Страница 156 из 2288

"What have you done? I'll tell you what. First of all, you're

trying to catch an eligible gentleman, and all Moscow will be

talking of it, and with good reason. If you have evening parties,

invite everyone, don't pick out the possible suitors. Invite all

the young bucks. Engage a piano player, and let them dance, and

not as you do things nowadays, hunting up good matches. It makes

me sick, sick to see it, and you've gone on till you've turned

the poor wench's head. Levin's a thousand times the better man.

As for this little Petersburg swell, they're turned out by

machinery, all on one pattern, and all precious rubbish. But if

he were a prince of the blood, my daughter need not run after

anyone."

"But what have I done?"

"Why, you've...." The prince was crying wrathfully.

"I know if one were to listen to you," interrupted the princess,

"we should never marry our daughter. If it's to be so, we'd

better go into the country."

"Well, and we had better."