,BOOK #f1 ,*APT] #bd 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,NO BETRO?AL C]EMONY TOOK PLACE & ,NATA%A'S 5GAGEM5T TO ,BOLKONSKI WAS 
 NOT ANN\NC$2 ,PR9CE ,&REW 9SI/$ ON ?AT4 ,HE SAID ?AT AS HE WAS 
 RESPONSIBLE = ! DELAY HE \<T TO BE> ! :OLE BURD5 ( IT2 ?AT HE 
 HAD GIV5 HIS WORD & B\ND HIMSELF =EV]1 BUT ?AT HE DID NOT WI% TO 
 B9D ,NATA%A & GAVE H] P]FECT FRE$OM4 ,IF AFT] SIX MON?S %E FELT 
 ?AT %E DID NOT LOVE HIM %E W\LD HAVE FULL RI<T TO REJECT HIM4 
 ,NATURALLY NEI!R ,NATA%A NOR H] P>5TS WI%$ TO HE> ( ?IS1 BUT 
 ,PR9CE ,&REW WAS FIRM4 ,HE CAME EV]Y DAY TO ! ,RO/OVS'1 BUT DID NOT 
 BEHAVE TO ,NATA%A AS AN AFFIANC$ LOV]3 HE DID NOT USE ! FAMILI> ?\1 
 BUT SAID Y\ TO H]1 & KISS$ ONLY H] H&4 ,AFT] !IR 5GAGEM5T1 
 QUITE DIFF]5T1 9TIMATE1 & NATURAL RELATIONS SPRANG UP BETWE5 !M4 
 ,IT WAS AS IF !Y HAD NOT KN[N EA* O!R TILL N[4 ,BO? LIK$ TO RECALL 
 H[ !Y HAD REG>D$ EA* O!R :5 AS YET !Y W]E NO?+ TO ONE 
 ANO!R2 !Y FELT !MSELVES N[ QUITE DIFF]5T BE+S3 !N !Y W]E 
 >TIFICIAL1 N[ NATURAL & S9C]E4 ,AT FIR/ ! FAMILY FELT SOME 
 CON/RA9T 9 9T]C\RSE ) ,PR9CE ,&REW2 HE SEEM$ A MAN FROM ANO!R 
 WORLD1 & = A LONG TIME ,NATA%A TRA9$ ! FAMILY TO GET US$ TO HIM1 
 PR\DLY ASSUR+ !M ALL ?AT HE ONLY APPE>$ TO BE DIFF]5T1 BUT WAS 
 REALLY JU/ LIKE ALL ( !M1 & ?AT %E WAS NOT AFRAID ( HIM & NO 
 ONE ELSE \<T TO BE4 ,AFT] A FEW DAYS !Y GREW ACCU/OM$ TO HIM1 & 
 )\T RE/RA9T 9 HIS PRES5CE PURSU$ !IR USUAL WAY ( LIFE1 9 
 :I* HE TOOK HIS P>T4 ,HE C\LD TALK AB\T RURAL ECONOMY ) ! C\NT1 
 FA%IONS ) ! C\NTESS & ,NATA%A1 & AB\T ALBUMS & FANCYWORK 
 ) ,SONYA4 ,SOMETIMES ! H\SEHOLD BO? AMONG !MSELVES & 9 HIS 
 PRES5CE EXPRESS$ !IR WOND] AT H[ IT HAD ALL HAPP5$1 & AT ! 
 EVID5T OM5S !RE HAD BE5 ( IT3 ,PR9CE ,&REW'S COM+ TO ,OTRADNOE & 
 !IR COM+ TO ,PET]SBURG1 & ! LIK5ESS BETWE5 ,NATA%A & ,PR9CE 
 ,&REW :I* H] NURSE HAD NOTIC$ ON HIS FIR/ VISIT1 & ,&REW'S 
 5C\NT] ) ,NI*OLAS 9 #a#h#e1 & MANY O!R 9CID5TS BETOK5+ ?AT 
 IT HAD TO BE4 

