Anna Karenina - Part 4

"If the story of such a girl were thoroughly sifted, you would

find she had abandoned a family--her own or a sister's, where she

might have found a woman's duties," Darya Alexandrovna broke in

unexpectedly in a tone of exasperation, probably suspecting what

sort of girl Stepan Arkadyevitch was thinking of.

"But we take our stand on principle as the ideal," replied

Pestsov in his mellow bass. "Woman desires to have rights, to be

independent, educated. She is oppressed, humiliated by the

consciousness of her disabilities."

"And I'm oppressed and humiliated that they won't engage me at

the Foundling," the old prince said again, to the huge delight of

Turovtsin, who in his mirth dropped his asparagus with the thick

end in the sauce.