While he was reading, and especially during the frequent and rapid repetitions of 'Lord, have mercy upon us!' – which sounded like 'Lordvmercypons!' – Levin felt as if his mind were closed and sealed up, and that, if he did make it stir now, nothing but confusion would result; therefore as he stood behind the deacon he continued his own train of thought, without listening or trying to comprehend what was being read. 'How wonderfully expressive her hand is!' he thought, recalling how they had sat at the corner table the day before.
A misura che la lettura andava avanti, in particolare alla frequente e veloce ripetizione delle parole: “Signore, abbi pietà” che risonavano come “pietasign”, Levin sentiva che il suo pensiero era chiuso e sigillato e che in quel momento scuoterlo e commuoverlo non conveniva, ché ne sarebbe venuta fuori una confusione; e perciò, rimanendo in piedi dietro al diacono, continuava a pensare a se stesso, senza ascoltare né intendere.