Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART SIX CHAPTER 22
organized and maintained by the care of the master of the house himself. It was evident
that it all rested no more upon Anna than upon Veslovsky. She, Sviazhsky, the
princess, and Veslovsky, were equally guests, with light hearts enjoying what had
been arranged for them.
Anna was the hostess only in conducting the conversation. The conversation was
a difficult one for the lady of the house at a small table with persons present, like
the steward and the architect, belonging to a completely different world, struggling
not to be overawed by an elegance to which they were unaccustomed, and unable
to sustain a large share in the general conversation. But this difficult conversation
Anna directed with her usual tact and naturalness, and indeed she did so with actual
enjoyment, as Darya Alexandrovna observed. The conversation began about the
row Tushkevitch and Veslovsky had taken alone together in the boat, and Tushkevitch
began describing the last boat races in Petersburg at the Yacht Club. But Anna,
seizing the first pause, at once turned to the architect to draw him out of his silence.
“Nikolay Ivanitch was struck,” she said, meaning Sviazhsky, “at the progress the
new building had made since he was here last; but I am there every day, and every
day I wonder at the rate at which it grows.”
“It’s first-rate working with his excellency,” said the architect with a smile (he
was respectful and composed, though with a sense of his own dignity). “It’s a very
different matter to have to do with the district authorities. Where one would have to
write out sheaves of papers, here I call upon the count, and in three words we settle
the business.”
“The American way of doing business,” said Sviazhsky, with a smile.
“Yes, there they build in a rational fashion...”
The conversation passed to the misuse of political power in the United States, but
Anna quickly brought it round to another topic, so as to draw the steward into talk.
“Have you ever seen a reaping machine?” she said, addressing Darya Alexandrovna.
“We had just ridden over to look at one when we met. It’s the first time I
ever saw one.”
“How do they work?” asked Dolly.
“Exactly like little scissors. A plank and a lot of little scissors. Like this.”
Anna took a knife and fork in her beautiful white hands covered with rings, and
began showing how the machine worked. It was clear that she saw nothing would
be understood from her explanation; but aware that her talk was pleasant and her
hands beautiful she went on explaining.
“More like little penknives,” Veslovsky said playfully, never taking his eyes off
her.
Anna gave a just perceptible smile, but made no answer. “Isn’t it true, Karl Fedoritch,
that it’s just like little scissors?” she said to the steward.
“Oh, ja,” answered the German. “Es it ein ganz einfaches Ding,” and he began to
explain the construction of the machine.
“It’s a pity it doesn’t bind too. I saw one at the Vienna exhibition, which binds
with a wire,” said Sviazhsky. “They would be more profitable in use.”
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