第37页 / 共3800页

His daughter, Princess Helene, passed between the chairs, lightly

holding up the folds of her dress, and the smile shone still more

radiantly on her beautiful face. Pierre gazed at her with

rapturous, almost frightened, eyes as she passed him.

"Very lovely," said Prince Andrew.

"Very," said Pierre.

In passing Prince Vasili seized Pierre's hand and said to Anna

Pavlovna: "Educate this bear for me! He has been staying with me

a whole month and this is the first time I have seen him in

society. Nothing is so necessary for a young man as the society

of clever women."

Anna Pavlovna smiled and promised to take Pierre in hand. She

knew his father to be a connection of Prince Vasili's. The

elderly lady who had been sitting with the old aunt rose

hurriedly and overtook Prince Vasili in the anteroom. All the

affectation of interest she had assumed had left her kindly and

tear-worn face and it now expressed only anxiety and fear.