Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART SIX CHAPTER 31
observed, addressing Nevyedovsky, that his excellency would have to select another
more complicated method of auditing the accounts than tears. Another nobleman jocosely
described how footmen in stockings had been ordered for the marshal’s ball,
and how now they would have to be sent back unless the new marshal would give
a ball with footmen in stockings.
Continually during dinner they said of Nevyedovsky: “our marshal,” and “your
excellency.”
This was said with the same pleasure with which a bride is called “Madame” and
her husband’s name. Nevyedovsky affected to be not merely indifferent but scornful
of this appellation, but it was obvious that he was highly delighted, and had to keep
a curb on himself not to betray the triumph which was unsuitable to their new liberal
tone.
After dinner several telegrams were sent to people interested in the result of the
election. And Stepan Arkadyevitch, who was in high good humor, sent Darya
Alexandrovna a telegram: “Nevyedovsky elected by twenty votes. Congratulations.
Tell people.” He dictated it aloud, saying: “We must let them share our rejoicing.”
Darya Alexandrovna, getting the message, simply sighed over the rouble wasted on
it, and understood that it was an after-dinner affair. She knew Stiva had a weakness
after dining for faire jouer le télégraphe.
Everything, together with the excellent dinner and the wine, not from Russian
merchants, but imported direct from abroad, was extremely dignified, simple, and
enjoyable. The party–some twenty–had been selected by Sviazhsky from among the
more active new liberals, all of the same way of thinking, who were at the same time
clever and well bred. They drank, also half in jest, to the health of the new marshal
of the province, of the governor, of the bank director, and of “our amiable host.”
Vronsky was satisfied. He had never expected to find so pleasant a tone in the
provinces.
Towards the end of dinner it was still more lively. The governor asked Vronsky to
come to a concert for the benefit of the Servians which his wife, who was anxious to
make his acquaintance, had been getting up.
“There’ll be a ball, and you’ll see the belle of the province. Worth seeing, really.”
“Not in my line,” Vronsky answered. He liked that English phrase. But he smiled,
and promised to come.
Before they rose from the table, when all of them were smoking, Vronsky’s valet
went up to him with a letter on a tray.
“From Vozdvizhenskoe by special messenger,” he said with a significant expression.
“Astonishing! how like he is to the deputy prosecutor Sventitsky,” said one of the
guests in French of the valet, while Vronsky, frowning, read the letter.
The letter was from Anna. Before he read the letter, he knew its contents. Expecting
the elections to be over in five days, he had promised to be back on Friday. Today
was Saturday, and he knew that the letter contained reproaches for not being back at
the time fixed. The letter he had sent the previous evening had probably not reached
her yet.
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