Pagina 275 van 3800

Just then a closed carriage and another with a hood drove up to

the porch. Prince Andrew got out of the carriage, helped his

little wife to alight, and let her pass into the house before

him. Old Tikhon, wearing a wig, put his head out of the door of

the antechamber, reported in a whisper that the prince was

sleeping, and hastily closed the door. Tikhon knew that neither

the son's arrival nor any other unusual event must be allowed to

disturb the appointed order of the day. Prince Andrew apparently

knew this as well as Tikhon; he looked at his watch as if to

ascertain whether his father's habits had changed since he was at

home last, and, having assured himself that they had not, he

turned to his wife.

"He will get up in twenty minutes. Let us go across to Mary's

room," he said.

The little princess had grown stouter during this time, but her

eyes and her short, downy, smiling lip lifted when she began to

speak just as merrily and prettily as ever.