,EPILOGUE #a1 ,*APT] #aa 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,TWO MON?S PREVI\SLY :5 ,PI]RE WAS ALREADY /AY+ ) ! ,RO/OVS HE 
 HAD RECEIV$ A LETT] FROM ,PR9CE ,!ODORE1 ASK+ HIM TO COME TO 
 ,PET]SBURG TO CONF] ON SOME IMPORTANT QUE/IONS ?AT W]E BE+ DISCUSS$ 
 !RE BY A SOCIETY ( :I* ,PI]RE WAS ONE ( ! PR9CIPAL F\ND]S4 

,ON READ+ ?AT LETT] 7%E ALWAYS READ H] HUSB&'S LETT]S7 ,NATA%A 
 H]SELF SUGGE/$ ?AT HE %\LD GO TO ,PET]SBURG1 ?\< %E W\LD FEEL 
 HIS ABS5CE V]Y ACUTELY4 ,%E ATTRIBUT$ IMM5SE IMPORTANCE TO ALL H] 
 HUSB&'S 9TELLECTUAL & AB/RACT 9T]E/S ?\< %E DID NOT 
 UND]/& !M1 & %E ALWAYS DREAD$ BE+ A H9DRANCE TO HIM 9 SU* 
 MATT]S4 ,TO ,PI]RE'S TIMID LOOK ( 9QUIRY AFT] READ+ ! LETT] %E 
 REPLI$ BY ASK+ HIM TO GO1 BUT TO FIX A DEF9ITE DATE = HIS RETURN4 ,HE 
 WAS GIV5 F\R WEEKS' LEAVE ( ABS5CE4 

,EV] S9CE ?AT LEAVE ( ABS5CE HAD EXPIR$1 MORE ?AN A =TNI<T 
 BE=E1 ,NATA%A HAD BE5 9 A CON/ANT /ATE ( AL>M1 DEPRESSION1 & 
 IRRITABILITY4 

,D5ISOV1 N[ A G5]AL ON ! RETIR$ LI/ & MU* DISSATISFI$ ) ! 
 PRES5T /ATE ( AFFAIRS1 HAD >RIV$ DUR+ ?AT =TNI<T4 ,HE LOOK$ AT 
 ,NATA%A ) SORR[ & SURPRISE AS AT A BAD LIK5ESS ( A P]SON ONCE 
 DE>4 ,A DULL1 DEJECT$ LOOK1 R&OM REPLIES1 & TALK AB\T ! NURS]Y 
 WAS ALL HE SAW & HE>D FROM HIS =M] 5*ANTRESS4 

,NATA%A WAS SAD & IRRITABLE ALL ?AT TIME1 ESPECIALLY :5 H] MO!R1 
 H] BRO!R1 ,SONYA1 OR ,C\NTESS ,M>Y 9 !IR EF=TS TO CONSOLE H] TRI$ 
 TO EXCUSE ,PI]RE & SUGGE/$ REASONS = HIS DELAY 9 RETURN+4 

0,IT'S ALL NONS5SE1 ALL RUBBI%--?OSE DISCUSSIONS :I* LEAD TO 
 NO?+ & ALL ?OSE IDIOTIC SOCIETIES60 ,NATA%A DECL>$ ( ! V]Y 
 AFFAIRS 9 ! IMM5SE IMPORTANCE ( :I* %E FIRMLY BELIEV$4 

,& %E W\LD GO TO ! NURS]Y TO NURSE ,PETYA1 H] ONLY BOY4 ,NO ONE ELSE 
 C\LD TELL H] ANY?+ SO COM=T+ OR SO REASONABLE AS ?IS LITTLE 
 ?REE-MON?-OLD CREATURE :5 HE LAY AT H] BREA/ & %E WAS CONSCI\S 
 ( ! MOVEM5T ( HIS LIPS & ! SNUFFL+ ( HIS LITTLE NOSE4 ,?AT 
 CREATURE SAID3 0,Y\ >E ANGRY1 Y\ >E JEAL\S1 Y\ W\LD LIKE TO PAY HIM 
 \T1 Y\ >E AFRAID--BUT H]E AM ,I6 ,& ,I AM HE4440 & ?AT WAS 
 UNANSW]ABLE4 ,IT WAS MORE ?AN TRUE4 

,DUR+ ?AT =TNI<T ( ANXIETY ,NATA%A RESORT$ TO ! BABY = COM=T 
 SO (T51 & FUSS$ OV] HIM SO MU*1 ?AT %E OV]F$ HIM & HE FELL 
 ILL4 ,%E WAS T]RIFI$ BY HIS ILLNESS1 & YET ?AT WAS JU/ :AT %E 
 NE$$4 ,:ILE ATT5D+ TO HIM %E BORE ! ANXIETY AB\T H] HUSB& MORE 
 EASILY4 

