Chapter 14

           

           Onthethirty-firstofDecember,NewYear’sEve,1809-10anoldgrandeeofCatherine’sdaywasgivingaballandmidnightsupper.ThediplomaticcorpsandtheEmperorhimselfweretobepresent.

           Thegrandee’swell-knownmansionontheEnglishQuayglitteredwithinnumerablelights.Policewerestationedatthebrightlylitentrancewhichwascarpetedwithredbaize,andnotonlygendarmesbutdozensofpoliceofficersandeventhepolicemasterhimselfstoodattheporch.Carriageskeptdrivingawayandfreshonesarriving,withred-liveriedfootmenandfootmeninplumedhats.Fromthecarriagesemergedmenwearinguniforms,stars,andribbons,whileladiesinsatinanderminecautiouslydescendedthecarriagestepswhichwereletdownforthemwithaclatter,andthenwalkedhurriedlyandnoiselesslyoverthebaizeattheentrance.

           Almosteverytimeanewcarriagedroveupawhisperranthroughthecrowdandcapsweredoffed.

           “TheEmperor?...No,aminister...prince...ambassador.Don’tyouseetheplumes?...”waswhisperedamongthecrowd.

           Oneperson,betterdressedthantherest,seemedtoknoweveryoneandmentionedbynamethegreatestdignitariesoftheday.

           Athirdofthevisitorshadalreadyarrived,buttheRostóvs,whoweretobepresent,werestillhurryingtogetdressed.

           TherehadbeenmanydiscussionsandpreparationsforthisballintheRostóvfamily,manyfearsthattheinvitationwouldnotarrive,thatthedresseswouldnotbeready,orthatsomethingwouldnotbearrangedasitshouldbe.

Содержание книги
Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 819 из 2250