Anna Pavlovna's reception was in full swing. The spindles hummedsteadily and ceaselessly on all sides. With the exception of the aunt,beside whom sat only one elderly lady, who with her thin careworn facewas rather out of place in this brilliant society, the whole companyhad settled into three groups. One, chiefly masculine,
cheap newports cigarettes carton, had formedround the abbe. Another, of young people,
marlboro cigarettes, was grouped round thebeautiful Princess Helene, Prince Vasili's daughter,
wholesale newport cartons, and the littlePrincess Bolkonskaya, very pretty and rosy, though rather too plumpfor her age. The third group was gathered round Mortemart and AnnaPavlovna.
The vicomte was a nice-looking young man with soft features andpolished manners, who evidently considered himself a celebrity but outof politeness modestly placed himself at the disposal of the circle inwhich he found himself. Anna Pavlovna was obviously serving him upas a treat to her guests. As a clever maitre d'hotel serves up as aspecially choice delicacy a piece of meat that no one who had seenit in the kitchen would have cared to eat, so Anna Pavlovna servedup to her guests,
marlboro menthol, first the vicomte and then the abbe, as peculiarlychoice morsels. The group about Mortemart immediately began discussingthe murder of the Duc d'Enghien. The vicomte said that the Ducd'Enghien had perished by his own magnanimity, and that there wereparticular reasons for Buonaparte's hatred of him.
"Ah, yes! Do tell us all about it, Vicomte," said Anna Pavlovna,
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newport 100, Vicomte."
The vicomte bowed and smiled courteously in token of his willingnessto comply. Anna Pavlovna arranged a group round him, inviting everyoneto listen to his tale.