,BOOK #a#e1 ,*APT] #ae 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,AT ! 5D ( ,JANU>Y ,PI]RE W5T TO ,MOSC[ & /AY$ 9 AN ANNEX ( HIS 
 H\SE :I* HAD NOT BE5 BURN$4 ,HE CALL$ ON ,C\NT ,RO/OP*9 & ON SOME 
 ACQUA9TANCES :O W]E BACK 9 ,MOSC[1 & HE 9T5D$ TO LEAVE = 
 ,PET]SBURG TWO DAYS LAT]4 ,EV]YBODY WAS CELEBRAT+ ! VICTORY1 
 EV]Y?+ WAS BUBBL+ ) LIFE 9 ! RU9$ BUT REVIV+ CITY4 
 ,EV]YONE WAS PLEAS$ TO SEE ,PI]RE1 EV]YONE WI%$ TO MEET HIM1 & 
 EV]YONE QUE/ION$ HIM AB\T :AT HE HAD SE54 ,PI]RE FELT P>TICUL>LY 
 WELL DISPOS$ T[>D !M ALL1 BUT WAS N[ 9/9CTIVELY ON HIS GU>D = 
 FE> ( B9D+ HIMSELF 9 ANY WAY4 ,TO ALL QUE/IONS PUT TO HIM--:E!R 
 IMPORTANT OR QUITE TRIFL+--SU* AS3 ,:]E W\LD HE LIVE8 ,WAS HE 
 GO+ TO REBUILD8 ,:5 WAS HE GO+ TO ,PET]SBURG & W\LD HE M9D TAK+ 
 A P>CEL = SOMEONE8--HE REPLI$3 0,YES1 P]HAPS10 OR1 0,I ?9K SO10 
 & SO ON4 

,HE HAD HE>D ?AT ! ,RO/OVS W]E AT ,KO/ROMA BUT ! ?\<T ( ,NATA%A 
 SELDOM OCCURR$ TO HIM4 ,IF IT DID IT WAS ONLY AS A PLEASANT MEMORY ( ! 
 DI/ANT PA/4 ,HE FELT HIMSELF NOT ONLY FREE FROM SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS BUT 
 ALSO FROM ?AT FEEL+ :I*1 IT SEEM$ TO HIM1 HE HAD >\S$ 9 HIMSELF4 

,ON ! ?IRD DAY AFT] HIS >RIVAL HE HE>D FROM ! ,DRUBETSKOYS ?AT 
 ,PR9CESS ,M>Y WAS 9 ,MOSC[4 ,! DEA?1 SUFF]+S1 & LA/ DAYS ( 
 ,PR9CE ,&REW HAD (T5 OCCUPI$ ,PI]RE'S ?\<TS & N[ RECURR$ TO HIM 
 ) FRE% VIVIDNESS4 ,HAV+ HE>D AT D9N] ?AT ,PR9CESS ,M>Y WAS 9 
 ,MOSC[ & LIV+ 9 H] H\SE--:I* HAD NOT BE5 BURN$--9 
 ,VOZDVIZH5KA ,/REET1 HE DROVE ?AT SAME EV5+ TO SEE H]4 

,ON HIS WAY TO ! H\SE ,PI]RE KEPT ?9K+ ( ,PR9CE ,&REW1 ( !IR 
 FRI5D%IP1 ( HIS V>I\S MEET+S ) HIM1 & ESPECIALLY ( ! LA/ 
 ONE AT ,BOROD9O4 

0,IS IT POSSIBLE ?AT HE DI$ 9 ! BITT] FRAME ( M9D HE WAS !N 98 
 ,IS IT POSSIBLE ?AT ! MEAN+ ( LIFE WAS NOT DISCLOS$ TO HIM BE=E HE 
 DI$80 ?\<T ,PI]RE4 ,HE RECALL$ ,K>ATAEV & HIS DEA? & 
 9VOLUNT>ILY BEGAN TO COMP>E !SE TWO M51 SO DIFF]5T1 & YET SO 
 SIMIL> 9 ?AT !Y HAD BO? LIV$ & BO? DI$ & 9 ! LOVE HE FELT 
 = BO? ( !M4 

