Chapter 27

           

           Attheappointedhourtheprince,powderedandshaven,enteredthediningroomwherehisdaughter-in-law,PrincessMary,andMademoiselleBouriennewerealreadyawaitinghimtogetherwithhisarchitect,whobyastrangecapriceofhisemployer’swasadmittedtotablethoughthepositionofthatinsignificantindividualwassuchascouldcertainlynothavecausedhimtoexpectthathonor.Theprince,whogenerallykeptverystrictlytosocialdistinctionsandrarelyadmittedevenimportantgovernmentofficialstohistable,hadunexpectedlyselectedMichaelIvánovich(whoalwayswentintoacornertoblowhisnoseonhischeckedhandkerchief)toillustratethetheorythatallmenareequals,andhadmorethanonceimpressedonhisdaughterthatMichaelIvánovichwas“notawhitworsethanyouorI.”AtdinnertheprinceusuallyspoketothetaciturnMichaelIvánovichmoreoftenthantoanyoneelse.

           Inthediningroom,whichlikealltheroomsinthehousewasexceedinglylofty,themembersofthehouseholdandthefootmen—onebehindeachchair—stoodwaitingfortheprincetoenter.Theheadbutler,napkinonarm,wasscanningthesettingofthetable,makingsignstothefootmen,andanxiouslyglancingfromtheclocktothedoorbywhichtheprincewastoenter.PrinceAndrewwaslookingatalargegiltframe,newtohim,containingthegenealogicaltreeofthePrincesBolkónski,oppositewhichhunganothersuchframewithabadlypaintedportrait(evidentlybythehandoftheartistbelongingtotheestate)ofarulingprince,inacrown—anallegeddescendantofRúrikandancestoroftheBolkónskis.

Содержание книги
Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 171 из 2250