Book One: 1805 - Chapter XVIII

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Countess Rostova, with her daughters and a large number of guests,was already seated in the drawing room. The count took the gentlemeninto his study and showed them his choice collection of Turkish pipes.From time to time he went out to ask: "Hasn't she come yet?" They wereexpecting Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova, known in society as leterrible dragon, a lady distinguished not for wealth or rank, butfor common sense and frank plainness of speech. Marya Dmitrievna wasknown to the Imperial family as well as to all Moscow andPetersburg, and both cities wondered at her, laughed privately ather rudenesses, and told good stories about her, while none the lessall without exception respected and feared her.

　　In the count's room, which was full of tobacco smoke, they talked ofwar that had been announced in a manifesto, and about therecruiting. None of them had yet seen the manifesto, but they all knewit had appeared. The count sat on the sofa between two guests who weresmoking and talking. He neither smoked nor talked, but bending hishead first to one side and then to the other watched the smokerswith evident pleasure and listened to the conversation of his twoneighbors, whom he egged on against each other.

　　One of them was a sallow, clean-shaven civilian with a thin andwrinkled face, already growing old, though he was dressed like amost fashionable young man. He sat with his legs up on the sofa asif quite at home and, having stuck an amber mouthpiece far into hismouth, was inhaling the smoke spasmodically and screwing up hiseyes. This was an old bachelor, Shinshin, a cousin of the countess', aman with "a sharp tongue" as they said in Moscow society. He seemed tobe condescending to his companion. The latter, a fresh, rosy officerof the Guards, irreproachably washed, brushed, and buttoned, heldhis pipe in the middle of his mouth and with red lips gently inhaledthe smoke, letting it escape from his handsome mouth in rings. Thiswas Lieutenant Berg, an officer in the Semenov regiment with whomBoris was to travel to join the army, and about whom Natasha had,teased her elder sister Vera, speaking of Berg as her "intended."The count sat between them and listened attentively. His favoriteoccupation when not playing boston, a card game he was very fond of,was that of listener, especially when he succeeded in setting twoloquacious talkers at one another.

　　"Well, then, old chap, mon tres honorable Alphonse Karlovich,"said Shinshin, laughing ironically and mixing the most ordinaryRussian expressions with the choicest French phrases- which was apeculiarity of his speech. "Vous comptez vous faire des rentes surl'etat;* you want to make something out of your company?"

　　*You expect to make an income out of the government.

　　"No, Peter Nikolaevich; I only want to show that in the cavalrythe advantages are far less than in the infantry. Just consider my ownposition now, Peter Nikolaevich..."

　　Berg always spoke quietly, politely, and with great precision. Hisconversation always related entirely to himself; he would remaincalm and silent when the talk related to any topic that had nodirect bearing on himself. He could remain silent for hours withoutbeing at all put out of countenance himself or making othersuncomfortable, but as soon as the conversation concerned himself hewould begin to talk circumstantially and with evident satisfaction.

　　"Consider my position, Peter Nikolaevich. Were I in the cavalry Ishould get not more than two hundred rubles every four months, evenwith the rank of lieutenant; but as it is I receive two hundred andthirty," said he, looking at Shinshin and the count with a joyful,pleasant smile, as if it were obvious to him that his success mustalways be the chief desire of everyone else.

　　"Besides that, Peter Nikolaevich, by exchanging into the Guards Ishall be in a more prominent position," continued Berg, "and vacanciesoccur much more frequently in the Foot Guards. Then just think whatcan be done with two hundred and thirty rubles! I even manage to put alittle aside and to send something to my father," he went on, emittinga smoke ring.

　　"La balance y est...* A German knows how to skin a flint, as theproverb says," remarked Shinshin, moving his pipe to the other side ofhis mouth and winking at the count.

　　*So that squares matters.