,PI]RE DROVE UP TO ! H\SE ( ! OLD PR9CE 9 A MO/ S]I\S MOOD4 ,! 
 H\SE HAD ESCAP$ ! FIRE2 IT %[$ SIGNS ( DAMAGE BUT ITS G5]AL 
 ASPECT WAS UN*ANG$4 ,! OLD FOOTMAN1 :O MET ,PI]RE ) A /]N FACE AS 
 IF WI%+ TO MAKE ! VISITOR FEEL ?AT ! ABS5CE ( ! OLD PR9CE HAD 
 NOT DI/URB$ ! ORD] ( ?+S 9 ! H\SE1 9=M$ HIM ?AT ! 
 PR9CESS HAD GONE TO H] [N AP>TM5TS1 & ?AT %E RECEIV$ ON ,SUNDAYS4 

0,ANN\NCE ME4 ,P]HAPS %E WILL SEE ME10 SAID ,PI]RE4 

0,YES1 SIR10 SAID ! MAN4 0,PLEASE /EP 9TO ! PORTRAIT GALL]Y40 

,A FEW M9UTES LAT] ! FOOTMAN RETURN$ ) ,DESSALLES1 :O BR\<T WORD 
 FROM ! PR9CESS ?AT %E W\LD BE V]Y GLAD TO SEE ,PI]RE IF HE W\LD 
 EXCUSE H] WANT ( C]EMONY & COME UP/AIRS TO H] AP>TM5T4 

,9 A RA!R L[ ROOM LIT BY ONE C&LE SAT ! PR9CESS & ) H] 
 ANO!R P]SON DRESS$ 9 BLACK4 ,PI]RE REMEMB]$ ?AT ! PR9CESS 
 ALWAYS HAD LADY COMPANIONS1 BUT :O !Y W]E & :AT !Y W]E LIKE HE 
 NEV] KNEW OR REMEMB]$4 0,?IS MU/ BE ONE ( H] COMPANIONS10 HE 
 ?\<T1 GLANC+ AT ! LADY 9 ! BLACK DRESS4 

,! PR9CESS ROSE QUICKLY TO MEET HIM & HELD \T H] H&4 

0,YES10 %E SAID1 LOOK+ AT HIS ALT]$ FACE AFT] HE HAD KISS$ H] H&1 
 0SO ?IS IS H[ WE MEET AGA94 ,HE SPOKE ( Y\ EV5 AT ! V]Y LA/10 %E 
 W5T ON1 TURN+ H] EYES FROM ,PI]RE TO H] COMPANION ) A %YNESS ?AT 
 SURPRIS$ HIM = AN 9/ANT4 

0,I WAS SO GLAD TO HE> ( Y\R SAFETY4 ,IT WAS ! FIR/ PIECE ( GOOD NEWS 
 WE HAD RECEIV$ = A LONG TIME40 

,AGA9 ! PR9CESS GLANC$ R\ND AT H] COMPANION ) EV5 MORE 
 UNEAS9ESS 9 H] MANN] & WAS AB\T TO ADD SOME?+1 BUT ,PI]RE 
 9T]RUPT$ H]4 

0,JU/ IMAG9E--,I KNEW NO?+ AB\T HIM60 SAID HE4 0,I ?\<T HE HAD 
 BE5 KILL$4 ,ALL ,I KN[ ,I HE>D AT SECOND H& FROM O!RS4 ,I ONLY KN[ 
 ?AT HE FELL 9 ) ! ,RO/OVS4444 ,:AT A /RANGE CO9CID5CE60 

,PI]RE SPOKE RAPIDLY & ) ANIMATION4 ,HE GLANC$ ONCE AT ! 
 COMPANION'S FACE1 SAW H] ATT5TIVE & K9DLY GAZE FIX$ ON HIM1 &1 AS 
 (T5 HAPP5S :5 ONE IS TALK+1 FELT SOMEH[ ?AT ?IS COMPANION 9 ! 
 BLACK DRESS WAS A GOOD1 K9D1 EXCELL5T CREATURE :O W\LD NOT H9D] HIS 
 CONV]S+ FREELY ) ,PR9CESS ,M>Y4 

,BUT :5 HE M5TION$ ! ,RO/OVS1 ,PR9CESS ,M>Y'S FACE EXPRESS$ /ILL 
 GREAT] EMB>RASSM5T4 ,%E AGA9 GLANC$ RAPIDLY FROM ,PI]RE'S FACE TO 
 ?AT ( ! LADY 9 ! BLACK DRESS & SAID3 

0,DO Y\ REALLY NOT RECOGNIZE H]80 

,PI]RE LOOK$ AGA9 AT ! COMPANION'S PALE1 DELICATE FACE ) ITS BLACK 
 EYES & PECULI> M\?1 & SOME?+ NE> TO HIM1 LONG =GOTT5 & 
 MORE ?AN SWEET1 LOOK$ AT HIM FROM ?OSE ATT5TIVE EYES4 

