Anna Karenina (Dole)/Part Two/Chapter 19
CHAPTER XIX
On the day of the Krasno-Sielo races, Vronsky came earlier than usual to eat a beefsteak in the officers' common dining-hall. He was not at all constrained to limit himself, since his weight satisfied the 160 pounds [1] required; but he did not want to get fat, and so he refrained from sweet and farinaceous foods. He sat down with his coat unbuttoned over his white waistcoat, and with both elbows resting on the table; while he was waiting for his beefsteak he kept his eyes on the pages of a French novel which lay on the plate. He looked at his book only so as not to talk with the officers as they went and came, but he was thinking.
He was thinking how Anna had promised to meet him after the races. But he had not seen her for three days; and he was wondering if she would be able to keep her appointment, as her husband had just returned to Petersburg from a journey abroad, and he was wondering how he could find out. They had met for the last time at his cousin Betsy's datcha, or country-house. For he went to the Karenins' datcha as little as possible, and now he wanted to go there, and he was asking himself, "How can it be managed?"
"Of course, I will say that I am charged by Betsy to find whether she expects to attend the races,—yes, certainly, I will go," he said, raising his head from his book. And his face shone with the joy caused by his imagination of the forthcoming interview.
"Send word that I wish my carriage and troika harnessed and brought round," said he to the waiter who was bringing his beefsteak on a hot silver platter. Moving the platter toward him, he began his meal.
In the adjoining billiard-room the clicking of balls was heard, and two voices talking and laughing. Two officers appeared in the door: one of them was a young man with delicate, refined features, who had just graduated from the Corps of Pages and joined the regiment; the other was old and fat, with little, moist eyes, and wore a bracelet on his wrist.
Vronsky glanced at them and frowned, and went on eating and reading at the same time, as if he had not seen them.
"Getting ready for work, are you?" asked the fat ofificer, sitting down near him.
"You see I am," replied Vronsky, wiping his lips, and frowning again, without looking up.
"But aren't you afraid of getting fat?" continued the elderly officer, pulling up a chair for his junior.
"What!" cried Vronsky, making a grimace to express his disgust and aversion, and showing his splendid teeth.
"Are n't you afraid of getting fat?"
"Waiter, sherry!" cried Vronsky, without replying, and he changed his book to the other side of his plate, and continued to read.
The fat officer took the wine-list, and passed it over to the young officer.
"You select what we'll have to drink," said he, giving him the list and looking at him.
"Rhine wine, if you please," replied the young officer, looking timidly at Vronsky out of the corner of his eye and trying to twist his imaginary mustache.
When he saw that Vronsky did not turn, the young officer got up and said, "Let us go into the billiard-room."
The fat officer humbly arose, and the two went out of the door.
At the same time a tall, stately cavalry captain, named Yashvin, came in. He condescendingly and disdainfully nodded to the two officers, and went toward Vronsky.
"Ah! here he is," he cried, laying his heavy hand on Vronsky's shoulder. Vronsky turned round angrily, but in an instant a pleasant, friendly expression came into his face.
"Well, Alyosha!" said the cavalry captain, in his big baritone. "Have something more to eat, and drink one more glass with me."
"No; I don't want anything more to eat."
"Those are inseparables," said Yashvin, looking derisively at the two officers as they disappeared. Then he sat down, doubling up under the chair, which was too short for him, his long legs dressed in tight uniform trousers. "Why were n't you at the Krasmensky theater last evening? Numerova was not bad at all. Where were you?"
"I stayed too late at the Tverskoïs'," said Vronsky.
"Ah!" exclaimed Yashvin.
Yashvin, a gambler, a debauchee, was Vronsky's best friend in the regiment. It could not be said of him that he lacked principles. He had principles, but they were immoral ones. Vronsky liked him, both for his exceptional physical vigor, which allowed him to drink like a hogshead and not feel it, and to do absolutely without sleep if it were necessary, and also for his great social ability, which he employed in his relations to his superiors, and his comrades, attracting to himself their love and respect; and also in gambling, at which he risked tens of thousands, and always, no matter how much he had been drinking, played so cleverly and daringly that he was regarded as the leading gambler at the English Club.
Vronsky felt friendship and consideration for him, because he felt that Yashvin liked him, not for his fortune or his social position, but chiefly on his own account. Moreover, Yashvin was the only man to whom Vronsky would have been willing to speak of his love. He felt that, in spite of his affected scorn for all kinds of sentiment, he alone could appreciate the serious passion which now absorbed his whole life. Besides, he was persuaded that he found absolutely no pleasure in tittle-tattle and scandal, but considered this feeling as essential, in other words, that he knew and believed that love was no joke, no mere pastime, but something serious and important. Thus, taken all in all, his presence was always agreeable to him.
Vronsky had not yet spoken to him about his love, but he knew that Yashvin knew it—looked on it in its true light; and it was a pleasure to read this in his eyes.
"Ah, yes!" said the cavalry captain, when he heard the name of the Tverskoïs; and, flashing his brilliant black eyes at him, he seized his left mustache and began to cram it into his mouth, for this was a bad habit of his.
"And what did you do last evening? Did you gain?" asked Vronsky.
"Eight thousand rubles, but three thousand possibly are no good—I may not get them."
"Well! Then you may lose on me," said Vronsky, laughing; Yashvin had laid a large wager on him.
"But I shall not lose. Makhotin is the only one to be afraid of."
And the conversation went off in regard to the races, which was the only subject of which Vronsky could now think.
"Come on, I have done," said Vronsky, getting up and going to the door. Yashvin also arose, and stretched his huge legs and long back.
"I can't dine so early, but I will take something to drink. I will follow you immediately. Here, wine!" he cried, in his heavy voice, which was the wonder of the regiment; it made the windows rattle. "No, no matter!" he cried again; "if you are going home, I'll join you."
And he went off with Vronsky.
- ↑ Four and a half pud: a pud is 36.11 pounds.