Page 1364 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

‘The American way of doing business,’ said Sviazhsky,
with a smile.
‘Yes, there they build in a rational fashion..’
The conversation passed to the misuse of political

power in the United States, but Anna quickly brought it
round to another topic, so as to draw the steward into talk.
‘Have you ever seen a reaping machine?’ she said,
addressing Darya Alexandrovna. ‘We had just ridden over
to look at one when we met. It’s the first time I ever saw
one.’
‘How do they work?’ asked Dolly.
‘Exactly like little scissors. A plank and a lot of little
scissors. Like this.’
Anna took a knife and fork in her beautiful white hands
covered with rings, and began showing how the machine
worked. It was clear that she saw nothing would be
understood from her explanation; but aware that her talk
was pleasant and her hands beautiful she went on
explaining.
‘More like little penknives,’ Veslovsky said playfully,
never taking his eyes off her.
Anna gave a just perceptible smile, but made no
answer. ‘Isn’t it true, Karl Fedoritch, that it’s just like little
scissors?’ she said to the steward.

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