Page 425 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

‘There are matters which only concern those directly
interested in them, and the matter you are so worried
about is..’
‘Yes, but if so, you may as well cut the service...’

‘I beg you not to meddle, and that’s all I have to say.’
Alexey Vronsky’s frowning face turned white, and his
prominent lower jaw quivered, which happened rarely
with him. Being a man of very warm heart, he was seldom
angry; but when he was angry, and when his chin
quivered, then, as Alexander Vronsky knew, he was
dangerous. Alexander Vronsky smiled gaily.
‘I only wanted to give you Mother’s letter. Answer it
and don’t worry about anything just before the race.
Bonne chance,’ he added, smiling and he moved away
from him. But after him another friendly greeting brought
Vronsky to a standstill.
‘So you won’t recognize your friends! How are you,
mon cher?’ said Stepan Arkadyevitch, as conspicuously
brilliant in the midst of all the Petersburg brilliance as he
was in Moscow, his face rosy, and his whiskers sleek and
glossy. ‘I came up yesterday, and I’m delighted that I shall
see your triumph. When shall we meet?’
‘Come tomorrow to the messroom,’ said Vronsky, and
squeezing him by the sleeve of his coat, with apologies, he

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