Page 645 - ANNA KARENINA
P. 645
Anna Karenina
Chapter 17
The croquet party to which the Princess Tverskaya had
invited Anna was to consist of two ladies and their adorers.
These two ladies were the chief representatives of a select
new Petersburg circle, nicknamed, in imitation of some
imitation, les sept merveilles du monde. These ladies
belonged to a circle which, though of the highest society,
was utterly hostile to that in which Anna moved.
Moreover, Stremov, one of the most influential people in
Petersburg, and the elderly admirer of Liza Merkalova, was
Alexey Alexandrovitch’s enemy in the political world.
From all these considerations Anna had not meant to go,
and the hints in Princess Tverskaya’s note referred to her
refusal. But now Anna was eager to go, in the hope of
seeing Vronsky.
Anna arrived at Princess Tverskaya’s earlier than the
other guests.
At the same moment as she entered, Vronsky’s
footman, with side- whiskers combed out like a
Kammerjunker, went in too. He stopped at the door, and,
taking off his cap, let her pass. Anna recognized him, and
only then recalled that Vronsky had told her the day
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