,BOOK #a1 ,*APT] #aa 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,SIL5CE 5SU$4 ,! C\NTESS LOOK$ AT H] CALL]S1 SMIL+ AFFABLY1 BUT 
 NOT CONCEAL+ ! FACT ?AT %E W\LD NOT BE DI/RESS$ IF !Y N[ ROSE 
 & TOOK !IR LEAVE4 ,! VISITOR'S DAU<T] WAS ALREADY SMOO?+ D[N 
 H] DRESS ) AN 9QUIR+ LOOK AT H] MO!R1 :5 SUDD5LY FROM ! 
 NEXT ROOM W]E HE>D ! FOOT/EPS ( BOYS & GIRLS RUNN+ TO ! DOOR 
 & ! NOISE ( A *AIR FALL+ OV]1 & A GIRL ( ?IRTE51 HID+ 
 SOME?+ 9 ! FOLDS ( H] %ORT MUSL9 FROCK1 D>T$ 9 & /OPP$ 
 %ORT 9 ! MIDDLE ( ! ROOM4 ,IT WAS EVID5T ?AT %E HAD NOT 9T5D$ 
 H] FLI<T TO BR+ H] SO F>4 ,BEH9D H] 9 ! DOORWAY APPE>$ A 
 /UD5T ) A CRIMSON COAT COLL>1 AN (FIC] ( ! ,GU>DS1 A GIRL ( 
 FIFTE51 & A PLUMP ROSY-FAC$ BOY 9 A %ORT JACKET4 

,! C\NT JUMP$ UP &1 SWAY+ FROM SIDE TO SIDE1 SPREAD HIS >MS WIDE 
 & ?REW !M R\ND ! LITTLE GIRL :O HAD RUN 94 

0,AH1 H]E %E IS60 HE EXCLAIM$ LAU<+4 0,MY PET1 :OSE NAME DAY IT IS4 
 ,MY DE> PET60 

0,MA *]E1 !RE IS A TIME = EV]Y?+10 SAID ! C\NTESS ) 
 FEIGN$ SEV]ITY4 0,Y\ SPOIL H]1 ,ILYA10 %E ADD$1 TURN+ TO H] 
 HUSB&4 

0,H[ DO Y\ DO1 MY DE>8 ,I WI% Y\ MANY HAPPY RETURNS ( Y\R NAME DAY10 
 SAID ! VISITOR4 0,:AT A *>M+ *ILD10 %E ADD$1 ADDRESS+ ! 
 MO!R4 

,?IS BLACK-EY$1 WIDE-M\!D GIRL1 NOT PRETTY BUT FULL ( LIFE--) 
 *ILDI% B>E %\LD]S :I* AFT] H] RUN HEAV$ & %OOK H] BODICE1 
 ) BLACK CURLS TOSS$ BACKW>D1 ?9 B>E >MS1 LITTLE LEGS 9 
 LACE-FRILL$ DRAW]S1 & FEET 9 L[ SLIPP]S--WAS JU/ AT ?AT 
 *>M+ AGE :5 A GIRL IS NO LONG] A *ILD1 ?\< ! *ILD IS NOT YET 
 A Y\NG WOMAN4 ,ESCAP+ FROM H] FA!R %E RAN TO HIDE H] FLU%$ FACE 
 9 ! LACE ( H] MO!R'S MANTILLA--NOT PAY+ ! LEA/ ATT5TION 
 TO H] SEV]E REM>K--& BEGAN TO LAU<4 ,%E LAU<$1 & 9 
 FRAGM5T>Y S5T5CES TRI$ TO EXPLA9 AB\T A DOLL :I* %E PRODUC$ 
 FROM ! FOLDS ( H] FROCK4 

0,DO Y\ SEE8444 ,MY DOLL444 ,MIMI444 ,Y\ SEE4440 WAS ALL ,NATA%A MANAG$ TO 
 UTT] 7TO H] EV]Y?+ SEEM$ FUNNY74 ,%E LEAN$ AGA9/ H] MO!R & 
 BUR/ 9TO SU* A L\D1 R++ FIT ( LAU<T] ?AT EV5 ! PRIM VISITOR 
 C\LD NOT HELP JO9+ 94 

0,N[ !N1 GO AWAY & TAKE Y\R MON/ROSITY ) Y\10 SAID ! MO!R1 
 PU%+ AWAY H] DAU<T] ) PRET5D$ /]NNESS1 & TURN+ TO ! 
 VISITOR %E ADD$3 0,%E IS MY Y\NGE/ GIRL40 

