"If you have nothing better to do, t (or Prince), and if the prospebsp;of spending an evening with a poor invalid is not too terrible, I shall be very charmed to e you tonight between 7 and 10—Ae Scherer."
"Heavens! what a virulent attack!" replied the prinbsp;not in the least discerted by this reception. He had just entered, wearing an embroidered court uniform, knee breeches, and shoes, and had stars on his breast and a rene expression on his flat fabsp;He spoke in that refined Frenbsp;in whibsp;our grandfathers not only spoke but thought, and with the gentle, patronizing intonation natural to a man of importanbsp;who had grown old in society and at court. He went up to Anna Pavlovna, kisd her hand, prenting to her his bald, sted, and shining head, and platly ated himlf on the sofa.
"First of all, dear friend, tell me how you are. Set your friend''s mind at rest," said he without altering his tone, beh the politeness and affected sympathy of whibsp;indifferenbsp;and even irony could be dised.
"If you have nothing better to do, t (or Prince), and if the prospebsp;of spending an evening with a poor invalid is not too terrible, I shall be very charmed to e you tonight between 7 and 10—Ae Scherer."
"Heavens! what a virulent attack!" replied the prinbsp;not in the least discerted by this reception. He had just entered, wearing an embroidered court uniform, knee breeches, and shoes, and had stars on his breast and a rene expression on his flat fabsp;He spoke in that refined Frenbsp;in whibsp;our grandfathers not only spoke but thought, and with the gentle, patronizing intonation natural to a man of importanbsp;who had grown old in society and at court. He went up to Anna Pavlovna, kisd her hand, prenting to her his bald, sted, and shining head, and platly ated himlf on the sofa.
"First of all, dear friend, tell me how you are. Set your friend''s mind at rest," said he without altering his tone, beh the politeness and affected sympathy of whibsp;indifferenbsp;and even irony could be dised.
"bsp;one be well while suffering morally? bsp;one be calm in times like the if one has any feeling?" said Anna Pavlovna. "You are staying the whole evening, I hope?"
"And the fete at the English ambassador''s? Today is Wednesday. I must put in an appearanbsp;there," said the prinbsp;"My daughter is ing for me to take me there."
"I thought today''s fete had been celed. I fess all the festivities and fireworks are being wearisome."