　　The count burst out laughing. The other guests seeing thatShinshin was talking came up to listen. Berg, oblivious of irony orindifference, continued to explain how by exchanging into the Guardshe had already gained a step on his old comrades of the Cadet Corps;how in wartime the company commander might get killed and he, assenior in the company, might easily succeed to the post; how popularhe was with everyone in the regiment, and how satisfied his father waswith him. Berg evidently enjoyed narrating all this, and did notseem to suspect that others, too, might have their own interests.But all he said was so prettily sedate, and the naivete of hisyouthful egotism was so obvious, that he disarmed his hearers.

　　"Well, my boy, you'll get along wherever you go- foot or horse- thatI'll warrant," said Shinshin, patting him on the shoulder and takinghis feet off the sofa.

　　Berg smiled joyously. The count, by his guests, went into thedrawing room.

　　It was just the moment before a big dinner when the assembledguests, expecting the summons to zakuska,* avoid engaging in anylong conversation but think it necessary to move about and talk, inorder to show that they are not at all impatient for their food. Thehost and hostess look toward the door, and now and then glance atone another, and the visitors try to guess from these glances who,or what, they are waiting for- some important relation who has not yetarrived, or a dish that is not yet ready.

　　*Hors d'oeuvres.

　　Pierre had come just at dinnertime and was sitting awkwardly inthe middle of the drawing room on the first chair he had comeacross, blocking the way for everyone. The countess tried to makehim talk, but he went on naively looking around through his spectaclesas if in search of somebody and answered all her questions inmonosyllables. He was in the way and was the only one who did notnotice the fact. Most of the guests, knowing of the affair with thebear, looked with curiosity at this big, stout, quiet man, wonderinghow such a clumsy, modest fellow could have played such a prank on apoliceman.

　　"You have only lately arrived?" the countess asked him.

　　"Oui, madame," replied he, looking around him.

　　"You have not yet seen my husband?"

　　"Non, madame." He smiled quite inappropriately.

　　"You have been in Paris recently, I believe? I suppose it's veryinteresting."

　　"Very interesting."

　　The countess exchanged glances with Anna Mikhaylovna. The latterunderstood that she was being asked to entertain this young man, andsitting down beside him she began to speak about his father; but heanswered her, as he had the countess, only in monosyllables. The otherguests were all conversing with one another. "The Razumovskis... Itwas charming... You are very kind... Countess Apraksina..." washeard on all sides. The countess rose and went into the ballroom.

　　"Marya Dmitrievna?" came her voice from there.

　　"Herself," came the answer in a rough voice, and Marya Dmitrievnaentered the room.

　　All the unmarried ladies and even the married ones except the veryoldest rose. Marya Dmitrievna paused at the door. Tall and stout,holding high her fifty-year-old head with its gray curls, she stoodsurveying the guests, and leisurely arranged her wide sleeves as ifrolling them up. Marya Dmitrievna always spoke in Russian.

　　"Health and happiness to her whose name day we are keeping and toher children," she said, in her loud, full-toned voice which drownedall others. "Well, you old sinner," she went on, turning to thecount who was kissing her hand, "you're feeling dull in Moscow, Idaresay? Nowhere to hunt with your dogs? But what is to be done, oldman? Just see how these nestlings are growing up," and she pointedto the girls. "You must look for husbands for them whether you like itor not...."

　　Well," said she, "how's my Cossack?" (Marya Dmitrievna always calledNatasha a Cossack) and she stroked the child's arm as she came upfearless and gay to kiss her hand. "I know she's a scamp of a girl,but I like her."

　　She took a pair of pear-shaped ruby earrings from her hugereticule and, having given them to the rosy Natasha, who beamed withthe pleasure of her saint's-day fete, turned away at once andaddressed herself to Pierre.

　　"Eh, eh, friend! Come here a bit," said she, assuming a soft hightone of voice. "Come here, my friend..." and she ominously tucked upher sleeves still higher. Pierre approached, looking at her in achildlike way through his spectacles.

