Pagina 235 de 3800

The sick man was so surrounded by doctors, princesses, and

servants that Pierre could no longer see the reddish-yellow face

with its gray mane-which, though he saw other faces as well, he

had not lost sight of for a single moment during the whole

service. He judged by the cautious movements of those who crowded

round the invalid chair that they had lifted the dying man and

were moving him.

"Catch hold of my arm or you'll drop him!" he heard one of the

servants say in a frightened whisper. "Catch hold from

underneath. Here!" exclaimed different voices; and the heavy

breathing of the bearers and the shuffling of their feet grew

more hurried, as if the weight they were carrying were too much

for them.