“No, it will not do,” she said decidedly, clasping her hands. “No, Marie, really this dress does not suit you. I prefer you in your little gray everyday dress. Now please, do it for my sake. Katya,” she said to the maid, “bring the princess her gray dress, and you’ll see, Mademoiselle Bourienne, how I shall arrange it,” she added, smiling with a foretaste of artistic pleasure.

But when Katya brought the required dress, Princess Márya remained sitting motionless before the glass, looking at her face, and saw in the mirror her eyes full of tears and her mouth quivering, ready to burst into sobs.

“Come, dear princess,” said Mademoiselle Bourienne, “just one more little effort.”

The little princess, taking the dress from the maid, came up to Princess Márya.

“Well, now we’ll arrange something quite simple and becoming,” she said.