Page 907 - war-and-peace

despised God’s folk who, wallet on back, come to me by the
back door, afraid of being seen by the prince, not for fear of
ill-usage by him but for fear of causing him to sin. To leave
family, home, and all the cares of worldly welfare, in or-
der without clinging to anything to wander in hempen rags
from place to place under an assumed name, doing no one
any harm but praying for allfor those who drive one away as
well as for those who protect one: higher than that life and
truth there is no life or truth!’
There was one pilgrim, a quiet pockmarked little woman
of fifty called Theodosia, who for over thirty years had gone
about barefoot and worn heavy chains. Princess Mary was
particularly fond of her. Once, when in a room with a lamp
dimly lit before the icon Theodosia was talking of her life,
the thought that Theodosia alone had found the true path
of life suddenly came to Princess Mary with such force that
she resolved to become a pilgrim herself. When Theodosia
had gone to sleep Princess Mary thought about this for a
long time, and at last made up her mind that, strange as it
might seem, she must go on a pilgrimage. She disclosed this
thought to no one but to her confessor, Father Akinfi, the
monk, and he approved of her intention. Under guise of a
present for the pilgrims, Princess Mary prepared a pilgrim’s
complete costume for herself: a coarse smock, bast shoes,
a rough coat, and a black kerchief. Often, approaching the
chest of drawers containing this secret treasure, Princess
Mary paused, uncertain whether the time had not already
come to put her project into execution.
Often, listening to the pilgrims’ tales, she was so stimu-

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