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After washing and dressing, Prince Andrew came into the

diplomat's luxurious study and sat down to the dinner prepared

for him. Bilibin settled down comfortably beside the fire.

After his journey and the campaign during which he had been

deprived of all the comforts of cleanliness and all the

refinements of life, Prince Andrew felt a pleasant sense of

repose among luxurious surroundings such as he had been

accustomed to from childhood. Besides it was pleasant, after his

reception by the Austrians, to speak if not in Russian (for they

were speaking French) at least with a Russian who would, he

supposed, share the general Russian antipathy to the Austrians

which was then particularly strong.