Anna Karenina - Part 7

Stepan Arkadyevitch moved in those circles in Moscow in which

that expression had come into use, was regarded there as an

honest man, and so had more right to this appointment than

others.

The appointment yielded an income of from seven to ten thousand a

year, and Oblonsky could fill it without giving up his government

position. It was in the hands of two ministers, one lady, and

two Jews, and all these people, though the way had been paved

already with them, Stepan Arkadyevitch had to see in Petersburg.

Besides this business, Stepan Arkadyevitch had promised his

sister Anna to obtain from Karenin a definite answer on the

question of divorce. And begging fifty roubles from Dolly, he

set off for Petersburg.

Stepan Arkadyevitch sat in Karenin's study listening to his

report on the causes of the unsatisfactory position of Russian

finance, and only waiting for the moment when he would finish to

speak about his own business or about Anna.

"Yes, that's very true," he said, when Alexey Alexandrovitch took

off the pince-nez, without which he could not read now, and

looked inquiringly at his former brother-in-law, "that's very

true in particular cases, but still the principle of our day is

freedom."

"Yes, but I lay down another principle, embracing the principle

of freedom," said Alexey Alexandrovitch, with emphasis on the

word "embracing," and he put on his pince-nez again, so as to

read the passage in which this statement was made. And turning

over the beautifully written, wide-margined manuscript, Alexey

Alexandrovitch read aloud over again the conclusive passage.

"I don't advocate protection for the sake of private interests,

but for the public weal, and for the lower and upper classes

equally," he said, looking over his pince-nez at Oblonsky. "But

_they_ cannot grasp that, _they_ are taken up now with personal

interests, and carried away by phrases."

Stepan Arkadyevitch knew that when Karenin began to talk of what

_they_ were doing and thinking, the persons who would not accept

his report and were the cause of everything wrong in Russia, that

it was coming near the end. And so now he eagerly abandoned the

principle of free-trade, and fully agreed. Alexey Alexandrovitch

paused, thoughtfully turning over the pages of his manuscript.

"Oh, by the way," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, "I wanted to ask

you, some time when you see Pomorsky, to drop him a hint that I

should be very glad to get that new appointment of secretary of

the committee of the amalgamated agency of the southern railways

and banking companies." Stepan Arkadyevitch was familiar by now

with the title of the post he coveted, and he brought it out

rapidly without mistake.