reseen how the separation from her lover would act on
Natasha. Flushed and agitated she went about the house all that day,
dry-eyed, occupied with most trivial matters as if not understanding
what awaited her. She did not even cry when, on taking leave, he kissed
her hand for the last time. "Don't go!" she said in a tone that made him
wonder whether he really ought not to stay and which he remembered long
afterwards. Nor did she cry when he was gone; but for several days she
sat in her room dry-eyed, taking no interest in anything and only saying
now and then, "Oh, why did he go away?"

But a fortnight after his departure, to the surprise of those around
her, she recovered from her mental sickness just as suddenly and became
her old self again, but with a change in her moral physiognomy, as a
child gets up after a long illness with a changed expression of face.

CHAPTER XXV

During that year after his son's departure, Prince Nicholas Bolkonski's
health and temper became much worse. He grew still more irritable, and
it was Princess Mary who generally bore the brunt of his frequent fits
of unprovoked anger. He seemed carefully to seek out her tender spots so
as to torture her mentally as harshly as possible. Princess Mary had
two passions and consequently two joys--her nephew, little Nicholas, and
religion--and these were the favorite subjects of the prince's attacks
and ridicule. Whatever was spoken of he would bring round to the
superstitiousness of old maids, or the petting and spoiling of children.
"You want to make him"--little Nicholas--"into an old maid like
yourself! A pity! Prince Andrew wants a son and not an old maid," he
would say. Or, turning to Mademoiselle Bourienne, he would ask her in
Princess Mary's presence how she liked our village priests and icons and
would joke about them.

He continually hurt Princess Mary's feelings and tormented her, but it
cost her no effort to forgive him. Could he be to blame toward her, or
could her father, whom she knew loved her in spite of it all, be unjust?
And what is justice? The princess never thought of that proud word
"justice." All the complex laws of man centered for her in one clear
and simple law--the law of love and self-sacrifice taught us by Him who
lovingly suffered for mankind though He Himself was God. What had she to
do with the justice or injustice of other people? She had to endure and
love, and that she did.

During the winter Prince Andr