About the book: year / "The ringing of bells died away in the distance, melted, complaining, and soon it became difficult to discern whether the ear could catch it or whether it sounded only in memories. Sisters slowly and silently returned to the hall. Neither looked at the other. They didn’t know how to speak. On the table there were still the remains of a recent sad dinner, a barely started bottle of wine, an extinguished samovar…»