Do you want anything?

　　"No, mon pere."

　　Though Mademoiselle Bourienne had been so unsuccessful in her choiceof a subject, she did not stop talking, but chattered about theconservatories and the beauty of a flower that had just opened, andafter the soup the prince became more genial.

　　After dinner, he went to see his daughter-in-law. The littleprincess was sitting at a small table, chattering with Masha, hermaid. She grew pale on seeing her father-in-law.

　　She was much altered. She was now plain rather than pretty. Hercheeks had sunk, her lip was drawn up, and her eyes drawn down.

　　"Yes, I feel a kind of oppression," she said in reply to theprince's question as to how she felt.

　　"Do you want anything?"

　　"No, merci, mon pere."

　　"Well, all right, all right."

　　He left the room and went to the waiting room where Alpatych stoodwith bowed head.

　　"Has the snow been shoveled back?"

　　"Yes, your excellency. Forgive me for heaven's sake... It was onlymy stupidity."

　　"All right, all right," interrupted the prince, and laughing hisunnatural way, he stretched out his hand for Alpatych to kiss, andthen proceeded to his study.

　　Prince Vasili arrived that evening. He was met in the avenue bycoachmen and footmen, who, with loud shouts, dragged his sleighs up toone of the lodges over the road purposely laden with snow.