests, there would be Kitty and Levin, and, in order that they should not be too conspicuous, a girl cousin and young Shcherbatsky – here the pièce de résistance was to consist of Sergius Ivanich Koznyshev and Alexis Alexandrovich Karenin: Sergius Ivanich, a Muscovite and a philosopher, and Alexis Alexandrovich, a Petersburger and a practical politician. Besides these he meant to ask the well-known crank and enthusiast Pestsov, a Liberal and a great talker, a musician and historian, and the dearest of fifty-year-old boys, who would serve as sauce or condiment to Koznyshev and Karenin – while he himself, Oblonsky, would stir them all up and set them by the ears.
Come invitati ci sarebbero stati Kitty e Levin e, perché questo non desse nell’occhio, anche una cugina e il giovane Šcerbackij, e, come pièce de résistance, Sergej Koznyšev e Aleksej Aleksandrovic: Sergej Ivanovic moscovita e filosofo, Aleksej Aleksandrovic pietroburghese e uomo d’azione; inoltre avrebbe invitato quell’originale di Pescov, liberale, chiacchierone, musicista, storico e simpaticissimo scapolo cinquantenne che avrebbe costituito la salsa o il contorno a Koznyšev e Karenin. Egli li avrebbe eccitati e aizzati l’un contro l’altro.