Page 287 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

‘How do you know he had whiskers like sausages, as
you say?’
‘Ah, you shall hear. I’ve just been to make peace
between them.’

‘Well, and what then?’
‘That’s the most interesting part of the story. It appears
that it’s a happy couple, a government clerk and his lady.
The government clerk lodges a complaint, and I became a
mediator, and such a mediator!... I assure you Talleyrand
couldn’t hold a candle to me.’
‘Why, where was the difficulty?’
‘Ah, you shall hear.... We apologize in due form: we
are in despair, we entreat forgiveness for the unfortunate
misunderstanding. The government clerk with the
sausages begins to melt, but he, too, desires to express his
sentiments, and as soon as ever he begins to express them,
he begins to get hot and say nasty things, and again I’m
obliged to trot out all my diplomatic talents. I allowed that
their conduct was bad, but I urged him to take into
consideration their heedlessness, their youth; then, too, the
young men had only just been lunching together. ‘You
understand. They regret it deeply, and beg you to
overlook their misbehavior.’ The government clerk was
softened once more. ‘I consent, count, and am ready to

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