He wanted to tell his brother of his intended marriage and to ask his advice. 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.
Левин хотел сказать брату о своем намерении жениться и спросить его совета, он даже твердо решился на это; но когда он увидел брата, послушал его разговора с профессором, когда услыхал потом этот невольный покровительственный тон, с которым брат расспрашивал его о хозяйственных делах (материнское имение их было неделенное, и Левин заведовал обеими частями), Левин почувствовал, что не может почему-то начать говорить с братом о своем решении жениться.