The old marshal had decided to be a candidate, although he felt that there was something up, some trick in preparation; and though he knew that not all the districts had nominated him, still he decided to stand.
Silence reigned in the hall; the secretary in a loud voice explained that votes would now be cast for Mikhaïl Stepanovitch Snetkof, captain of the guard,[1] as government marshal.
The district marshals went from their desks to the government table with plates in which were the ballots, and the election began. "Deposit it at the right," whispered Stepan Arkadyevitch to Levin, as he and his brother approached the table behind the district marshal. But Levin now forgot the count which they had explained to him, and was afraid that Stepan Arkadyevitch had made a mistake in saying "At the right." Now Snetkof was the opposition candidate. Going up to the box. Levin held the ballot in his right hand, but thinking that he was wrong, he transferred the ballot to his left hand just in front of the box itself, and consequently deposited it in the wrong place. The tally-keeper who stood by the box, knowing by the mere motion of the elbow how each one voted, involuntarily frowned. There was no reason for him to practise his cleverness.
Deep silence reigned and the click of the ballots was heard. Then a single voice was heard announcing the affirmative and negative votes.
The marshal was chosen by a decided majority. A great tumult arose, and all rushed toward the door. Snetkof came in, and the nobles surrounded him, offering him their congratulations.
"Well! is it over?" asked Levin of Sergyeï Ivanovitch.
"On the contrary, it is just begun," replied Sviazhsky, taking the words out of his brother's mouth, and smiling. "The opposition candidate may have more votes."
Levin had forgotten all about this, and only now realized that this was only finessing. But it was a bore to him to recall what the plan had been. He felt a sort of humiliation, and a desire to escape from the throng. As
- ↑ Rotmistr gvardi.
