Emma Watson Pussy
Books:
Anna Karenina
War And Peace
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not many left of us old friends! Thats why I so value your
friendship."
Anna Mikhaylovna looked at Vera and paused. The countess pressed her
friends hand.
"Vera," she said to her eldest daughter who was evidently not a
favorite, "how is it you have so little tact? Dont you see you are
not wanted here? Go to the other girls, or..."
The handsome Vera smiled contemptuously but did not seem at all
hurt.
"If you had told me sooner, Mamma, I would have gone," she replied
as she rose to go to her own room.
But as she passed the sitting room she noticed two couples
sitting, one pair at each window. She stopped and smiled scornfully.
Sonya was sitting close to Nicholas who was copying out some verses
for her, the first he had ever written. Boris and Natasha were at
the other window and ceased talking when Vera entered. Sonya and
Natasha looked at Vera with guilty, happy faces.
It was pleasant and touching to see these little girls in love;
but apparently the sight of them roused no pleasant feeling in Vera.
"How often have I asked you not to take my things?" she said. "You
have a room of your own," and she took the inkstand from Nicholas.
"In a minute, in a minute," he said, dipping his pen.
"You always manage to do things at the wrong time," continued
Vera. "You came rushing into the drawing room so that everyone felt
ashamed of you."
Though what she said was quite just, perhaps for that very reason no
one replied, and the four simply looked at one another. She lingered
in the room with the inkstand in her hand.
"And at your age what secrets can there be between Natasha and
Boris, or between you two? Its all nonsense!"
"Now, Vera, what does it matter to you?" said Natasha in defense,
speaking very gently.
She seemed that day to be more than ever kind and affectionate to
everyone.
"Very silly," said Vera. "I am ashamed of you. Secrets indeed!"
"All have secrets of their own," answered Natasha, getting warmer.
"We dont interfere with you and Berg."
"I should think not," said Vera, "because there can never be
anything wrong in my behavior. But Ill just tell Mamma how you are
behaving with Boris."
"Natalya Ilynichna behaves very well to me," remarked Boris. "I have
nothing to complain of."
"Dont, Boris! You are such a diplomat that it is really
tiresome," said Natasha in a mortified voice that trembled slightly.
(She used the word "diplomat," which was just then much in vogue among
the children, in the special sense they attached to it.) "Why does she
bother me?" And she added, turning to Vera, "Youll never understand
it, because youve never loved anyone. You have no heart! You are a
Madame de Genlis and nothing more" (this nickname, bestowed on Vera by
Nicholas, was considered very stinging), "and your greatest pleasure
is to be unpleasant to people! Go and flirt with Berg as much as you
please," she finished quickly.
"I shall at any rate not run after a young man before visitors..."
"Well, now youve done what you wanted," put in Nicholas--"said
unpleasant things to everyone and upset them. Lets go to the
nursery."
All four, like a flock of scared birds, got up and left the room.
"The unpleasant things were said to me," remarked Vera, "I said none
to anyone."
"Madame de Genlis! Madame de Genlis!" shouted laughing voices
through the door.
The handsome Vera, who produced such an irritating and unpleasant
effect on everyone, smiled and, evidently unmoved by what had been
said to her, went to the looking glass and arranged her hair and
scarf. Looking at her own handsome face she seemed to become still
colder and calmer.
In the drawing room the conversation was still going on.
"Ah, my dear," said the countess, "my life is not all roses
either. Dont I know that at the rate we are living our means wont
last long? Its all the Club and his easygoing nature. Even in the
country do we get any rest? Theatricals, hunting, and heaven knows
what besides! But dont lets talk about me; tell me how you managed
everything. I often wonder at you, Annette--how at your age you can
rush off alone in a carriage to Moscow, to Petersburg, to those
ministers and great people, and know how to deal with them all! Its
quite astonishing. How did you get things settled? I couldnt possibly
do it."
"Ah, my love," answered Anna Mikhaylovna, "God grant you never
know what it is to be left
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