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.

Зміст книги
Налаштування
Фон сторінки
Розмір шрифту
Міжрядковий інтервал
Фразові дієслова
Показати / Приховати меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Сторінка 171 з 2250