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"Oh! I thought you were in your room," she said, for some reason

blushing and dropping her eyes.

Prince Andrew looked sternly at her and an expression of anger

suddenly came over his face. He said nothing to her but looked at

her forehead and hair, without looking at her eyes, with such

contempt that the Frenchwoman blushed and went away without a

word. When he reached his sister's room his wife was already

awake and her merry voice, hurrying one word after another, came

through the open door. She was speaking as usual in French, and

as if after long self-restraint she wished to make up for lost

time.

"No, but imagine the old Countess Zubova, with false curls and

her mouth full of false teeth, as if she were trying to cheat old

age.... Ha, ha, ha! Mary!"