He had even firmly made up his mind to do so, but when he saw his brother and heard his conversation with the professor, and afterward noticed the involuntarily patronizing tone in which he asked him about the business of their estate (this estate which they had jointly inherited from their mother had not been divided, and Levin was managing the whole of it), he felt that something prevented him from beginning to speak to his brother about his intention to marry. He felt that his brother would not look at the matter as he wished him to.
Pero, escuchando su conversación con el profesor y oyendo luego el tono de protección con que le preguntaba por las tierras (las propiedades de su madre las poseían los dos hermanos en común, aunque era Levin quien las administraba), tuvo la sensación de que no habría ya de explicarse bien, de que no podía empezar a hablar a su hermano de su decisión, y de que éste no habría de ver seguramente las cosas como él deseaba que las viera.