,9 ! H\SE ?AT POETIC DULLNESS & QUIET REIGN$ :I* ALWAYS 
 ACCOMPANIES ! PRES5CE ( A BETRO!D C\PLE4 ,(T5 :5 ALL SITT+ 
 TOGE!R EV]YONE KEPT SIL5T4 ,SOMETIMES ! O!RS W\LD GET UP & GO 
 AWAY & ! C\PLE1 LEFT ALONE1 /ILL REMA9$ SIL5T4 ,!Y R>ELY SPOKE 
 ( !IR FUTURE LIFE4 ,PR9CE ,&REW WAS AFRAID & A%AM$ TO SPEAK ( IT4 
 ,NATA%A %>$ ?IS AS %E DID ALL HIS FEEL+S1 :I* %E CON/ANTLY 
 DIV9$4 ,ONCE %E BEGAN QUE/ION+ HIM AB\T HIS SON4 ,PR9CE ,&REW 
 BLU%$1 AS HE (T5 DID N[--,NATA%A P>TICUL>LY LIK$ IT 9 HIM--& 
 SAID ?AT HIS SON W\LD NOT LIVE ) !M4 

0,:Y NOT80 ASK$ ,NATA%A 9 A FRI<T5$ TONE4 

0,I CANNOT TAKE HIM AWAY FROM HIS GR&FA!R1 & BESIDES4440 

0,H[ ,I %\LD HAVE LOV$ HIM60 SAID ,NATA%A1 IMM$IATELY GUESS+ HIS 
 ?\<T2 0BUT ,I KN[ Y\ WI% TO AVOID ANY PRETEXT = F9D+ FAULT ) 
 US40 

,SOMETIMES ! OLD C\NT W\LD COME UP1 KISS ,PR9CE ,&REW1 & ASK HIS 
 ADVICE AB\T ,PETYA'S $UCATION OR ,NI*OLAS' S]VICE4 ,! OLD C\NTESS 
 SI<$ AS %E LOOK$ AT !M2 ,SONYA WAS ALWAYS GETT+ FRI<T5$ LE/ %E 
 %\LD BE 9 ! WAY & TRI$ TO F9D EXCUSES = LEAV+ !M ALONE1 
 EV5 :5 !Y DID NOT WI% IT4 ,:5 ,PR9CE ,&REW SPOKE 7HE C\LD TELL A 
 /ORY V]Y WELL71 ,NATA%A LI/5$ TO HIM ) PRIDE2 :5 %E SPOKE %E 
 NOTIC$ ) FE> & JOY ?AT HE GAZ$ ATT5TIVELY & SCRUT9IZ+LY AT 
 H]4 ,%E ASK$ H]SELF 9 P]PLEXITY3 0,:AT DOES HE LOOK = 9 ME8 ,HE IS 
 TRY+ TO DISCOV] SOME?+ BY LOOK+ AT ME6 ,:AT IF :AT HE SEEKS 9 ME 
 IS NOT !RE80 ,SOMETIMES %E FELL 9TO ONE ( ! MAD1 M]RY MOODS 
 *>ACT]I/IC ( H]1 & !N %E P>TICUL>LY LOV$ TO HE> & SEE H[ 
 ,PR9CE ,&REW LAU<$4 ,HE SELDOM LAU<$1 BUT :5 HE DID HE AB&ON$ 
 HIMSELF 5TIRELY TO HIS LAU<T]1 & AFT] SU* A LAU< %E ALWAYS FELT 
 NE>] TO HIM4 ,NATA%A W\LD HAVE BE5 COMPLETELY HAPPY IF ! ?\<T ( 
 ! SEP>ATION AWAIT+ H] & DRAW+ NE> HAD NOT T]RIFI$ H]1 JU/ 
 AS ! M]E ?\<T ( IT MADE HIM TURN PALE & COLD4 

