Emma Watson Pussy
Books:
Anna Karenina
War And Peace
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husband and wife.
"Anna is quite changed since her stay in Moscow. Theres
something strange about her," said her friend.
"The great change is that she brought back with her the shadow of
Alexey Vronsky," said the ambassadors wife.
"Well, what of it? Theres a fable of Grimms about a man
without a shadow, a man whos lost his shadow. And thats his
punishment for something. I never could understand how it was a
punishment. But a woman must dislike being without a shadow."
"Yes, but women with a shadow usually come to a bad end," said
Annas friend.
"Bad luck to your tongue!" said Princess Myakaya suddenly.
"Madame Kareninas a splendid woman. I dont like her husband,
but I like her very much."
"Why dont you like her husband? Hes such a remarkable man,"
said the ambassadors wife. "My husband says there are few
statesmen like him in Europe."
"And my husband tells me just the same, but I dont believe it,"
said Princess Myakaya. "If our husbands didnt talk to us, we
should see the facts as they are. Alexey Alexandrovitch, to my
thinking, is simply a fool. I say it in a whisper...but doesnt
it really make everything clear? Before, when I was told to
consider him clever, I kept looking for his ability, and thought
myself a fool for not seeing it; but directly I said, _hes a fool,_
though only in a whisper, everythings explained, isnt it?"
"How spiteful you are today!"
"Not a bit. Id no other way out of it. One of the two had to
be a fool. And, well, you know one cant say that of oneself."
"No one is satisfied with his fortune, and everyone is
satisfied with his wit." The attache repeated the French
saying.
"Thats just it, just it," Princess Myakaya turned to him. "But
the point is that I wont abandon Anna to your mercies. Shes so
nice, so charming. How can she help it if theyre all in love
with her, and follow her about like shadows?"
"Oh, I had no idea of blaming her for it," Annas friend said in
self-defense.
"If no one follows us about like a shadow, thats no proof that
weve any right to blame her."
And having duly disposed of Annas friend, the Princess Myakaya
got up, and together with the ambassadors wife, joined the group
at the table, where the conversation was dealing with the king of
Prussia.
"What wicked gossip were you talking over there?" asked Betsy.
"About the Karenins. The princess gave us a sketch of Alexey
Alexandrovitch," said the ambassadors wife with a smile, as she
sat down at the table.
"Pity we didnt hear it!" said Princess Betsy, glancing towards
the door. "Ah, here you are at last!" she said, turning with a
smile to Vronsky, as he came in.
Vronsky was not merely acquainted with all the persons whom he
was meeting here; he saw them all every day; and so he came in
with the quiet manner with which one enters a room full of people
from whom one has only just parted.
"Where do I come from?" he said, in answer to a question from the
ambassadors wife. "Well, theres no help for it, I must
confess. From the _opera bouffe_. I do believe Ive seen it a
hundred times, and always with fresh enjoyment. Its exquisite!
I know its disgraceful, but I go to sleep at the opera, and I
sit out the _opera bouffe_ to the last minute, and enjoy it.
This evening..."
He mentioned a French actress, and was going to tell something
about her; but the ambassadors wife, with playful horror, cut
him short.
"Please dont tell us about that horror."
"All right, I wont especially as everyone knows those horrors."
"And we should all go to see them if it were accepted as the
correct thing, like the opera," chimed in Princess Myakaya.
Chapter 7
Steps were heard at the door, and Princess Betsy, knowing it was
Madame Karenina, glanced at Vronsky. He was looking towards the
door, and his face wore a strange new expression. Joyfully,
intently, and at the same time timidly, he gazed at the
approaching figure, and slowly he rose to his feet. Anna walked
into the drawing room. Holding herself extremely erect, as
always, looking straight before her, and moving with her swift,
resolute, and light step, that distinguished her from all other
society women, she crossed the short space to her
Anna Karenina page 76 Anna Karenina page 78
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