Astraddle, she [Cordula] resembled a child braving her first
merry-go-round. She made a rectangular moue as she used that vulgar
contraption. Sad, sullen streetwalkers do it with expressionless faces, lips
tightly closed. She rode it twice. (3.2)
This and a steeplechase picture of 'Pale Fire with Tom Cox
Up' above Cordula's and Tobak's bed made me think of Karenin's
reply to Betsy Tverskaya's jocular question if he participates in
the steeplechase: моя скачка труднее ("My horse-race is more difficult").
Karenin is a deceived husband and it is his wife's lover, Vronsky, who
takes part in the steeplechase (and falls with his horse).
In Ada, G. A. Vronsky (the movie man) is one of
Marina's former lovers. The name of another lover, d'Onsky (nicknamed
Skonky), suggests that he is a horse (the Don stallion). Fire is the
element that destroys Marina (3.1).
Also, Stiva Oblonsky (Anna's brother) loves to misquote
Pushkin's lines:
Узнают коней ретивых
по каких-то их таврам
(The spirited horses
are recognized by their brands)
implying that, like Pushkin, he can recognize happy
lovers by their eyes.
Alexey Sklyarenko