,ON ! EVE ( HIS DEP>TURE FROM ,PET]SBURG ,PR9CE ,&REW BR\<T ) HIM 
 ,PI]RE1 :O HAD NOT BE5 TO ! ,RO/OVS' ONCE S9CE ! BALL4 ,PI]RE 
 SEEM$ DISCONC]T$ & EMB>RASS$4 ,HE WAS TALK+ TO ! C\NTESS1 & 
 ,NATA%A SAT D[N BESIDE A LITTLE *ESS TABLE ) ,SONYA1 !REBY 9VIT+ 
 ,PR9CE ,&REW TO COME TOO4 ,HE DID SO4 

0,Y\ HAVE KN[N ,BEZUKHOV A LONG TIME80 HE ASK$4 0,DO Y\ LIKE HIM80 

0,YES1 HE'S A DE>1 BUT V]Y ABSURD40 

,& AS USUAL :5 SPEAK+ ( ,PI]RE1 %E BEGAN TO TELL ANECDOTES ( HIS 
 ABS5T-M9D$NESS1 SOME ( :I* HAD EV5 BE5 9V5T$ AB\T HIM4 

0,DO Y\ KN[ ,I HAVE 5TRU/$ HIM ) \R SECRET8 ,I HAVE KN[N HIM FROM 
 *ILDHOOD4 ,HE HAS A HE>T ( GOLD4 ,I BEG Y\1 ,NATALIE10 ,PR9CE ,&REW SAID 
 ) SUDD5 S]I\SNESS--0,I AM GO+ AWAY & HEAV5 KN[S :AT MAY 
 HAPP54 ,Y\ MAY CEASE TO444 ALL RI<T1 ,I KN[ ,I AM NOT TO SAY ?AT4 ,ONLY 
 ?IS1 !N3 :ATEV] MAY HAPP5 TO Y\ :5 ,I AM NOT H]E4440 

0,:AT CAN HAPP580 

0,:ATEV] TR\BLE MAY COME10 ,PR9CE ,&REW CONT9U$1 0,I BEG Y\1 
 ,MADEMOISELLE ,SOPHIE1 :ATEV] MAY HAPP51 TO TURN TO HIM ALONE = ADVICE 
 & HELP6 ,HE IS A MO/ ABS5T-M9D$ & ABSURD FELL[1 BUT HE HAS A HE>T 
 ( GOLD40 

,NEI!R H] FA!R1 NOR H] MO!R1 NOR ,SONYA1 NOR ,PR9CE ,&REW HIMSELF 
 C\LD HAVE =ESE5 H[ ! SEP>ATION FROM H] LOV] W\LD ACT ON 
 ,NATA%A4 ,FLU%$ & AGITAT$ %E W5T AB\T ! H\SE ALL ?AT DAY1 
 DRY-EY$1 OCCUPI$ ) MO/ TRIVIAL MATT]S AS IF NOT UND]/&+ :AT 
 AWAIT$ H]4 ,%E DID NOT EV5 CRY :51 ON TAK+ LEAVE1 HE KISS$ H] 
 H& = ! LA/ TIME4 0,DON'T GO60 %E SAID 9 A TONE ?AT MADE HIM 
 WOND] :E!R HE REALLY \<T NOT TO /AY & :I* HE REMEMB]$ LONG 
 AFT]W>DS4 ,NOR DID %E CRY :5 HE WAS GONE2 BUT = SEV]AL DAYS %E SAT 
 9 H] ROOM DRY-EY$1 TAK+ NO 9T]E/ 9 ANY?+ & ONLY SAY+ N[ 
 & !N1 0,OH1 :Y DID HE GO AWAY80 

,BUT A =TNI<T AFT] HIS DEP>TURE1 TO ! SURPRISE ( ?OSE >\ND H]1 
 %E RECOV]$ FROM H] M5TAL SICKNESS JU/ AS SUDD5LY & BECAME H] OLD 
 SELF AGA91 BUT ) A *ANGE 9 H] MORAL PHYSIOGNOMY1 AS A *ILD GETS UP 
 AFT] A LONG ILLNESS ) A *ANG$ EXPRESSION ( FACE4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,BOOK #f1 ,*APT] #bd -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a#a1 #bag 3 ,BOOK #f1 ,*APT] #bd -- ,ADD$4 

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