第3章

第3章annapavlovna’sdrawing-roomgraduallybegantofill.thepeopleofthehighestdistinctioninpetersburgwerethere，peopleverydifferentinagesandcharacters，butalikeinthesetinwhichtheymoved.thedaughterofprincevassily，thebeauty，ellen，cametofetchherfatherandgowithhimtotheambassador’sfête.shewaswearingaball-dresswithanimperialbadgeonit.theyoungprincessbolkonskywasthere，celebratedasthemostseductivewomaninpetersburg.shehadbeenmarriedthepreviouswinter，andwasnotnowgoingoutintothegreatworldonaccountofherinterestingcondition，butwasstilltobeseenatsmallparties.princeippolit，thesonofprincevassily，cametoowithmortemart，whomheintroduced.theabbémoriowastheretoo，andmanyothers.

“haveyounotyetseen，ornotbeenintroducedtomatante？”annapavlovnasaidtoherguestsastheyarrived，andveryseriouslysheledthemuptoalittleoldladywearingtallbows，whohadsailedinoutofthenextroomassoonastheguestsbegantoarrive.annapavlovnamentionedtheirnames，deliberatelyturninghereyesfromtheguesttomatante，andthenwithdrew.alltheguestsperformedtheceremonyofgreetingtheaunt，whowasunknown，uninterestingandunnecessarytoeveryone.annapavlovnawithmournful，solemnsympathy，followedthesegreetings，silentlyapprovingthem.matantesaidtoeachpersonthesamewordsabouthishealth，herownhealth，andthehealthofhermajesty，whowas，thankgod，betterto-day.everyone，thoughfrompolitenessshowingnounduehaste，movedawayfromtheoldladywithasenseofreliefatatiresomedutyaccomplished，anddidnotapproachheragainalltheevening.theyoungprincessbolkonskyhadcomewithherworkinagold-embroideredvelvetbag.herprettylittleupperlip，faintlydarkenedwithdown，wasveryshortoverherteeth，butwasallthemorecharmingwhenitwaslifted，andstillmorecharmingwhenitwasattimesdrawndowntomeetthelowerlip.asisalwaysthecasewithperfectlycharmingwomen，herdefect—theshortnessofthelipandthehalf-openedmouth—seemedherpeculiar，hercharacteristicbeauty.everyonetookdelightinwatchingtheprettycreaturefulloflifeandgaiety，sosoontobeamother，andsolightlybearingherburden.oldmenandbored，depressedyoungmengazingatherfeltasthoughtheywerebecominglikeher，bybeingwithherandtalkingalittlewhiletoher.anymanwhospoketoher，andateverywordsawherbrightlittlesmileandshiningwhiteteeth，gleamingcontinually，imaginedthathewasbeingparticularlyessfulthisevening.andthiseachthoughtinturn.

thelittleprincess，movingwithaslightswing，walkedwithrapidlittlestepsroundthetablewithherwork-baginherhand，andgailyarrangingthefoldsofhergown，satdownonasofanearthesilversamovar；itseemedasthougheverythingshedidwasafestivalforherselfandallaroundher.

“ihavebroughtmywork，”shesaid，displayingherreticule，andaddressingthecompanygenerally.“mind，annette，don’tplaymeanastytrick，”sheturnedtotheladyofthehouse；“youwrotetomethatitwasquitealittlegathering.seehowiamgotup.”

andsheflungherarmsopentoshowherelegantgreydress，trimmedwithlaceandgirtalittlebelowthebosomwithabroadsash.

“nevermind，lise，youwillalwaysbeprettierthananyoneelse，”answeredannapavlovna.

“youknowmyhusbandisdesertingme，”shewentoninjustthesamevoice，addressingageneral；“heisgoingtogethimselfkilled.tellmewhatthisnastywarisfor，”shesaidtoprincevassily，andwithoutwaitingforananswersheturnedtoprincevassily’sdaughter，thebeautifulellen.

“howdelightfulthislittleprincessis！”saidprincevassilyinanundertonetoannapavlovna.