Page 1436 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

Continually during dinner they said of Nevyedovsky:
‘our marshal,’ and ‘your excellency.’
This was said with the same pleasure with which a
bride is called ‘Madame’ and her husband’s name.

Nevyedovsky affected to be not merely indifferent but
scornful of this appellation, but it was obvious that he was
highly delighted, and had to keep a curb on himself not to
betray the triumph which was unsuitable to their new
liberal tone.
After dinner several telegrams were sent to people
interested in the result of the election. And Stepan
Arkadyevitch, who was in high good humor, sent Darya
Alexandrovna a telegram: ‘Nevyedovsky elected by twenty
votes. Congratulations. Tell people.’ He dictated it aloud,
saying: ‘We must let them share our rejoicing.’ Darya
Alexandrovna, getting the message, simply sighed over the
rouble wasted on it, and understood that it was an after-
dinner affair. She knew Stiva had a weakness after dining
for faire jouer le telegraphe.
Everything, together with the excellent dinner and the
wine, not from Russian merchants, but imported direct
from abroad, was extremely dignified, simple, and
enjoyable. The party—some twenty—had been selected
by Sviazhsky from among the more active new liberals, all

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