Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART SIX CHAPTER 18
“Well, what are these buildings? How many there are of them!” After a moment’s
silence she repeated her question.
“These are the servants’ houses, barns, and stables,” answered Anna. “And there
the park begins. It had all gone to ruin, but Alexey had everything renewed. He
is very fond of this place, and, what I never expected, he has become intensely interested
in looking after it. But his is such a rich nature! Whatever he takes up,
he does splendidly. So far from being bored by it, he works with passionate interest.
He–with his temperament as I know it–he has become careful and businesslike,
a first-rate manager, he positively reckons every penny in his management of the
land. But only in that. When it’s a question of tens of thousands, he doesn’t think
of money.” She spoke with that gleefully sly smile with which women often talk of
the secret characteristics only known to them–of those they love. “Do you see that
big building? that’s the new hospital. I believe it will cost over a hundred thousand;
that’s his hobby just now. And do you know how it all came about? The peasants
asked him for some meadowland, I think it was, at a cheaper rate, and he refused,
and I accused him of being miserly. Of course it was not really because of that, but
everything together, he began this hospital to prove, do you see, that he was not
miserly about money. C’est une petitesse, if you like, but I love him all the more for it.
And now you’ll see the house in a moment. It was his grandfather’s house, and he
has had nothing changed outside.”
“How beautiful!” said Dolly, looking with involuntary admiration at the handsome
house with columns, standing out among the different-colored greens of the
old trees in the garden.
“Isn’t it fine? And from the house, from the top, the view is wonderful.”
They drove into a courtyard strewn with gravel and bright with flowers, in which
two laborers were at work putting an edging of stones round the light mould of a
flower bed, and drew up in a covered entry.
“Ah, they’re here already!” said Anna, looking at the saddle horses, which were
just being led away from the steps. “It is a nice horse, isn’t it? It’s my cob; my
favorite. Lead him here and bring me some sugar. Where is the count?” she inquired
of two smart footmen who darted out. “Ah, there he is!” she said, seeing Vronsky
coming to meet her with Veslovsky.
“Where are you going to put the princess?” said Vronsky in French, addressing
Anna, and without waiting for a reply, he once more greeted Darya Alexandrovna,
and this time he kissed her hand. “I think the big balcony room.”
“Oh, no, that’s too far off! Better in the corner room, we shall see each other more.
Come, let’s go up,” said Anna, as she gave her favorite horse the sugar the footman
had brought her.
“Et vous oubliez votre devoir,” she said to Veslovsky, who came out too on the steps.
“Pardon, j’en ai tout plein les poches,” he answered, smiling, putting his fingers in
his waistcoat pocket.
“Mais vous venez trop tard,” she said, rubbing her handkerchief on her hand, which
the horse had made wet in taking the sugar.
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