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As always happens when women lead lonely lives for any length of

time without male society, on Anatole's appearance all the three

women of Prince Bolkonski's household felt that their life had

not been real till then. Their powers of reasoning, feeling, and

observing immediately increased tenfold, and their life, which

seemed to have been passed in darkness, was suddenly lit up by a

new brightness, full of significance.

Princess Mary grew quite unconscious of her face and coiffure.

The handsome open face of the man who might perhaps be her

husband absorbed all her attention. He seemed to her kind, brave,

determined, manly, and magnanimous. She felt convinced of that.

Thousands of dreams of a future family life continually rose in

her imagination. She drove them away and tried to conceal them.