Book One: 1805 - Chapter XVII

by Leo Tolstoy

　　After Anna Mikhaylovna had driven off with her son to visit CountCyril Vladimirovich Bezukhov, Countess Rostova sat for a long time allalone applying her handkerchief to her eyes. At last she rang.

　　"What is the matter with you, my dear?" she said crossly to the maidwho kept her waiting some minutes. "Don't you wish to serve me? ThenI'll find you another place."

　　The countess was upset by her friend's sorrow and humiliatingpoverty, and was therefore out of sorts, a state of mind which withher always found expression in calling her maid "my dear" and speakingto her with exaggerated politeness.

　　"I am very sorry, ma'am," answered the maid.

　　"Ask the count to come to me."

　　The count came waddling in to see his wife with a rather guilty lookas usual.

　　"Well, little countess? What a saute of game au madere we are tohave, my dear! I tasted it. The thousand rubles I paid for Taraswere not ill-spent. He is worth it!"

　　He sat down by his wife, his elbows on his knees and his handsruffling his gray hair.

　　"What are your commands, little countess?"

　　"You see, my dear... What's that mess?" she said, pointing to hiswaistcoat. "It's, the saute, most likely," she added with a smile."Well, you see, Count, I want some money."

　　Her face became sad.

　　"Oh, little countess!"... and the count began bustling to get outhis pocketbook.

　　"I want a great deal, Count! I want five hundred rubles," and takingout her cambric handkerchief she began wiping her husband's waistcoat.

　　"Yes, immediately, immediately! Hey, who's there?" he called outin a tone only used by persons who are certain that those they callwill rush to obey the summons. "Send Dmitri to me!"

　　Dmitri, a man of good family who had been brought up in thecount's house and now managed all his affairs, stepped softly into theroom.

　　"This is what I want, my dear fellow," said the count to thedeferential young man who had entered. "Bring me..." he reflected amoment, "yes, bring me seven hundred rubles, yes! But mind, don'tbring me such tattered and dirty notes as last time, but nice cleanones for the countess."

　　"Yes, Dmitri, clean ones, please," said the countess, sighingdeeply.

　　"When would you like them, your excellency?" asked Dmitri. "Allow meto inform you... But, don't be uneasy," he added, noticing that thecount was beginning to breathe heavily and quickly which was alwaysa sign of approaching anger. "I was forgetting... Do you wish itbrought at once?"

　　"Yes, yes; just so! Bring it. Give it to the countess."

　　"What a treasure that Dmitri is," added the count with a smilewhen the young man had departed. "There is never any 'impossible' withhim. That's a thing I hate! Everything is possible."

　　"Ah, money, Count, money! How much sorrow it causes in the world,"said the countess. "But I am in great need of this sum."

　　"You, my little countess, are a notorious spendthrift," said thecount, and having kissed his wife's hand he went back to his study.

　　When Anna Mikhaylovna returned from Count Bezukhov's the money,all in clean notes, was lying ready under a handkerchief on thecountess' little table, and Anna Mikhaylovna noticed that somethingwas agitating her.

　　"Well, my dear?" asked the countess.

　　"Oh, what a terrible state he is in! One would not know him, he isso ill! I was only there a few moments and hardly said a word..."

　　"Annette, for heaven's sake don't refuse me," the countess began,with a blush that looked very strange on her thin, dignified,elderly face, and she took the money from under the handkerchief.

　　Anna Mikhaylovna instantly guessed her intention and stooped to beready to embrace the countess at the appropriate moment.

　　"This is for Boris from me, for his outfit."

　　Anna Mikhaylovna was already embracing her and weeping. The countesswept too. They wept because they were friends, and because they werekindhearted, and because they- friends from childhood- had to thinkabout such a base thing as money, and because their youth was over....But those tears were pleasant to them both.