　　"Come nearer, come nearer, friend! I used to be the only one to tellyour father the truth when he was in favor, and in your case it's myevident duty." She paused. All were silent, expectant of what was tofollow, for this was dearly only a prelude.

　　"A fine lad! My word! A fine lad!... His father lies on his deathbedand he amuses himself setting a policeman astride a bear! For shame,sir, for shame! It would be better if you went to the war."

　　She turned away and gave her hand to the count, who could hardlykeep from laughing.

　　"Well, I suppose it is time we were at table?" said MaryaDmitrievna.

　　The count went in first with Marya Dmitrievna, the countess followedon the arm of a colonel of hussars, a man of importance to thembecause Nicholas was to go with him to the regiment; then came AnnaMikhaylovna with Shinshin. Berg gave his arm to Vera. The smilingJulie Karagina went in with Nicholas. After them other couplesfollowed, filling the whole dining hall, and last of all the children,tutors, and governesses followed singly. The footmen began movingabout, chairs scraped, the band struck up in the gallery, and theguests settled down in their places. Then the strains of the count'shousehold band were replaced by the clatter of knives and forks, thevoices of visitors, and the soft steps of the footmen. At one end ofthe table sat the countess with Marya Dmitrievna on her right and AnnaMikhaylovna on her left, the other lady visitors were farther down. Atthe other end sat the count, with the hussar colonel on his left andShinshin and the other male visitors on his right. Midway down thelong table on one side sat the grownup young people: Vera beside Berg,and Pierre beside Boris; and on the other side, the children,tutors, and governesses. From behind the crystal decanters and fruitvases the count kept glancing at his wife and her tall cap with itslight-blue ribbons, and busily filled his neighbors' glasses, notneglecting his own. The countess in turn, without omitting herduties as hostess, threw significant glances from behind thepineapples at her husband whose face and bald head seemed by theirredness to contrast more than usual with his gray hair. At the ladies'end an even chatter of voices was heard all the time, at the men's endthe voices sounded louder and louder, especially that of the colonelof hussars who, growing more and more flushed, ate and drank so muchthat the count held him up as a pattern to the other guests. Berg withtender smiles was saying to Vera that love is not an earthly but aheavenly feeling. Boris was telling his new friend Pierre who theguests were and exchanging glances with Natasha, who was sittingopposite. Pierre spoke little but examined the new faces, and ate agreat deal. Of the two soups he chose turtle with savory patties andwent on to the game without omitting a single dish or one of thewines. These latter the butler thrust mysteriously forward, wrapped ina napkin, from behind the next man's shoulders and whispered: "DryMadeira"... "Hungarian"... or "Rhine wine" as the case might be. Ofthe four crystal glasses engraved with the count's monogram that stoodbefore his plate, Pierre held out one at random and drank withenjoyment, gazing with ever-increasing amiability at the other guests.Natasha, who sat opposite, was looking at Boris as girls of thirteenlook at the boy they are in love with and have just kissed for thefirst time. Sometimes that same look fell on Pierre, and that funnylively little girl's look made him inclined to laugh without knowingwhy.

　　Nicholas sat at some distance from Sonya, beside Julie Karagina,to whom he was again talking with the same involuntary smile. Sonyawore a company smile but was evidently tormented by jealousy; nowshe turned pale, now blushed and strained every nerve to overhear whatNicholas and Julie were saying to one another. The governess keptlooking round uneasily as if preparing to resent any slight that mightbe put upon the children. The German tutor was trying to rememberall the dishes, wines, and kinds of dessert, in order to send a fulldescription of the dinner to his people in Germany; and he feltgreatly offended when the butler with a bottle wrapped in a napkinpassed him by. He frowned, trying to appear as if he did not wantany of that wine, but was mortified because no one would understandthat it was not to quench his thirst or from greediness that he wantedit, but simply from a conscientious desire for knowledge.