Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART SEVEN CHAPTER 21
Chapter 21
AFTER a capital dinner and a great deal of cognac drunk at Bartnyansky’s, Stepan
Arkadyevitch, only a little later than the appointed time, went in to Countess
Lidia Ivanovna’s.
“Who else is with the countess?–a Frenchman?” Stepan Arkadyevitch asked the
hall porter, as he glanced at the familiar overcoat of Alexey Alexandrovitch and a
queer, rather artless-looking overcoat with clasps.
“Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin and Count Bezzubov,” the porter answered
severely.
“Princess Myakaya guessed right,” thought Stepan Arkadyevitch, as he went upstairs.
“Curious! It would be quite as well, though, to get on friendly terms with her.
She has immense influence. If she would say a word to Pomorsky, the thing would
be a certainty.”
It was still quite light out-of-doors, but in Countess Lidia Ivanovna’s little drawing
room the blinds were drawn and the lamps lighted. At a round table under a
lamp sat the countess and Alexey Alexandrovitch, talking softly. A short, thinnish
man, very pale and handsome, with feminine hips and knock-kneed legs, with fine
brilliant eyes and long hair lying on the collar of his coat, was standing at the end of
the room gazing at the portraits on the wall. After greeting the lady of the house and
Alexey Alexandrovitch, Stepan Arkadyevitch could not resist glancing once more at
the unknown man.
“Monsieur Landau!” the countess addressed him with a softness and caution that
impressed Oblonsky. And she introduced them.
Landau looked round hurriedly, came up, and smiling, laid his moist, lifeless hand
in Stepan Arkadyevitch’s outstretched hand and immediately walked away and fell
to gazing at the portraits again. The countess and Alexey Alexandrovitch looked at
each other significantly.
“I am very glad to see you, particularly today,” said Countess Lidia Ivanovna,
pointing Stepan Arkadyevitch to a seat beside Karenin.
“I introduced you to him as Landau,” she said in a soft voice, glancing at the
Frenchman and again immediately after at Alexey Alexandrovitch, “but he is really
Count Bezzubov, as you’re probably aware. Only he does not like the title.”
“Yes, I heard so,” answered Stepan Arkadyevitch; “they say he completely cured
Countess Bezzubova.”
“She was here today, poor thing!” the countess said, turning to Alexey Alexandrovitch.
“This separation is awful for her. It’s such a blow to her!”
“And he positively is going?” queried Alexey Alexandrovitch.
“Yes, he’s going to Paris. He heard a voice yesterday,” said Countess Lidia
Ivanovna, looking at Stepan Arkadyevitch.
“Ah, a voice!” repeated Oblonsky, feeling that he must be as circumspect as he
possibly could in this society, where something peculiar was going on, or was to go
on, to which he had not the key.
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