The vicomte was a nice-looking young man
with soft features and polished manners,
who evidently considered himself a celebrity but out
of politeness modestly placed himself at the disposal of
the circle in which he found himself.
Anna Pavlovna was obviously serving him up 
as a treat to her guests.
As a clever maitre d'hotel serves up as a specially choice
delicacy a piece of meat that no one who had seen
it in the kitchen would have cared to eat,
so Anna Pavlovna served up to her guests,
first the vicomte and then the abbe,
as peculiarly choice morsels.
The group about Mortemart
immediately began discussing the murder
of the Duc d'Enghien.
The vicomte said that the
Ducd'Enghien had perished by his own magnanimity,
and that there were particular reasons for
Buonaparte's hatred of him.