,NATA%A1 RAIS+ H] FACE = A MOM5T FROM H] MO!R'S MANTILLA1 GLANC$ 
 UP AT H] ?R\< TE>S ( LAU<T]1 & AGA9 HID H] FACE4 

,! VISITOR1 COMPELL$ TO LOOK ON AT ?IS FAMILY SC5E1 ?\<T IT 
 NECESS>Y TO TAKE SOME P>T 9 IT4 

0,TELL ME1 MY DE>10 SAID %E TO ,NATA%A1 0IS ,MIMI A RELATION ( Y\RS8 ,A 
 DAU<T]1 ,I SUPPOSE80 

,NATA%A DID NOT LIKE ! VISITOR'S TONE ( CONDESC5SION TO *ILDI% 
 ?+S4 ,%E DID NOT REPLY1 BUT LOOK$ AT H] S]I\SLY4 

,MEAN:ILE ! Y\NG] G5]ATION3 ,BORIS1 ! (FIC]1 ,ANNA ,MIKHAYLOVNA'S 
 SON2 ,NI*OLAS1 ! UND]GRADUATE1 ! C\NT'S ELDE/ SON2 ,SONYA1 ! 
 C\NT'S FIFTE5-YE>-OLD NIECE1 & LITTLE ,PETYA1 HIS Y\NGE/ BOY1 HAD 
 ALL SETTL$ D[N 9 ! DRAW+ ROOM & W]E OBVI\SLY TRY+ TO RE/RA9 
 )9 ! B\NDS ( DECORUM ! EXCITEM5T & MIR? ?AT %ONE 9 ALL 
 !IR FACES4 ,EVID5TLY 9 ! BACK ROOMS1 FROM :I* !Y HAD DA%$ \T 
 SO IMPETU\SLY1 ! CONV]SATION HAD BE5 MORE AMUS+ ?AN ! DRAW+ 
 ROOM TALK ( SOCIETY SC&ALS1 ! WEA!R1 & ,C\NTESS ,APRAKS9A4 ,N[ 
 & !N !Y GLANC$ AT ONE ANO!R1 H>DLY ABLE TO SUPPRESS !IR 
 LAU<T]4 

,! TWO Y\NG M51 ! /UD5T & ! (FIC]1 FRI5DS FROM *ILDHOOD1 
 W]E ( ! SAME AGE & BO? H&SOME FELL[S1 ?\< NOT ALIKE4 ,BORIS 
 WAS TALL & FAIR1 & HIS CALM & H&SOME FACE HAD REGUL>1 DELICATE 
 FEATURES4 ,NI*OLAS WAS %ORT ) CURLY HAIR & AN OP5 EXPRESSION4 ,D>K 
 HAIRS W]E ALREADY %[+ ON HIS UPP] LIP1 & HIS :OLE FACE EXPRESS$ 
 IMPETUOSITY & 5?USIASM4 ,NI*OLAS BLU%$ :5 HE 5T]$ ! DRAW+ 
 ROOM4 ,HE EVID5TLY TRI$ TO F9D SOME?+ TO SAY1 BUT FAIL$4 ,BORIS ON 
 ! CONTR>Y AT ONCE F\ND HIS FOOT+1 & RELAT$ QUIETLY & HUMOR\SLY 
 H[ HE HAD KN[N ?AT DOLL ,MIMI :5 %E WAS /ILL QUITE A Y\NG LADY1 
 BE=E H] NOSE WAS BROK52 H[ %E HAD AG$ DUR+ ! FIVE YE>S HE HAD 
 KN[N H]1 & H[ H] HEAD HAD CRACK$ RI<T ACROSS ! SKULL4 ,HAV+ 
 SAID ?IS HE GLANC$ AT ,NATA%A4 ,%E TURN$ AWAY FROM HIM & GLANC$ AT 
 H] Y\NG] BRO!R1 :O WAS SCREW+ UP HIS EYES & %AK+ ) 
 SUPPRESS$ LAU<T]1 & UNABLE TO CONTROL H]SELF ANY LONG]1 %E JUMP$ 
 UP & RU%$ FROM ! ROOM AS FA/ AS H] NIMBLE LITTLE FEET W\LD C>RY 
 H]4 ,BORIS DID NOT LAU<4 

0,Y\ W]E MEAN+ TO GO \T1 W]5'T Y\1 ,MAMA8 ,DO Y\ WANT ! 
 C>RIAGE80 HE ASK$ HIS MO!R ) A SMILE4 

0,YES1 YES1 GO & TELL !M TO GET IT READY10 %E ANSW]$1 RETURN+ HIS 
 SMILE4 

,BORIS QUIETLY LEFT ! ROOM & W5T 9 SE>* ( ,NATA%A4 ,! PLUMP BOY 
 RAN AFT] !M ANGRILY1 AS IF VEX$ ?AT !IR PROGRAM HAD BE5 DI/URB$4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,BOOK #a1 ,*APT] #aa -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a1 #bag 3 ,BOOK #a1 ,*APT] #aa -- ,ADD$4 

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