Princess Márya saw Dessalles’ embarrassed and astonished look fixed on her father, noticed his silence, and was struck by the fact that her father had forgotten his son’s letter on the drawing room table; but she was not only afraid to speak of it and ask Dessalles the reason of his confusion and silence, but was afraid even to think about it.

In the evening Mikháil Ivánovich, sent by the prince, came to Princess Márya for Prince Andréy’s letter which had been forgotten in the drawing room. She gave it to him and, unpleasant as it was to her to do so, ventured to ask him what her father was doing.

“Always busy,” replied Mikháil Ivánovich with a respectfully ironic smile which caused Princess Márya to turn pale. “He’s worrying very much about the new building. He has been reading a little, but now”⁠—Mikháil Ivánovich went on, lowering his voice⁠—“now he’s at his desk, busy with his will, I expect.” (One of the prince’s favorite occupations of late had been the preparation of some papers he meant to leave at his death and which he called his “will.”)