"Monsieur Karenin, you should have brought her here sooner," Madame de Marelle complained with a smile.
Karenin responded with a polite smile.
The first time Anna saw Madame de Marelle, she felt that there was something unusual about this woman.
Not just referring to her outstanding appearance and elegant demeanor, nor her cleverness and diplomatic skills that fascinated many men, but the way Madame de Marelle looked at Karenin inadvertently, with Kind of ambiguous.
This ambiguity is the unique quality of a smart woman.
The fundamental reason why this type of woman is popular is that ordinary people can't get it, but Anna knows that she has been mixed with this type of woman since she was twelve years old. There is no shortage of cute and smart and excellent ones.
If a woman's meddling targets a man's purse, they will try their best to seduce him.
And a smart woman, if she accidentally loses her heart on someone, she will not be found out easily.
"I've heard about you before, but I haven't seen you. Now that I see you, I realize that the rumors are not true. You are even more beautiful than the rumors, Mrs. Karenin."
Madame de Marelle said kindly that she was so well-mannered, and perfectly displayed the grace of a pretty hostess.
Some men looked away from Anna, they were completely attracted by Madame de Mallelle's beauty and generosity, as if she was singing.
Anna smiled and exchanged greetings with Madame de Marelle. She pretended not to know anything, there was no need to tear her face apart first.
The men were going to get together to discuss government affairs, and Karenin asked Anna if she could be alone.
"What are you worried about? Will she still get lost in our house?" Madame de Marelle teased Karenin, holding Anna's hand affectionately.
If it were an ordinary man, facing such words, he would always respond with one or two affectionate responses or make fun of him, but Karenin was such a serious person.
He completely ignores this art of conversation between men and women, and only interprets it in its most innocent aspects.
"If you are taking care of me, I naturally don't have to worry about these problems."
Anna smiled secretly in her heart, this time she was not going to tell Karenin the truth.
"Come on, Madame Karenin, many ladies want to see you!" Madame de Marelle said in an elegant tone, she had naturally let go of Anna's hand, and changed Returning to a dignified yet cordial look.
Anna thought to herself, what are these people looking at me for? I am not a monkey in the zoo, but I kept a curious smile on my face.
She followed Madame de Mallelle and was surrounded. But she was not familiar with these ladies at all, and the final result was that she became a monkey, and Mrs. de Marelle became the commentator of the stars.
It's not that no one paid attention to her, but Anna couldn't fully answer the questions raised by the ladies. Such as the scenery of Petersburg, the banquet, the theater.
"Sorry, Mrs. Karenin, I forgot that you haven't been married for long." said a lady with a powdered face, her white breasts trembling.
"Mrs. de Funes, I heard from my husband that the popular play in Petersburg these days is..."
Madame de Mallelle would always relieve Ana of the embarrassment, and then once again become the focus of everyone in the scene.
These people think in their hearts: "Look, so what if she is beautiful? She doesn't know anything, maybe her rich dowry is just a rumor, and there are many families with empty names and no strength these days. On the other hand, our dear De Madame Malele, she is beautiful, elegant and learned."
Anna knew what these people were thinking in their hearts. She felt bored and couldn't say anything. After all, she was not just representing herself now. It is irresponsible to walk away willfully.
Pretending to be listening to these high-spirited conversations, she took advantage of tea to look at Karenin, but she did not notice her husband.
"Sorry, I have to go to the dressing room." Madame de Marelle said apologetically, stopping.
"Anyone else want to join me?"
"Yeah, I'm going to the dressing room too," said a buxom young woman in an overly flashy dress that was, frankly, kind of awful, look at those freckles that couldn't be concealed, in the perfume Under the print of the golden satin neckline, it looks like wheat that has just shed its husk.
After Madame de Mallelle left for a while, the women's interest returned to Anna, or to be precise, to her gown.
"Which tailor did you hire to make it?" asked a young lady of seventeen or eighteen.
"I made it myself, it was a pretty ordinary velvet dress," Anna said honestly, and finally she was a little happy, she likes to talk about clothes, about the little designs, the cuts, not just piled up in rubles Expensive, but apparently she committed a no-no.
