"What? What'sthat?" askedAnnaPavlovna, securingsilenceforthemot, whichshehadheardbefore.
AndBilibinrepeatedtheactualwordsofthediplomaticdispatch, whichhehadhimselfcomposed.
"TheEmperorreturnstheseAustrianbanners," saidBilibin, "friendlybannersgoneastrayandfoundonawrongpath," andhisbrowbecamesmoothagain.
"Charming, charming!" observedPrinceVasili.
"ThepathtoWarsaw, perhaps," , , andateveryopportunityheutteredinthatwaythefirstwordsthatenteredhishead."Itmayturnoutverywell," hethought, "butifnot, they'llknowhowtoarrangematters." Andreally, duringtheawkwardsilencethatensued, thatinsufficientlypatrioticpersonenteredwhomAnnaPavlovnahadbeenwaitingforandwishedtoconvert, andshe, smilingandshakingafingeratHippolyte, .
"MostGraciousSovereignandEmperor!" PrinceVasilisternlydeclaimed, ."Moscow, ourancientcapital, theNewJerusalem, receivesherChrist"—heplacedasuddenemphasisonthewordher—"asamotherreceivesherzealoussonsintoherarms, andthroughthegatheringmists, foreseeingthebrilliantgloryofthyrule, singsinexultation, 'Hosanna, blessedishethatcometh!'"
PrinceVasilipronouncedtheselastwordsinatearfulvoice.
Bilibinattentivelyexaminedhisnails, andmanyofthosepresentappearedintimidated, , likeanoldwomanmutteringtheprayeratCommunion: "LettheboldandinsolentGoliath..." shewhispered.
PrinceVasilicontinued.
"LettheboldandinsolentGoliathfromthebordersofFranceencompasstherealmsofRussiawithdeath-bearingterrors; humbleFaith, theslingoftheRussianDavid, , theservantofGodandzealouschampionofoldofourcountry'sweal, , andmercifullyfulfillthedesiresofYourMajesty."
"Whatforce! Whatastyle!" wasutteredinapprovalbothofreaderandofauthor.
AnimatedbythataddressAnnaPavlovna'sgueststalkedforalongtimeofthestateofthefatherlandandofferedvariousconjecturesastotheresultofthebattletobefoughtinafewdays.
"Youwillsee," saidAnnaPavlovna, "thattomorrow, ontheEmperor'sbirthday, !"
