United States or Costa Rica ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
At length she plunged into an energetic and hostile criticism of railways, and glared at the prince defiantly. Alas Aglaya still did not come and the prince was quite lost. He had the greatest difficulty in expressing his opinion that railways were most useful institutions, and in the middle of his speech Adelaida laughed, which threw him into a still worse state of confusion.
The cab which Lebedeff's son had gone to fetch a quarter of an hour ago, by Doktorenko's order, arrived at that moment. The general thought fit to put in a word after his wife. "Really, prince, I hardly expected after after all our friendly intercourse and you see, Lizabetha Prokofievna " "Papa, how can you?" cried Adelaida, walking quickly up to the prince and holding out her hand.
His change of dress was evidently a matter of some importance. Adelaida and Alexandra poured out a stream of questions; Prince S., a relative of the young man, appeared annoyed; and Ivan Fedorovitch quite excited. Aglaya alone was not interested.
But confess, it was agreeable to see the old scoffer at your feet.... If I had been in your place, I'd have kept him singing Beethoven's Adelaida and gazing at the moon the whole night long. Enough of them, though, your adorers! It's not of them I want to talk to you to-day. I am in a strange, half-irritated, half-emotional state of mind to-day, in consequence of a letter I got yesterday.
"Why are you so unhappy, mother?" asked Adelaida, who alone of all the company seemed to have preserved her good temper and spirits up to now. "In the first place, because of my carefully brought-up daughters," said Mrs. Epanchin, cuttingly; "and as that is the best reason I can give you we need not bother about any other at present. Enough of words, now!
They had wandered out for a walk, and called in "by accident," and talked for almost the whole of the time they were with him about a certain most lovely tree in the park, which Adelaida had set her heart upon for a picture. This, and a little amiable conversation on Prince S.'s part, occupied the time, and not a word was said about last evening's episodes.
"Such beauty is real power," said Adelaida. "With such beauty as that one might overthrow the world." She returned to her easel thoughtfully. Aglaya merely glanced at the portrait frowned, and put out her underlip; then went and sat down on the sofa with folded hands. Mrs. Epanchin rang the bell. "Ask Gavrila Ardalionovitch to step this way," said she to the man who answered.
"Well, if you could tell Aleksey about it, surely you can tell us too." "I do so want to hear about it," repeated Adelaida. "Just now, I confess," began the prince, with more animation, "when you asked me for a subject for a picture, I confess I had serious thoughts of giving you one.
The play was The Wife of the Doctor, a modern piece, sufficiently uninteresting; the farce that followed made me laugh. Since it was her Evening of Honour, Adelaida was the person to see. She is very popular, though she is no longer young. In fact, she is the mother of the young pert person of Ghosts.
"Did not you ask me the question seriously" inquired the prince, in amazement. Everybody laughed. "Oh, trust HIM for that!" said Adelaida. "Evgenie Pavlovitch turns everything and everybody he can lay hold of to ridicule. You should hear the things he says sometimes, apparently in perfect seriousness."
Word Of The Day