Page 696 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

in a few minutes a torrent of words would flow from his
lips that would arouse a fearful storm, set the members
shouting and attacking one another, and force the
president to call for order. When the report was over,

Alexey Alexandrovitch announced in his subdued, delicate
voice that he had several points to bring before the
meeting in regard to the Commission for the
Reorganization of the Native Tribes. All attention was
turned upon him. Alexey Alexandrovitch cleared his
throat, and not looking at his opponent, but selecting, as
he always did while he was delivering his speeches, the
first person sitting opposite him, an inoffensive little old
man, who never had an opinion of any sort in the
Commission, began to expound his views. When he
reached the point about the fundamental and radical law,
his opponent jumped up and began to protest. Stremov,
who was also a member of the Commission, and also
stung to the quick, began defending himself, and
altogether a stormy sitting followed; but Alexey
Alexandrovitch triumphed, and his motion was carried,
three new commissions were appointed, and the next day
in a certain Petersburg circle nothing else was talked of but
this sitting. Alexey Alexandrovitch’s success had been even
greater than he had anticipated.

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