‘The only thing that troubles me,—I’ll tell you the truth, Andrey,— is our father’s way of thinking in religious matters. I can’t understand, b how a man of such immense intellect can fail to see what is as clear aSi day, and can fall into such error. That is the one thing that makes me
unhappy. But even in this I see a slight change for the better of late
IV
Lately his jeers have not been so bitter, and there is a monk whom he received and talked to a long time.’
‘Well, my dear, I’m afraid you and your monk are wasting your powder and shot,’ Prince Andrey said ironically but affectionately.
‘Ah, mon ami I I can only pray to God and trust that He 'will hear me. Andrey,’ she said timidly after a minute’s silence, ‘I have a greal favour to ask of you.’
‘What is it, dear?’
‘No; promise me you won’t refuse. It will be no trouble to you, ancift there is nothing beneath you in it. Only it will be a comfort to me;
Promise, Andryusha,’ she said, putting her hand into her reticule anc
holding something in it, but not showing it yet, as though what she was holding was the object of her entreaty, and before she received promise to grant it, she could not take that something out of her reticule ^ She looked timidly with imploring eyes at her brother.
‘Even if it were a great trouble . . .’ answered Prince Andrey, seemj g to guess what the favour was.
in
.'in
let
'You may think what you please about it. I know you are like vion pere. Think what you please, but do this for my sake. Do, please. The father of my father, our grandfather, always wore it in all his wars . . .’ She still did not take out what she was holding in her reticule. 'You promise me, then?’
‘Of course, what is it?’
‘Andrey, I am blessing you with the holy image, and you must promise me you will never take it off. ... You promise?’
‘If it does not weigh a ton and won’t drag my neck off . . . To please you,’ said Prince Andrey. The same second he noticed the pained expression that came over his sister’s face at this jest, and felt remorseful. ‘I am very glad, really very glad, dear,’ he added.
‘Against your own will He will save and will have mercy on you and turn you to Plimself, because in Him alone is truth and peace,’ she said in a voice shaking with emotion, and with a solemn gesture holding in both hands before her brother an old-fashioned, little, oval holy image of the Saviour with a black face in a silver setting, on a little silver chain of delicate workmanship. She crossed herself, kissed the image, and gave : t to Andrey.
‘Please, Andrey, for my sake.’
Rays of kindly, timid light beamed from her great eyes. Those eyes lighted up all the thin, sickly face and made it beautiful. Her brother would have taken the image, but she stopped him. Andrey understood, crossed himself, and kissed the image. His face looked at once tender (he was touched) and ironical.
‘ Merer, vion ami! She kissed him on the forehead and sat down again an the sofa. Both were silent.
‘So as I was telling you, Andrey, you must be kind and generous as you always used to be. Don’t judge Liza harshly,’ she began; ‘she is so iweet, so good-natured, and her position is a very hard one just now.’
‘I fancy I have said nothing to you, Masha, of my blaming my wife ‘or anything or being dissatisfied with her. What makes you say all this :o me?’
Princess Marya coloured in patches, and was mute, as though she felt guilty.
‘I have said nothing to you, but you have been talked to. And that nakes me sad.’
The red patches grew deeper on the forehead and neck and cheeks if Princess Marya. She would have said something, but could not utter he words. Her brother had guessed right: his wife had shed tears after [inner, had said that she had a presentiment of a bad confinement, that ■he was afraid of it, and had complained of her hard lot, of her father- ; n-law and her husband. After crying she had fallen asleep. Prince fndrey felt sorry for his sister.
‘Let me tell you one thing, Masha, I can’t reproach my wife for any- hing, I never have and I never shall, nor can I reproach myself for nything in regard to her, and that shall always be so in whatever cir-
34 WARANDPEACE
cumstances I may be placed. But if you want to know the truth ... if you want to know if I am happy. No. Is she happy? No. Why is it so?
I don : t know.’
As he said this, he went up to his sister, and stooping over her kissed her on the forehead. His fine eyes shone with an unaccustomed light of intelligence and goodness. But he was not looking at his sister, but towards the darkness of the open door, over her head.
‘Let us go to her; I must say good-bye. Or you go alone and wake her up, and I’ll come in a moment. Petrushka! ’ he called to his valet, ‘come here and take away these things. This is to go in the seat and this on the right side.’
Princess Marya got up and moved toward the door. She stopped. ‘Andrey, if you had faith, you would have appealed to God, to give you the love that you do not feel, and your prayer would have been granted.’
