War and Peace Volume 8; Epilogue - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 Excerpt: ...house, which was intact and demanded only insignificant repairs. Life did not stop, and it was necessary to live. No matter how hard it was for Princess Márya to issue from that world of solitary contemplation, in which she had been living until then; no matter how sorry she was to leave Natasha alone, the cares of life demanded her attention, and she instinctively surrendered herself to them. She examined the accounts with Alpátych, counselled with Desalles about her nephew, and made preparations and gave orders for her departure to Moscow. Natasha remained alone and avoided Princess Márya, while she was getting ready to leave. Princess Márya begged the countess to let Natásha go with her to Moscow, and both the parents readily consented to this proposition, because they noticed that their daughter's strength was failing more and more, and because they supposed that the change of place and the assistance from the Moscow physicians might be helpful to her. "I will not go anywhere," replied Natásha, when this proposition was made to her. "Please leave me alone!" she said, running out of the room and with difficulty restraining her tears, not so much of grief, as of annoyance and anger. After she felt herself abandoned by Princess Márya, and all alone in her grief, she passed most of the time in her room, sitting with her feet in the corner of the divan, tearing something up, or twitching her thin, strained fingers, and fixing her stubborn, motionless glance on whatever her eyes fell upon. This solitude exhausted and tormented her, but was necessary for her. The moment some one came in to see her, she rose rapidly, changed her position and expression of face, and took up a book or some sewing, apparently ...

Nikolai Tolstoy is a highly recognized and acclaimed historian and biographer. He was the sole beneficiary of his stepfather's will and is one of the trustees of O'Brian's estate.