"You'll have a cocktail, Mr. Rainsford," he suggested. The cocktail was surpassingly good; and, Rainsford noted, the table appoi
ntments were of the finest—the linen, the crystal, the silver, the china. They were eating borsch, the rich, red soup with whipped cream so dear to Russian palates. Half apologetically General Zaroff said, "We do our best to preserve the amenities of civilization here. Please forgive any lapses. We are well off the beaten track, you know. Do you think the champagne has suffered from its long ocean trip?"
The details of this excerpt show that Zaroff wants to appear
civilized.
educated.
helpful.
trustworthy.
He wants to appear civilized. The fine linens, and other items listed as well as the soup and his comment about the Champagne all are the trappings of a civilized person.
