She was already acquainted
with this calm; it had come to her after great agitation. At first
it had slightly disturbed her; but now it only broadened her soul,
strengthening it with a certain powerful but impalpable thought.
Before her all the time appeared and disappeared the faces of her
son, Andrey, Nikolay, Sasha. She took delight in them; they passed
by without arousing thought, and only lightly and sadly touching her
heart. Then she extinguished the lamp, lay down in the cold bed,
shriveled up under the bed coverings, and suddenly sank into a
heavy sleep.
CHAPTER XVIII
When she opened her eyes the room was filled by the cold, white
glimmer of a clear wintry day. The hostess, with a book in her hand,
lay on the sofa, and smiling unlike herself looked into her face.
"Oh, father!" the mother exclaimed, for some reason embarrassed.
"Just look! Have I been asleep a long time?"
"Good morning!" answered Liudmila. "It'll soon be ten o'clock.
Get up and we'll have tea."
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"I wanted to. I walked up to you; but you were so fast asleep and
smiled so in your sleep!"
With a supple, powerful movement of her whole body she rose from the
sofa, walked up to the bed, bent toward the face of the mother, and in
her dull eyes the mother saw something dear, near, and comprehensible.
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