‘Oh, no! You know, I saw him - Seryozha,’ Anna said, narrowing her eyes as if peering at something in the distance. ‘However, we’ll talk about it later. You wouldn’t believe it, I’m like a hungry person who suddenly has a full meal put in front of her and doesn’t know where to start. The full meal is you and the conversations I’m going to have with you, which I haven’t been able to have with anybody; and I don’t know which conversation to get to first. Mais je ne vous ferai grâce de rien.bu I have to say everything. Ah, yes, I should describe for you the company you’ll find here,’ she began. ‘I’ll begin with the ladies. Princess Varvara. You know her, and I know your and Stiva’s opinion of her. Stiva says the whole aim of her life consists in proving her superiority to Aunt Katerina Pavlovna. It’s all true, but still she’s kind and I’m so grateful to her. There was a moment in Petersburg when I needed a chaperone. And she came along. But, really, she’s kind. She made my situation a lot easier. I see you don’t realize all the difficulty of my situation ... there, in Petersburg,’ she added. ‘Here I’m perfectly calm and happy. Well, about that later. I must go on with the list. Then there’s Sviyazhsky. He’s the marshal and a very decent man, but he wants something from Alexei. You see, with his wealth, now that we’ve settled in the country, Alexei could have great influence. Then there’s Tushkevich - you’ve seen him, he was hanging around Betsy. Now he’s been dismissed and he’s come to us. As Alexei puts it, he’s one of those people who are quite agreeable if taken as they would like to appear, et puis, il est comme il faut,bv as Princess Varvara says. Then there’s Veslovsky ... that one you know. A very nice boy,’ she said, and a sly smile puckered her lips. ‘What’s this wild story with Levin? Veslovsky told Alexei, but we can’t believe it. Il est très gentil et naïf,‘bw she said, again with the same smile. ‘Men need diversion, and Alexei needs an audience, so I value this whole company. We must keep it gay and animated, so that Alexei won’t wish for anything new. Then you’ll meet the steward. A German, very nice and knows his business. Alexei values him highly. Then the doctor, a young man, not an outright nihilist, but, you know, eats with his knife. But a very good doctor. Then the architect ... Une petite cour.’bx
XX
‘Well, here’s Dolly for you, Princess, you wanted so much to see her,’ said Anna, coming out with Darya Alexandrovna to the big stone terrace, where Princess Varvara was sitting in the shade over her embroidery frame, making a chair seat for Count Alexei Kirillovich. ‘She says she wants nothing before dinner, but you order lunch to be served and I’ll go and find Alexei and bring them all here.’
Princess Varvara received Dolly benignly and somewhat condescendingly, and at once began explaining to her that she was living with Anna because she had always loved Anna more than had her sister Katerina Pavlovna, the one who had brought Anna up, and now, when everyone had abandoned Anna, she considered it her duty to help her in this most difficult transitional period.
‘Her husband will give her a divorce, and then I shall go back into my seclusion, but now I can be of use and, however hard it is for me, I shall fulfil my duty — not like some others. And how nice of you, what a good thing you’ve done, to come! They live just like the best of couples. It’s for God to judge them, not us. Aren’t Biriuzovsky and Mme Avenyev ... And Nikandrov himself, and Vassilyev and Mme Mamonov, and Liza Neptunov ... And has anyone ever said anything? And it ended with everyone receiving them. And then, c‘est un interieur si joli, si comme il faut. Tout-à- fait à l’anglaise.On se réunit le matin au breakfast et puis on se sépare. by Everyone does what he likes till dinner. Dinner is at seven. Stiva did very well to send you. He must stick by them. You know, through his mother and brother he can do anything. And then they do so much good. Hasn’t he told you about his hospital? Ce sera admirablebz - everything comes from Paris.’
Their conversation was interrupted by Anna, who had found the men gathered in the billiard room and returned with them to the terrace. There was still a long time till dinner and, as the weather was fine, several ways were suggested for passing the remaining two hours. There were a great many ways of passing the time in Vozdvizhenskoe, and they were all different from what was done at Pokrovskoe.
‘Une partie de lawn tennis,’ca Veslovsky suggested, smiling his handsome smile. ‘We can be partners again, Anna Arkadyevna.’
‘No, it’s too hot. Better to stroll in the garden and go for a boat ride, to show Darya Alexandrovna the banks,’ suggested Vronsky.
