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.
XXV
During that year after his son’s departure, Prince Nikoláy Andréevich Bolkónski’s health and temper became much worse. He grew still more irritable, and it was Princess Márya 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 Márya had two passions and consequently two joys—her nephew, Nikolúshka, 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