,%E WAS NURS+ H] BOY :5 ! S\ND ( ,PI]RE'S SLEI< WAS HE>D AT ! 
 FRONT DOOR1 & ! OLD NURSE--KN[+ H[ TO PLEASE H] MI/RESS--5T]$ 
 ! ROOM 9AUDIBLY BUT HURRI$LY & ) A BEAM+ FACE4 

0,HAS HE COME80 ,NATA%A ASK$ QUICKLY 9 A :ISP]1 AFRAID TO MOVE LE/ %E 
 %\LD R\SE ! DOZ+ BABY4 

0,HE'S COME1 MA'AM10 :ISP]$ ! NURSE4 

,! BLOOD RU%$ TO ,NATA%A'S FACE & H] FEET 9VOLUNT>ILY MOV$1 BUT 
 %E C\LD NOT JUMP UP & RUN \T4 ,! BABY AGA9 OP5$ HIS EYES & 
 LOOK$ AT H]4 0,Y\'RE H]E80 HE SEEM$ TO BE SAY+1 & AGA9 LAZILY 
 SMACK$ HIS LIPS4 

,CAUTI\SLY )DRAW+ H] BREA/1 ,NATA%A ROCK$ HIM A LITTLE1 H&$ HIM 
 TO ! NURSE1 & W5T ) RAPID /EPS T[>D ! DOOR4 ,BUT AT ! DOOR 
 %E /OPP$ AS IF H] CONSCI5CE REPROA*$ H] = HAV+ 9 H] JOY LEFT 
 ! *ILD TOO SOON1 & %E GLANC$ R\ND4 ,! NURSE ) RAIS$ ELB[S 
 WAS LIFT+ ! 9FANT OV] ! RAIL ( HIS COT4 

0,GO1 MA'AM6 ,DON'T WORRY1 GO60 %E :ISP]$1 SMIL+1 ) ! K9D ( 
 FAMILI>ITY ?AT GR[S UP BETWE5 A NURSE & H] MI/RESS4 

,NATA%A RAN ) LI<T FOOT/EPS TO ! ANT]OOM4 

,D5ISOV1 :O HAD COME \T ( ! /UDY 9TO ! DANC+ ROOM ) HIS 
 PIPE1 N[ = ! FIR/ TIME RECOGNIZ$ ! OLD ,NATA%A4 ,A FLOOD ( 
 BRILLIANT1 JOYFUL LI<T P\R$ FROM H] TRANSFIGUR$ FACE4 

0,HE'S COME60 %E EXCLAIM$ AS %E RAN PA/1 & ,D5ISOV FELT ?AT HE TOO 
 WAS DELI<T$ ?AT ,PI]RE1 :OM HE DID NOT MU* C>E =1 HAD RETURN$4 

,ON REA*+ ! VE/IBULE ,NATA%A SAW A TALL FIGURE 9 A FUR COAT 
 UNW9D+ HIS SC>F4 0,IT'S HE6 ,IT'S REALLY HE6 ,HE HAS COME60 %E SAID TO 
 H]SELF1 & RU%+ AT HIM EMBRAC$ HIM1 PRESS$ HIS HEAD TO H] BREA/1 
 & !N PU%$ HIM BACK & GAZ$ AT HIS RUDDY1 HAPPY FACE1 COV]$ ) 
 HO>FRO/4 0,YES1 IT IS HE1 HAPPY & CONT5T$44440 

,!N ALL AT ONCE %E REMEMB]$ ! TORTURES ( SUSP5SE %E HAD 
 EXP]I5C$ = ! LA/ =TNI<T1 & ! JOY ?AT HAD LIT UP H] FACE 
 VANI%$2 %E FR[N$ & OV]:ELM$ ,PI]RE ) A TORR5T ( REPROA*ES 
 & ANGRY WORDS4 

0,YES1 IT'S ALL V]Y WELL = Y\4 ,Y\ >E PLEAS$1 Y\'VE HAD A GOOD 
 TIME4444 ,BUT :AT AB\T ME8 ,Y\ MI<T AT LEA/ HAVE %[N CONSID]ATION 
 = ! *ILDR54 ,I AM NURS+ & MY MILK WAS SPOIL$4444 ,PETYA WAS AT 
 DEA?'S DOOR4 ,BUT Y\ W]E 5JOY+ Y\RSELF4 ,YES1 5JOY+4440 

