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"Very well, very well. Oh, yes." She turned suddenly to Princess

Betsy: "I am a nice person ... I positively forgot it ... I've

brought you a visitor. And here he comes." The unexpected young

visitor, whom Sappho had invited, and whom she had forgotten,

was, however, a personage of such consequence that, in spite of

his youth, both the ladies rose on his entrance.

He was a new admirer of Sappho's. He now dogged her footsteps,

like Vaska.

Soon after Prince Kaluzhsky arrived, and Liza Merkalova with

Stremov. Liza Merkalova was a thin brunette, with an Oriental,

languid type of face, and-as everyone used to say-exquisite

enigmatic eyes. The tone of her dark dress (Anna immediately

observed and appreciated the fact) was in perfect harmony with

her style of beauty. Liza was as soft and enervated as Sappho was

smart and abrupt.