War and peace ( Constance Garnett-1900)

WAR AND PEACE while Anna Pavlovna, still keeping a watch on the dreadful young man, noticed that he was talking too loudly and too warmly with the abbe and hurried to the spot of danger. Pierre had in fact succeeded in getting into a political conversation with the abbe on the balance of power, and the abbe, evidently interested by the simple-hearted fervour of the young man, was unfolding to him his cherished idea. Both were listening and talking too eagerly and naturally, and Anna Pavlovna did not like it.

‘The means?—the balance of power in Europe and the rights of the people,’ said the abbe. ‘One powerful state like Russia—with the prestige of barbarism—need only take a disinterested stand at the head of the alliance that aims at securing the balance of power in Europe, and it would save the world!’ ‘How are you going to get such a balance of power?’ Pierre was beginning; but at that moment Anna Pavlovna came up, and glancing severely at Pierre, asked the Italian how he was supporting the climate. The Italian’s face changed instantly and assumed the look of offensive, affected sweetness, which was evidently its habitual expression in conversation with women. ‘I am so enchanted by the wit and culture of the society—especially of the ladies—in which I have had the happiness to be received, that I have not yet had time to think of the climate,’ he said. Not letting the abbe and Pierre slip out of her grasp, Anna Pavlovna, for greater convenience in watching them, made them join the bigger group.

At that moment another guest walked into the drawing-room. This was the young Prince Andrey Bolkonsky, the husband of the little princess. Prince Bolkonsky was a very handsome young man, of medium height, with clear, clean-cut features. Everything in his appearance, from his weary, bored expression to his slow, measured step, formed the mosc striking contrast to his lively little wife. Obviously all the people in the drawing-room were familiar figures to him, and more than that, he was unmistakably so sick of them that even to look at them and to listen to them was a weariness to him. Of all the wearisome faces the face of his pretty wife seemed to bore him most. With a grimace that distorted his handsome face he turned away from her. He kissed Anna Pavlovna’s hand, and with half-closed eyelids scanned the whole company.

‘You are enlisting for the war, prince?’ said Anna Pavlovna.

‘General Kutuzov has been kind enough to have me as an aide-de- camp,’ said Bolkonsky. <

‘And Lise, your wife?-’

‘She is going into the country.’

‘Isn’t it too bad of you to rob us of your charming wife?’

‘Andre,’ said his wife, addressing her husband in exactly the same coquettish tone in which she spoke to outsiders, ‘the vicomte has just told us such a story about Mile. Georges and Bonaparte!’

Prince Andrey scowled and turned away. Pierre, who had kept his eyes joyfully and affectionately fixed on him ever since he came in, went up to him and took hold of his arm. Prince Andrey, without looking round, twisted his face into a grimace of annoyance at any one’s touch-

WAR AND PEACE ing him, but seeing Pierre’s smiling face, he gave him a smile that was unexpectedly sweet and pleasant.

‘Why, you! . . . And in such society too,’ he said to Pierre.

‘I knew you would be here,’ answered Pierre. ‘I’m coming to supper with you,’ he added in an undertone, not to interrupt the vicomte who was still talking. ‘Can I?’

‘Oh no, impossible,’ said Prince Andrey, laughing, with a squeeze of his hand giving Pierre to understand that there was no need to ask. He would have said something more, but at that instant Prince Vassily and his daughter got up and the two young men rose to make way for them.

‘Pardon me, my dear vicomte,’ said Prince Vassily in French, gently pulling him down by his sleeve to prevent him from getting up from his seat. ‘This luckless fete at the ambassador’s deprives me of a pleasure and interrupts you. I am very sorry to leave your enchanting party,’ he said to Anna Pavlovna.

His daughter, Princess Ellen, lightly holding the folds of her gown, passed between the chairs, and the smile glowed more brightly than ever on her handsome face. Pierre looked with rapturous, almost frightened eyes at this beautiful creature as she passed them.

‘Very lovely!’ said Prince Andrey.

‘Very,’ said Pierre.

As he came up to them, Prince Vassily took Pierre by the arm, and addressing Anna Pavlovna:

‘Get this bear into shape for me,’ he said. ‘Here he has been staying with me for a month, and this is the first time I have seen him in society. Nothing’s so necessary for a young man as the society of clever women.’

IV