,PI]RE KNEW HE WAS NOT TO BLAME1 = HE C\LD NOT HAVE COME SOON]2 HE 
 KNEW ?IS \TBUR/ WAS UNSEEMLY & W\LD BL[ OV] 9 A M9UTE OR TWO2 
 ABOVE ALL HE KNEW ?AT HE HIMSELF WAS BRI<T & HAPPY4 ,HE WANT$ TO SMILE 
 BUT D>$ NOT EV5 ?9K ( DO+ SO4 ,HE MADE A PITE\S1 FRI<T5$ FACE 
 & B5T D[N4 

0,I C\LD NOT1 ON MY HONOR4 ,BUT H[ IS ,PETYA80 

0,ALL RI<T N[4 ,COME ALONG6 ,I WOND] Y\'RE NOT A%AM$6 ,IF ONLY Y\ C\LD 
 SEE :AT ,I WAS LIKE )\T Y\1 H[ ,I SUFF]$60 

0,Y\ >E WELL80 

0,COME1 COME60 %E SAID1 NOT LETT+ GO ( HIS >M4 ,& !Y W5T TO !IR 
 ROOMS4 

,:5 ,NI*OLAS & HIS WIFE CAME TO LOOK = ,PI]RE HE WAS 9 ! NURS]Y 
 HOLD+ HIS BABY SON1 :O WAS AGA9 AWAKE1 ON HIS HUGE RI<T PALM & 
 D&L+ HIM4 ,A BLISSFUL BRI<T SMILE WAS FIX$ ON ! BABY'S BROAD FACE 
 ) ITS TOO?LESS OP5 M\?4 ,! /ORM WAS LONG S9CE OV] & !RE WAS 
 BRI<T1 JOY\S SUN%9E ON ,NATA%A'S FACE AS %E GAZ$ T5D]LY AT H] 
 HUSB& & *ILD4 

0,& HAVE Y\ TALK$ EV]Y?+ WELL OV] ) ,PR9CE ,!ODORE80 %E 
 ASK$4 

0,YES1 CAPITALLY40 

0,Y\ SEE1 HE HOLDS IT UP40 7,%E MEANT ! BABY'S HEAD47 0,BUT H[ HE DID 
 FRI<T5 ME444 ,Y\'VE SE5 ! PR9CESS8 ,IS IT TRUE %E'S 9 LOVE ) 
 ?AT4440 

0,YES1 JU/ FANCY4440 

,AT ?AT MOM5T ,NI*OLAS & ,C\NTESS ,M>Y CAME 94 ,PI]RE ) ! BABY ON 
 HIS H& /OOP$1 KISS$ !M1 & REPLI$ TO !IR 9QUIRIES4 ,BUT 9 
 SPITE ( MU* ?AT WAS 9T]E/+ & HAD TO BE DISCUSS$1 ! BABY ) 
 ! LITTLE CAP ON ITS UN/EADY HEAD EVID5TLY ABSORB$ ALL HIS ATT5TION4 

0,H[ SWEET60 SAID ,C\NTESS ,M>Y1 LOOK+ AT & PLAY+ ) ! BABY4 
 0,N[1 ,NI*OLAS10 %E ADD$1 TURN+ TO H] HUSB&1 0,I CAN'T UND]/& 
 H[ IT IS Y\ DON'T SEE ! *>M ( !SE DELICI\S M>VELS40 

0,I DON'T & CAN'T10 REPLI$ ,NI*OLAS1 LOOK+ COLDLY AT ! BABY4 0,A LUMP 
 ( FLE%4 ,COME ALONG1 ,PI]RE60 

0,& YET HE'S SU* AN AFFECTIONATE FA!R10 SAID ,C\NTESS ,M>Y1 
 V9DICAT+ H] HUSB&1 0BUT ONLY AFT] !Y >E A YE> OLD OR SO4440 

0,N[1 ,PI]RE NURSES !M SPL5DIDLY10 SAID ,NATA%A4 0,HE SAYS HIS H& IS 
 JU/ MADE = A BABY'S SEAT4 ,JU/ LOOK60 

0,ONLY NOT = ?IS4440 ,PI]RE SUDD5LY EXCLAIM$ ) A LAU<1 & 
 %IFT+ ! BABY HE GAVE HIM TO ! NURSE4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,EPILOGUE #a1 ,*APT] #aa -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a#a1 #bag 3 ,EPILOGUE #a1 ,*APT] #aa -- ,ADD$4 

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