Anna Karenina - Part 7

After a capital dinner and a great deal of cognac drunk at

Bartnyansky's, Stepan Arkadyevitch, only a little later than the

appointed time, went in to Countess Lidia Ivanovna's.

"Who else is with the countess?--a Frenchman?" Stepan

Arkadyevitch asked the hall porter, as he glanced at the familiar

overcoat of Alexey Alexandrovitch and a queer, rather

artless-looking overcoat with clasps.

"Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin and Count Bezzubov," the porter

answered severely.

"Princess Myakaya guessed right," thought Stepan Arkadyevitch, as

he went upstairs. "Curious! It would be quite as well, though,

to get on friendly terms with her. She has immense influence.

If she would say a word to Pomorsky, the thing would be a

certainty."

It was still quite light out-of-doors, but in Countess Lidia

Ivanovna's little drawing room the blinds were drawn and the

lamps lighted. At a round table under a lamp sat the countess

and Alexey Alexandrovitch, talking softly. A short, thinnish

man, very pale and handsome, with feminine hips and knock-kneed

legs, with fine brilliant eyes and long hair lying on the collar

of his coat, was standing at the end of the room gazing at the

portraits on the wall. After greeting the lady of the house and

Alexey Alexandrovitch, Stepan Arkadyevitch could not resist

glancing once more at the unknown man.

"Monsieur Landau!" the countess addressed him with a softness and

caution that impressed Oblonsky. And she introduced them.

Landau looked round hurriedly, came up, and smiling, laid his

moist, lifeless hand in Stepan Arkadyevitch's outstretched hand

and immediately walked away and fell to gazing at the portraits

again. The countess and Alexey Alexandrovitch looked at each

other significantly.

"I am very glad to see you, particularly today," said Countess

Lidia Ivanovna, pointing Stepan Arkadyevitch to a seat beside

Karenin.

"I introduced you to him as Landau," she said in a soft voice,

glancing at the Frenchman and again immediately after at Alexey

Alexandrovitch, "but he is really Count Bezzubov, as you're

probably aware. Only he does not like the title."

"Yes, I heard so," answered Stepan Arkadyevitch; "they say he

completely cured Countess Bezzubova."

"She was here today, poor thing!" the countess said, turning to

Alexey Alexandrovitch. "This separation is awful for her. It's

such a blow to her!"

"And he positively is going?" queried Alexey Alexandrovitch.

"Yes, he's going to Paris. He heard a voice yesterday," said

Countess Lidia Ivanovna, looking at Stepan Arkadyevitch.

"Ah, a voice!" repeated Oblonsky, feeling that he must be as

circumspect as he possibly could in this society, where something

peculiar was going on, or was to go on, to which he had not the

key.