Nextmorning, havingtakenleaveofnoonebutthecount, andnotwaitingfortheladiestoappear, PrinceAndrewsetoffforhome.
, fornowallwasthick, shady, anddense, andtheyoungfirsdottedaboutintheforestdidnotjaronthegeneralbeautybut, lendingthemselvestothemoodaround, weredelicatelygreenwithfluffyyoungshoots.
, butonlyasmallcloudhadscatteredsomeraindropslightly, , therightsideglitteredinthesunlight, , thenightingalestrilled, andtheirvoicesreverberatednownear, nowfaraway.
"Yes, hereinthisforestwasthatoakwithwhichIagreed," thoughtPrinceAndrew."Butwhereisit?" heagainwondered, gazingattheleftsideoftheroad, , quitetransfigured, spreadingoutacanopyofsappydarkgreenfoliage, -oldbark, evenwheretherewerenotwigs, leaveshadsproutedsuchasonecouldhardlybelievetheoldveterancouldhaveproduced.
"Yes, itisthesameoak," thoughtPrinceAndrew, , hiswife'sdeadreproachfulface, Pierreattheferry, thatgirlthrilledbythebeautyofthenight, andthatnightitselfandthemoon, and....allthisrushedsuddenlytohismind.
"No, lifeisnotoveratthirty-one!" PrinceAndrewsuddenlydecidedfinallyanddecisively."ItisnotenoughformetoknowwhatIhaveinme—everyonemustknowit: Pierre, andthatyounggirlwhowantedtoflyawayintothesky, everyonemustknowme, sothatmylifemaynotbelivedformyselfalonewhileotherslivesoapartfromit, butsothatitmaybereflectedinthemall, andtheyandImayliveinharmony!"
, andeventore-entertheservice, , , onthestrengthofsimilarwretchedlogicalarguments, ithadseemedobviousthathewouldbedegradinghimselfifhenow, afterthelessonshehadhadinlife, ; hisformerpursuitsnolongerinterestedhim, andoftenwhensittingaloneinhisstudyhegotup, wenttothemirror, , , butlookedsimply, merrily, , crossinghisarmsbehindhim, longpacedtheroom, nowfrowning, nowsmiling, ashereflectedonthoseirrational, inexpressiblethoughts, secretasacrime, whichalteredhiswholelifeandwereconnectedwithPierre, withfame, withthegirlatthewindow, theoak, andwoman', stern, andaboveallunpleasantlylogical.
"Mydear," PrincessMaryenteringatsuchamomentwouldsay, "littleNicholascan'tgoouttoday, it'sverycold."
"Ifitwerehot," PrinceAndrewwouldreplyatsuchtimesverydrylytohissister, "hecouldgooutinhissmock, butasitiscoldhemustwearwarmclothes, ; andnotthatachildwhoneedsfreshairshouldremainathome," hewouldaddwithextremelogic, .
