AtBaldHills, PrinceNicholasAndreevichBolkonski'sestate, thearrivalofyoungPrinceAndrewandhiswifewasdailyexpected, butthisexpectationdidnotupsettheregularroutineoflifeintheoldprince' (nicknamedinsociety, "theKingofPrussia") eversincetheEmperorPaulhadexiledhimtohiscountryestatehadlivedtherecontinuouslywithhisdaughter, PrincessMary, andhercompanion, , hestillcontinuedtoliveinthecountry, remarkingthatanyonewhowantedtoseehimcouldcomethehundredmilesfromMoscowtoBaldHills, —idlenessandsuperstition, andonlytwovirtues—'seducation, andtodevelopthesetwocardinalvirtuesinhergaveherlessonsinalgebraandgeometrytillshewastwenty, : writinghismemoirs, solvingproblemsinhighermathematics, turningsnuffboxesonalathe, workinginthegarden, , , , fromhisdaughtertohisserfs, theprincewassharpandinvariablyexacting, , everyhighofficialappointedtotheprovinceinwhichtheprince'sestatelayconsideredithisdutytovisithimandwaitedintheloftyantechamberjustasthearchitect, gardener, orPrincessMarydid, , withpowderedwig, smallwitheredhands, andbushygrayeyebrowswhich, whenhefrowned, sometimeshidthegleamofhisshrewd, youthfullyglitteringeyes.
Onthemorningofthedaythattheyoungcoupleweretoarrive, PrincessMaryenteredtheantechamberasusualatthetimeappointedforthemorninggreeting, , andeverymorningprayedthatthedailyinterviewmightpassoffwell.
Anoldpowderedmanservantwhowassittingintheantechamberrosequietlyandsaidinawhisper: "Pleasewalkin."
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