Page 1412 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

Several people smiled. Levin crimsoned, hurriedly
thrust his hand under the cloth, and put the ball to the
right as it was in his right hand. Having put it in, he
recollected that he ought to have thrust his left hand too,

and so he thrust it in though too late, and, still more
overcome with confusion, he beat a hasty retreat into the
background.
‘A hundred and twenty-six for admission! Ninety-eight
against!’ sang out the voice of the secretary, who could not
pronounce the letter r. Then there was a laugh; a button
and two nuts were found in the box. The nobleman was
allowed the right to vote, and the new party had
conquered.
But the old party did not consider themselves
conquered. Levin heard that they were asking Snetkov to
stand, and he saw that a crowd of noblemen was
surrounding the marshal, who was saying something.
Levin went nearer. In reply Snetkov spoke of the trust the
noblemen of the province had placed in him, the affection
they had shown him, which he did not deserve, as his only
merit had been his attachment to the nobility, to whom he
had devoted twelve years of service. Several times he
repeated the words: ‘I have served to the best of my
powers with truth and good faith, I value your goodness

1411 of 1759