Pierre BOOK XIII

In which the sombre eve see Pierre and his sisters prepare for a poignant departure, the silence and shadows concealing delicate sorrows as they take leave of the cherished meadows under the watchful eyes of silent onlookers. The morning dawns cold and brisk, the horses impatiently paw the ground, and the old landlord, steeped in memories of joyous farewells, muses on the weighty melancholy that now colours even the most gallant of bridal parties.