This is an age where money is king, and in this flashy and eccentric circle, something is worth more in where it is placed and who owns it than anything else.
"That's right, what a clever idea you have." The young lady who asked the question has lost her interest now, and although she still maintains her etiquette, she is even smiling.
But the production process that Anna rushed to her lips to talk about was now firmly swallowed. She smiled and followed the rhythm of these people, and started the next round of boring conversation.
Her throat was a little dry, Anna took another sip of her black tea, and then she glanced outside.
Anna paused while drinking tea, and after a while she silently put down the teacup.
"You are finally here." The ladies present said happily when they saw Mrs. de Marelle approaching, and they began to surround the lady again.
"Let me have a cup of tea first, ladies," said Madame de Marelle in a charming tone, her cheeks flushed charmingly.
"Won't you have some tea, Madame Karenin?" asked Madame de Marelle.
"I drank it before you came back." Anna replied with a smile.
Madame de Marelle also showed a charming smile. She picked up a thin silver spoon and slowly stirred the hot black tea in her hand, then poured the milk in the transparent container into it, and stirred again.
"Look, Mrs. Karenin, this tea needs to be stirred from time to time, otherwise the effect will be greatly reduced. These swirls look very unstable, but in fact, without these swirls, the tea's delicious taste cannot be fully evaporated."
Madame de Marelle's brightly painted little finger held the glass wall slightly properly, and she raised her eyes to Anna, with a smile in her charming eyes.
"Are you right?"
Anna also laughed, picked up her cold cup of black tea, and said, "Everyone has their own preferences. Some people like what's in the cup, so they pursue it to the extreme. Like me, I don't really like tea."
"What do you like?" asked Madame de Marelle with concern.
"Just water."
"I have to say that your request is quite different," said Madame de Marelle without any sarcasm, picking up the transparent container.
Anna put the cold cup of black tea aside, and then took the glass of water that Mrs. de Marelle poured for her.
"My husband often comments on me like this." Anna laughed, and some ladies around laughed too, and whispered how sweet it was.
Madame de Marelle went on drinking tea. The conversation of the ladies continued.
Before you know it, it's time for the dance, and the first song is a very cheerful mazurka dance.
The men began to invite the ladies to dance, and the group headed by M. de Marelle said in a deep voice: "This first dance you have to dance with my wife, your argument just now is very exciting!"
Anna knew immediately who the debating gentleman was, and if it hadn't been her husband, she would have found it quite amusing, to be honest.
"Madame Karenin, do I have the honor of inviting you to this opening dance?" asked the fat, kind M. de Mallelle kindly.
"Oh, of course, Monsieur de Marelle." Anna made a skirt offer, which she could not refuse, and which she knew Karenin would not even understand.
Monsieur de Mallelle was not a funny man, but he danced well and with great surety, and they talked about things that weren't really funny, but this gentleman seemed to have a lower sense of humor, and to outsiders they seemed It's like talking very speculatively.
As the song was about to end, Anna smiled at the fat gentleman and said, "The first dance is for the country, and the second dance must belong to the partner."
M. de Marelle laughed again, agreeing with Anna.
"Everyone says I'm a fool in bliss, but they don't know how happy it is to be such a fool." M. de Marelle winked at Anna.
At the beginning of the next dance M. de Marelle performed the unthinkable with his fat hands.
The two women meet in mid-air.
Madame de Marelle smiled at Anna to maintain her pride, and Anna also smiled back, still not knowing what was going on.
The hem of her skirt almost stirred the wind, her right hand fell into Karenin's big hand, and her left hand rested firmly on the other's shoulder, feeling the warmth of her hand from the skin around her waist. Under the slow rhythm, Anna lifted He began to look at his husband.
She bit her lower lip quickly, and then muttered bitterly: "Mine, others can't move."
"What?" Karenin couldn't hear clearly.
Anna looked at each other with a charming smile on the corner of her mouth.
"you are mine."
"I'm defending the happiness of two people."
She said it. Because she thought M. de Mallelle was a good man.
"Who else?" Karenin asked with a slight frown.
Now it was Anna's turn to be taken aback.
Karenin's blue eyes became darker, and he said in a calm tone after a while: "Let's talk about this issue when we go back."