第128章

`No; you laugh,' said Anna, laughing too, in spite of herself, `but I never could understand it. I can't understand the husband's role in it.'

`The husband? Liza Merkalova's husband carries her shawl, and is always ready to be of use. But no one cares to inquire about what is really going on. You know, in decent society one doesn't talk or think even of certain details of the toilet. That's how it is in this case.'

`Will you be at Madame Rolandaky's fete?' asked Anna, to change the conversation.

`I don't think so,' answered Betsy, and, without looking at her friend, she began filling the little transparent cups with fragrant tea.

Putting a cup before Anna, she took out a thin cigarette, and, fitting it into a silver holder, she lighted it. `It's like this, you see: I'm in a fortunate position,' she began, quite serious now, as she took up her cup. `I understand you, and I understand Liza. Liza now is one of those naive natures that, like children, don't know what's good and what's bad.

Anyway, she didn't comprehend it when she was very young. And now she's aware that the lack of comprehension suits her. Now, perhaps, she doesn't know on purpose,' said Betsy, with a subtle smile. `But, anyway, it suits her. The very same thing, don't you see, may be looked at tragically, and turned into misery, or it may be looked at simply, and even humorously.

Possibly you are inclined to look at things too tragically.'

`How I should like to know other people just as I know myself!'

said Anna, seriously and dreamily. `Am I worse than other people, or better?

I think I'm worse.'

` Enfant terrible, enfant terrible !' repeated Betsy. `But here they are.'

[Next Chapter] [Table of Contents] TOLSTOY: Anna Karenina Part 3, Chapter 18[Previous Chapter] [Table of Contents] Chapter 18 They heard the sound of steps and a man's voice, then a woman's voice and laughter, and immediately thereafter there walked in the expected guests:

Sappho Stoltz, and a young man beaming with excess of health, the so-called Vaska. It was evident that ample supplies of beefsteak, truffles, and Burgundy were profitable for his health. Vaska bowed to the two ladies, and glanced at them, but only for one second. He walked after Sappho into the drawing room, and followed her about as though he were chained to her, keeping his sparkling eyes fixed on her as though he wanted to eat her. Sappho Stoltz was a blonde beauty with black eyes. She walked with smart little steps in high-heeled shoes, and shook hands with the ladies vigorously, like a man.

Anna had never met this new star of fashion, and was struck by her beauty, the exaggerated extreme to which her dress was carried, and the boldness of her manners. On her head there was such an echafaudage of soft, golden hair - her own and false mixed - that her head was equal in size to the elegantly rounded bust, of which so much was exposed in front. The impulsive abruptness of her movements was such that at every step the lines of her knees and the upper part of her legs were distinctly marked under her dress, and the question involuntarily rose in one's mind where in the undulating, piled-up mountain of material at the back the real body of the woman, so small and slender, so naked in front, and so hidden behind and below, really came to an end.

Betsy made haste to introduce her to Anna.

`Only fancy, we all but ran over two soldiers,' she began telling them at once, using her eyes, smiling and twitching away her train, which she at first threw too much to one side. `I drove here with Vaska... Ah, to be sure, you don't know each other.' And, mentioning his surname, she introduced the young man, and, reddening, broke into a ringing laugh at her mistake - that is, at her having called him Vaska before a stranger.

Vaska bowed once more to Anna, but he said nothing to her. He addressed Sappho: `You've lost your bet. We got here first. Pay up,' said he, smiling.

Sappho laughed still more festively.

`Not just now,' said she.

`It's all one, I'll have it later.'

`Very well, very well. Oh, yes,' she turned suddenly to Princess Betsy: `I am a nice person... I positively forgot it.... I've brought you a visitor. And here he comes.'

The unexpected young visitor, whom Sappho had brought with her, and whom she had forgotten, was, however, a personage of such consequence that, in spite of his youth, both the ladies rose on his entrance.

He was a new admirer of Sappho's. Like Vaska, he now dogged her footsteps.

Soon after Prince Kaluzhsky arrived, and Liza Merkalova with Stremov.

Liza Merkalova was a thin brunette, with an Oriental, languid type of face, and charming - as everyone used to say - ineffable eyes. The tone of her dark dress (Anna immediately observed and appreciated the fact) was in perfect harmony with her style of beauty. Liza was as soft and loose as Sappho was tight and shackled.

But to Anna's taste Liza was far more attractive. Betsy had said to Anna that she had adopted the pose of an unsophisticated child, but when Anna saw her she felt this was not the truth. She really was unsophisticated, spoiled, yet a sweet and irresponsible woman. It is true that her tone was the same as Sappho's; that, like Sappho, she had two men, one young and one old, tacked on to her, and devouring her with their eyes. But there was something in her higher than her surroundings. There was in her the glow of the real diamond among paste. This glow shone out in her charming, truly ineffable eyes. The weary, and at the same time passionate, glance of those eyes, encircled by dark rings, impressed one by its perfect sincerity.

Everyone looking into those eyes fancied he knew her wholly, and, knowing her, could not but love her. At the sight of Anna, her whole face lighted up at once with a smile of delight.

`Ah, how glad I am to see you!' she said, going up to her. `Yesterday, at the races, I wanted just to get to you, but you'd gone away. I did so want to see you, especially yesterday. Wasn't it awful?' she said, looking at Anna with eyes that seemed to lay bare all her soul.