All this happened, not because anyone felt ill-will to Levin or his farm; on the contrary, he knew that they liked him, thought him a simple gentleman (their highest praise); but it happened simply because all they wanted was to work merrily and carelessly, and his interests were not only remote and incomprehensible to them, but fatally opposed to their most just claims.

Long before, Levin had felt dissatisfaction with his own position in regard to the land.

He saw where his boat leaked, but he did not look for the leak, perhaps purposely deceiving himself.

(Nothing would be left him if he lost faith in it.