Varenka

Also known as: Mademoiselle Varenka · Family: Russian · Role: companion and caregiver · First appears: PART TWO · Chapter 30

At the springs in chapter 64, Varenka looked after Madame Stahl and naturally cared for the seriously ill invalids, though she was neither related to Madame Stahl nor paid as an attendant. In chapter 65, she intervened when Levin faced an unpleasant confrontation, leading him away, and explained her bond with Madame Stahl: “No, she’s not my aunt. I call her mamma, but I am not related to her; I was brought up by her.” She and Kitty formally became acquainted and began a friendship, while Varenka also gained the acquaintance of Kitty’s mother.

That same period revealed that Varenka had been substituted for Madame Stahl’s deceased infant and was raised by her. Varenka told Kitty that a beloved relationship had ended when his mother opposed it and he married someone else: “I cared for him, and he cared for me; but his mother did not wish it, and he married another girl.” At the springs she sang confidently while Kitty accompanied her, received thanks and admiration from Marya Yevgenyevna and her daughter, and continued attending to those under her care, including the sick painter Petrov and his family. Kitty began serving the sick in a manner that unconsciously imitated Varenka, and after an angry misunderstanding, they reconciled.

By chapter 68, Kitty praised Varenka’s goodness and her devotion to Madame Stahl, while Madame Berthe called her a real angel. In chapter 159, Kitty and Darya Alexandrovna expected that Varenka and Sergey Ivanovitch might be matched, and in chapter 161 he resolved to declare his feelings and walked beside her admiringly. By chapter 172, Darya Alexandrovna could make Varenka helpless with laughter by repeating her humorous stories.