FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144  
145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   >>   >|  
e was her father's favorite, and she fancied that his love gave him insight. When now her glance met his blue kindly eyes looking intently at her, it seemed to her that he saw right through her, and understood all that was not good that was passing within her. Reddening, she stretched out towards him expecting a kiss, but he only patted her hair and said: "These stupid chignons! There's no getting at the real daughter. One simply strokes the bristles of dead women. Well, Dolinka," he turned to his elder daughter, "what's your young buck about, hey?" "Nothing, father," answered Dolly, understanding that her husband was meant. "He's always out; I scarcely ever see him," she could not resist adding with a sarcastic smile. "Why, hasn't he gone into the country yet--to see about selling that forest?" "No, he's still getting ready for the journey." "Oh, that's it!" said the prince. "And so am I to be getting ready for a journey too? At your service," he said to his wife, sitting down. "And I tell you what, Katia," he went on to his younger daughter, "you must wake up one fine day and say to yourself: Why, I'm quite well, and merry, and going out again with father for an early morning walk in the frost. Hey?" What her father said seemed simple enough, yet at these words Kitty became confused and overcome like a detected criminal. "Yes, he sees it all, he understands it all, and in these words he's telling me that though I'm ashamed, I must get over my shame." She could not pluck up spirit to make any answer. She tried to begin, and all at once burst into tears, and rushed out of the room. "See what comes of your jokes!" the princess pounced down on her husband. "You're always..." she began a string of reproaches. The prince listened to the princess's scolding rather a long while without speaking, but his face was more and more frowning. "She's so much to be pitied, poor child, so much to be pitied, and you don't feel how it hurts her to hear the slightest reference to the cause of it. Ah! to be so mistaken in people!" said the princess, and by the change in her tone both Dolly and the prince knew she was speaking of Vronsky. "I don't know why there aren't laws against such base, dishonorable people." "Ah, I can't bear to hear you!" said the prince gloomily, getting up from his low chair, and seeming anxious to get away, yet stopping in the doorway. "There are laws, madam, and since you've
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144  
145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
father
 

prince

 

daughter

 
princess
 

speaking

 

pitied

 

husband

 

journey

 

people

 

answer


stopping

 
spirit
 

anxious

 
rushed
 
gloomily
 

doorway

 

detected

 

criminal

 

overcome

 

confused


ashamed

 

understands

 

telling

 

dishonorable

 

Vronsky

 
change
 

reference

 

frowning

 

mistaken

 

scolding


listened

 

pounced

 
slightest
 

reproaches

 

string

 

stupid

 

chignons

 

patted

 

expecting

 

simply


turned
 
Dolinka
 

strokes

 

bristles

 

stretched

 
Reddening
 

glance

 
insight
 
favorite
 

fancied