Anna Karenina

It was "a wet day; it had been raining all the morning, and the invalids, with their parasols, had flocked into the arcades." Everyone at the spa has gathered indoors. "Kitty was walking there with her mother and the Moscow colonel, smart and jaunty in his European coat, bought ready-made at Frankfort. They were walking on one side of the arcade, trying to avoid Levin, who was walking on the other side." Kitty is actively avoiding Nikolay Levin. "Varenka, in her dark dress, in a black hat with a turn-down brim, was walking up and down the whole length of the arcade with a blind Frenchwoman." Varenka is introduced - a young woman helping a blind person. "And, every time she met Kitty, they exchanged friendly glances." There's mutual interest. "Mamma, couldn't I speak to her?" said Kitty, watching her unknown friend, and noticing that she was going up to the spring, and that they might come there together." Kitty wants to meet this impressive young woman. Her mother investigates first, then allows the introduction. They meet: Kitty "speaking, pressed her new friend's hand, which did not respond to her pressure, but lay motionless in her hand." Varenka's hand is passive - she's reserved. "The hand did not respond to her pressure, but the face of Mademoiselle Varenka glowed with a soft, glad, though rather mournful smile, that showed large but handsome teeth." Her face is warm even though her hand is not - she has a "mournful smile." "I have long wished for this too," she said. "But you are so busy." "Oh, no, I'm not at all busy," answered Varenka, but at that moment she had to leave her new friends because two little Russian girls, children of an invalid, ran up to her. "Varenka, mamma's calling!" they cried. And Varenka went after them." Varenka is clearly caring for these children and their sick mother. The chapter introduces Varenka, who will become important to Kitty's development - a model of selfless service.