Pagina 219 di 3800

This door led into a back anteroom. An old man, a servant of the

princesses, sat in a corner knitting a stocking. Pierre had never

been in this part of the house and did not even know of the

existence of these rooms. Anna Mikhaylovna, addressing a maid who

was hurrying past with a decanter on a tray as "my dear" and "my

sweet," asked about the princess' health and then led Pierre

along a stone passage. The first door on the left led into the

princesses' apartments. The maid with the decanter in her haste

had not closed the door (everything in the house was done in

haste at that time), and Pierre and Anna Mikhaylovna in passing

instinctively glanced into the room, where Prince Vasili and the

eldest princess were sitting close together talking. Seeing them

pass, Prince Vasili drew back with obvious impatience, while the

princess jumped up and with a gesture of desperation slammed the

door with all her might.