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"And am I to bring the gypsy girls along with him?" asked

Nicholas, laughing. "Dear, dear!..."

At that moment, with noiseless footsteps and with the

businesslike, preoccupied, yet meekly Christian look which never

left her face, Anna Mikhaylovna entered the hall. Though she came

upon the count in his dressing gown every day, he invariably

became confused and begged her to excuse his costume.

"No matter at all, my dear count," she said, meekly closing her

eyes. "But I'll go to Bezukhov's myself. Pierre has arrived, and

now we shall get anything we want from his hothouses. I have to

see him in any case. He has forwarded me a letter from Boris.

Thank God, Boris is now on the staff."

The count was delighted at Anna Mikhaylovna's taking upon herself

one of his commissions and ordered the small closed carriage for

her.

"Tell Bezukhov to come. I'll put his name down. Is his wife with

him?" he asked.

Anna Mikhaylovna turned up her eyes, and profound sadness was

depicted on her face.