Part 30 (2/2)
She is unhurried, not loquacious, Not cold, standoffish, not ungracious, She does not stare with insolence, And to success makes no pretence; Reveals no petty affectation Or imitative artifice, She shows a quiet, simple grace, And seems a faithful ill.u.s.tration Of comme il faut (a phrase which I, s.h.i.+shkov17 forgive, can't Russify).
15.
The ladies gathered closer to her; Old women smiled as she pa.s.sed by, The gentlemen were bowing lower, Endeavouring to catch her eye.
In front of her, the girls stopped chasing Across the room, while gravely raising Shoulders and nose above them all, The general impressed the hall.
None could have said she was a beauty, Nevertheless, from head to foot, None could have found in her what would, In fas.h.i.+onable London city, In that high autocratic court, Be known as vulgar (I can not...
16.
I' m very fond of this expression, But own, I can't translate it yet, It still feels like an innovation And hardly suits our etiquette; An epigram might serve it better...) But let me turn now to our matter.
With carefree charm, our lady sat, Engaged in amicable chat With Nina Voronskoy, at table, The Cleopatra of Neva,18 Who, though more beautiful by far, With cla.s.sic features, smooth like marble, Could not eclipse her fellow guest, For all the dazzle she possessed.
17.
'Can it be possible?' thinks Eugene 'Can it be she? But no... and yet...
What! From the steppes, that outback region...?'
He keeps his resolute lorgnette Directed at her every minute And dimly sees, reflected in it, Looks he'd forgotten long ago.
'Excuse me, Prince, but do you know That lady in the crimson beret Talking with Spain's amba.s.sador?'19 The Prince looks at Onegin: 'Ah!
You've been away a long time a very, Wait, I'll present you, when they end.'
'But who is she?' 'My wife, dear friend.'
18.
'You're married.' 'Oh, you did not know then?'
'How long?' 'About two years.' 'To whom?'
'To Larina.' 'Tatiana!' 'Oh then, She knows you.' 'I live near her home.'
'In that case, come,'the Prince says, taking His relative and friend, Onegin, To meet his wife. The Princess looks At him... and whatsoever shakes Her soul, whatever her impression Of him or the astonishment She feels or the bewilderment, Nothing betrays her self-possession.
Her tone remains as it had been, Her bow is equally serene.
19.
Not only did she not take flight now, Or suddenly turn crimson, white...
She never even moved an eyebrow, Nor pursed her lips a bit too tight.
Although Onegin looked most closely, He found no trace in her that loosely Recalled the girl that he had met.
He wanted to address her... yet He could not... She then spoke, inquiring How long had he been here, and whence, And was it from their parts perchance; Then to her husband turned, retiring.
With weary look she glided hence...
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