forgotten him, was a guest of such importance that, not-withstanding his youth, all the ladies rose to receive him.
This was Safo's new adorer; and, just as Vaska did, he followed her every step.
Immediately after came Prince Kaluzhsky and Liza Merkalof with Stremof. Liza was a rather thin brunette, with an Oriental, indolent type of countenance, and with ravishing, and as everybody said, inscrutable eyes. The style of her dark dress was absolutely in keeping with her beauty. Anna noticed it, and approved. Liza was as quiet and unpretentious as Safo was loud and obstreperous.
But Liza, for Anna's taste, was vastly more attractive. Betsy, in speaking of her to Anna, had ridiculed her affectation of the manner of an innocent child; but when Anna saw her, she felt that this was not fair. Liza was really an innocent, gentle, and irresponsible woman, a little spoiled. To be sure, her morals were the same as Safo's. She also had in her train, as if sewed to her, two adorers, one young, the other old, who devoured her with their eyes. But there was something about her better than her surroundings; she was like a diamond of the purest water surrounded by glass. The brilliancy shone out of her lovely, enigmatical eyes. The wearied and yet passionate look of her eyes, surrounded by dark circles, struck one by its absolute sincerity. Any one looking into their depths would think that he knew her completely; and to know her was to love her. At the sight of Anna, her whole face suddenly lighted up with a happy smile.
"Oh! How glad I am to see you!" she said, as she went up to her. "Yesterday afternoon at the races I wanted to get to you, but you had just gone. I was so anxious to see you yesterday especially! Too bad, was n't it?" Said she, gazing at Anna with a look which seemed to disclose her whole soul.
"Yes! I never would have believed that anything could be so exciting," replied Anna, with some color.
The company now began to get ready to go to the lawn.
