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"About the Karenins. The princess gave us a sketch of Alexey

Alexandrovitch," said the ambassador's wife with a smile, as she

sat down at the table.

"Pity we didn't hear it!" said Princess Betsy, glancing towards

the door. "Ah, here you are at last!" she said, turning with a

smile to Vronsky, as he came in.

Vronsky was not merely acquainted with all the persons whom he

was meeting here; he saw them all every day; and so he came in

with the quiet manner with which one enters a room full of people

from whom one has only just parted.

"Where do I come from?" he said, in answer to a question from the

ambassador's wife. "Well, there's no help for it, I must confess.

From the opera bouffe. I do believe I've seen it a hundred times,

and always with fresh enjoyment. It's exquisite! I know it's

disgraceful, but I go to sleep at the opera, and I sit out the

opera bouffe to the last minute, and enjoy it. This evening...."