Pagina 636 de 3800

After supper Pierre with his partner followed the others into the

drawing room. The guests began to disperse, some without taking

leave of Helene. Some, as if unwilling to distract her from an

important occupation, came up to her for a moment and made haste

to go away, refusing to let her see them off. The diplomatist

preserved a mournful silence as he left the drawing room. He

pictured the vanity of his diplomatic career in comparison with

Pierre's happiness. The old general grumbled at his wife when she

asked how his leg was. "Oh, the old fool," he thought. "That

Princess Helene will be beautiful still when she's fifty."

"I think I may congratulate you," whispered Anna Pavlovna to the

old princess, kissing her soundly. "If I hadn't this headache I'd

have stayed longer."

The old princess did not reply, she was tormented by jealousy of

her daughter's happiness.