Only now, on his visit to Bald Hills, did Pierre fully realize the strength and charm of his friendship with Prince Andréy. That charm was not expressed so much in his relations with him as with all his family and with the household. With the stern old prince and the gentle, timid Princess Márya, though he had scarcely known them, Pierre at once felt like an old friend. They were all fond of him already. Not only Princess Márya, who had been won by his gentleness with the pilgrims, gave him her most radiant looks, but even the one-year-old “Prince Nikoláy” (as his grandfather called him) smiled at Pierre and let himself be taken in his arms, and Mikháil Ivánovich and Mademoiselle Bourienne looked at him with pleasant smiles when he talked to the old prince.

The old prince came in to supper; this was evidently on Pierre’s account. And during the two days of the young man’s visit he was extremely kind to him and told him to visit them again.