0,BUT NO1 IT CAN'T BE60 HE ?\<T4 0,?IS /]N1 ?91 PALE FACE ?AT LOOKS 
 SO MU* OLD]6 ,IT CANNOT BE %E4 ,IT M]ELY REM9DS ME ( H]40 ,BUT AT ?AT 
 MOM5T ,PR9CESS ,M>Y SAID1 0,NATA%A60 ,& ) DIFFICULTY1 EF=T1 & 
 /RESS1 LIKE ! OP5+ ( A DOOR GR[N RU/Y ON ITS H+ES1 A SMILE 
 APPE>$ ON ! FACE ) ! ATT5TIVE EYES1 & FROM ?AT OP5+ DOOR 
 CAME A BREA? ( FRAGRANCE :I* SUFFUS$ ,PI]RE ) A HAPP9ESS HE HAD 
 LONG =GOTT5 & ( :I* HE HAD NOT EV5 BE5 ?9K+--ESPECIALLY 
 AT ?AT MOM5T4 ,IT SUFFUS$ HIM1 SEIZ$ HIM1 & 5VELOP$ HIM COMPLETELY4 
 ,:5 %E SMIL$ D\BT WAS NO LONG] POSSIBLE1 IT WAS ,NATA%A & HE LOV$ 
 H]4 

,AT ?AT MOM5T ,PI]RE 9VOLUNT>ILY BETRAY$ TO H]1 TO ,PR9CESS ,M>Y1 & 
 ABOVE ALL TO HIMSELF1 A SECRET ( :I* HE HIMSELF HAD BE5 UNAW>E4 ,HE 
 FLU%$ JOYFULLY YET ) PA9FUL DI/RESS4 ,HE TRI$ TO HIDE HIS 
 AGITATION4 ,BUT ! MORE HE TRI$ TO HIDE IT ! MORE CLE>LY--CLE>] 
 ?AN ANY WORDS C\LD HAVE DONE--DID HE BETRAY TO HIMSELF1 TO H]1 & 
 TO ,PR9CESS ,M>Y ?AT HE LOV$ H]4 

0,NO1 IT'S ONLY ! UNEXPECT$NESS ( IT10 ?\<T ,PI]RE4 ,BUT AS SOON AS 
 HE TRI$ TO CONT9UE ! CONV]SATION HE HAD BEGUN ) ,PR9CESS ,M>Y HE 
 AGA9 GLANC$ AT ,NATA%A1 & A /ILL-DEEP] FLU% SUFFUS$ HIS FACE & A 
 /ILL-/RONG] AGITATION ( M+L$ JOY & FE> SEIZ$ HIS S\L4 ,HE 
 BECAME CONFUS$ 9 HIS SPEE* & /OPP$ 9 ! MIDDLE ( :AT HE WAS 
 SAY+4 

,PI]RE HAD FAIL$ TO NOTICE ,NATA%A BECAUSE HE DID NOT AT ALL EXPECT TO 
 SEE H] !RE1 BUT HE HAD FAIL$ TO RECOGNIZE H] BECAUSE ! *ANGE 9 
 H] S9CE HE LA/ SAW H] WAS IMM5SE4 ,%E HAD GR[N ?9 & PALE1 BUT 
 ?AT WAS NOT :AT MADE H] UNRECOGNIZABLE2 %E WAS UNRECOGNIZABLE AT ! 
 MOM5T HE 5T]$ BECAUSE ON ?AT FACE :OSE EYES HAD ALWAYS %ONE ) A 
 SUPPRESS$ SMILE ( ! JOY ( LIFE1 N[ :5 HE FIR/ 5T]$ & GLANC$ 
 AT H] !RE WAS NOT ! LEA/ %AD[ ( A SMILE3 ONLY H] EYES W]E 
 K9DLY ATT5TIVE & SADLY 9T]ROGATIVE4 

,PI]RE'S CONFUSION WAS NOT REFLECT$ BY ANY CONFUSION ON ,NATA%A'S P>T1 
 BUT ONLY BY ! PLEASURE ?AT JU/ P]CEPTIBLY LIT UP H] :OLE FACE4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,BOOK #a#e1 ,*APT] #ae -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a#a1 #bag 3 ,BOOK #a#e1 ,*APT] #ae -- ,ADD$4 

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