“And Alpátych is being sent to Smolénsk?” asked Princess Márya.

“Oh, yes, he has been waiting to start for some time.”

When Mikháil Ivánovich returned to the study with the letter, the old prince, with spectacles on and a shade over his eyes, was sitting at his open bureau with screened candles, holding a paper in his outstretched hand, and in a somewhat dramatic attitude was reading his manuscript⁠—his “Remarks” as he termed it⁠—which was to be transmitted to the Emperor after his death.

When Mikháil Ivánovich went in there were tears in the prince’s eyes evoked by the memory of the time when the paper he was now reading had been written. He took the letter from Mikháil Ivánovich’s hand, put it in his pocket, folded up his papers, and called in Alpátych who had long been waiting.

The prince had a list of things to be bought in Smolénsk and, walking up and down the room past Alpátych who stood by the door, he gave his instructions.