" * *"But, my dear, you ought on the contrary to be grateful to me for explaining to Pierre your intimacy with this young man.

" "Really?" said Pierre, gazing over his spectacles with curiosity and seriousness (for which Princess Mary was specially grateful to him) into Ivanushka's face, who, seeing that she was being spoken about, looked round at them all with crafty eyes.

Princess Mary's embarrassment on her people's account was quite unnecessary.