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She could not refrain from weeping at these words. Touched that

this statuesque princess could so change, Pierre took her hand

and begged her forgiveness, without knowing what for. From that

day the eldest princess quite changed toward Pierre and began

knitting a striped scarf for him.

"Do this for my sake, mon cher; after all, she had to put up with

a great deal from the deceased," said Prince Vasili to him,

handing him a deed to sign for the princess' benefit.

Prince Vasili had come to the conclusion that it was necessary to

throw this bone-a bill for thirty thousand rubles-to the poor

princess that it might not occur to her to speak of his share in

the affair of the inlaid portfolio. Pierre signed the deed and

after that the princess grew still kinder. The younger sisters

also became affectionate to him, especially the youngest, the

pretty one with the mole, who often made him feel confused by her

smiles and her own confusion when meeting him.