at blessing has been
revealed, holy oil trickles from the cheeks of our blessed Mother, the
Holy Virgin Mother of God'...."

"All right, all right, you can tell us afterwards," said Princess Mary,
flushing.

"Let me ask her," said Pierre. "Did you see it yourselves?" he inquired.

"Oh, yes, master, I was found worthy. Such a brightness on the face like
the light of heaven, and from the blessed Mother's cheek it drops and
drops...."

"But, dear me, that must be a fraud!" said Pierre, naively, who had
listened attentively to the pilgrim.

"Oh, master, what are you saying?" exclaimed the horrified Pelageya,
turning to Princess Mary for support.

"They impose on the people," he repeated.

"Lord Jesus Christ!" exclaimed the pilgrim woman, crossing herself. "Oh,
don't speak so, master! There was a general who did not believe, and
said, 'The monks cheat,' and as soon as he'd said it he went blind. And
he dreamed that the Holy Virgin Mother of the Kiev catacombs came to him
and said, 'Believe in me and I will make you whole.' So he begged: 'Take
me to her, take me to her.' It's the real truth I'm telling you, I saw
it myself. So he was brought, quite blind, straight to her, and he goes
up to her and falls down and says, 'Make me whole,' says he, 'and I'll
give thee what the Tsar bestowed on me.' I saw it myself, master, the
star is fixed into the icon. Well, and what do you think? He received
his sight! It's a sin to speak so. God will punish you," she said
admonishingly, turning to Pierre.

"How did the star get into the icon?" Pierre asked.

"And was the Holy Mother promoted to the rank of general?" said Prince
Andrew, with a smile.

Pelageya suddenly grew quite pale and clasped her hands.

"Oh, master, master, what a sin! And you who have a son!" she began, her
pallor suddenly turning to a vivid red. "Master, what have you said? God
forgive you!" And she crossed herself. "Lord forgive him! My dear, what
does it mean?..." she asked, turning to Princess Mary. She got up
and, almost crying, began to arrange her wallet. She evidently felt
frightened and ashamed to have accepted charity in a house where such
things could be said, and was at the same time sorry to have now to
forgo the charity of this house.

"Now, why need you do it?" said Princess Mary. "Why did you come to
me?..."

"Come, Pelageya, I was joking," said Pierre. "Princesse, ma parole,
je n'ai pas voulu l'offenser. * I did not mean anything, I was