Book Eight: 1811-12 - Chapter IX

by Leo Tolstoy

　　The floor of the stage consisted of smooth boards, at the sideswas some painted cardboard representing trees, and at the back was acloth stretched over boards. In the center of the stage sat some girlsin red bodices and white skirts. One very fat girl in a white silkdress sat apart on a low bench, to the back of which a piece ofgreen cardboard was glued. They all sang something. When they hadfinished their song the girl in white went up to the prompter's boxand a man with tight silk trousers over his stout legs, and holdinga plume and a dagger, went up to her and began singing, waving hisarms about.

　　First the man in the tight trousers sang alone, then she sang,then they both paused while the orchestra played and the manfingered the hand of the girl in white, obviously awaiting the beat tostart singing with her. They sang together and everyone in the theaterbegan clapping and shouting, while the man and woman on the stage- whorepresented lovers- began smiling, spreading out their arms, andbowing.

　　After her life in the country, and in her present serious mood,all this seemed grotesque and amazing to Natasha. She could not followthe opera nor even listen to the music; she saw only the paintedcardboard and the queerly dressed men and women who moved, spoke,and sang so strangely in that brilliant light. She knew what it wasall meant to represent, but it was so pretentiously false andunnatural that she first felt ashamed for the actors and then amusedat them. She looked at the faces of the audience, seeking in themthe same sense of ridicule and perplexity she herself experienced, butthey all seemed attentive to what was happening on the stage, andexpressed delight which to Natasha seemed feigned. "I suppose it hasto be like this!" she thought. She kept looking round in turn at therows of pomaded heads in the stalls and then at the seminude womenin the boxes, especially at Helene in the next box, who- apparentlyquite unclothed- sat with a quiet tranquil smile, not taking hereyes off the stage. And feeling the bright light that flooded thewhole place and the warm air heated by the crowd, Natasha little bylittle began to pass into a state of intoxication she had notexperienced for a long while. She did not realize who and where shewas, nor what was going on before her. As she looked and thought,the strangest fancies unexpectedly and disconnectedly passed throughher mind: the idea occurred to her of jumping onto the edge of the boxand singing the air the actress was singing, then she wished totouch with her fan an old gentleman sitting not far from her, thento lean over to Helene and tickle her.

　　At a moment when all was quiet before the commencement of a song,a door leading to the stalls on the side nearest the Rostovs' boxcreaked, and the steps of a belated arrival were heard. "There'sKuragin!" whispered Shinshin. Countess Bezukhova turned smiling to thenewcomer, and Natasha, following the direction of that look, saw anexceptionally handsome adjutant approaching their box with aself-assured yet courteous bearing. This was Anatole Kuragin whomshe had seen and noticed long ago at the ball in Petersburg. He wasnow in an adjutant's uniform with one epaulet and a shoulder knot.He moved with a restrained swagger which would have been ridiculoushad he not been so good-looking and had his handsome face not wornsuch an expression of good-humored complacency and gaiety. Thoughthe performance was proceeding, he walked deliberately down thecarpeted gangway, his sword and spurs slightly jingling and hishandsome perfumed head held high. Having looked at Natasha heapproached his sister, laid his well gloved hand on the edge of herbox, nodded to her, and leaning forward asked a question, with amotion toward Natasha.

　　"Mais charmante!" said he, evidently referring to Natasha, who didnot exactly hear his words but understood them from the movement ofhis lips. Then he took his place in the first row of the stalls andsat down beside Dolokhov, nudging with his elbow in a friendly andoffhand way that Dolokhov whom others treated so fawningly. Hewinked at him gaily, smiled, and rested his foot against the orchestrascreen.

　　"How like the brother is to the sister," remarked the count. "Andhow handsome they both are!"

　　Shinshin, lowering his voice, began to tell the count of someintrigue of Kuragin's in Moscow, and Natasha tried to overhear it justbecause he had said she was "charmante."

　　The first act was over. In the stalls everyone began moving about,going out and coming in.

　　Boris came to the Rostovs' box, received their congratulationsvery simply, and raising his eyebrows with an absent-minded smileconveyed to Natasha and Sonya his fiancee's invitation to her wedding,and went away. Natasha with a gay, coquettish smile talked to him, andcongratulated on his approaching wedding that same Boris with whom shehad formerly been in love. In the state of intoxication she was in,everything seemed simple and natural.

　　The scantily clad Helene smiled at everyone in the same way, andNatasha gave Boris a similar smile.

　　Helene's box was filled and surrounded from the stalls by the mostdistinguished and intellectual men, who seemed to vie with one anotherin their wish to let everyone see that they knew her.

　　During the whole of that entr'acte Kuragin stood with Dolokhov infront of the orchestra partition, looking at the Rostovs' box. Natashaknew he was talking about her and this afforded her pleasure. She eventurned so that he should see her profile in what she thought was itsmost becoming aspect. Before the beginning of the second act Pierreappeared in the stalls. The Rostovs had not seen him since theirarrival. His face looked sad, and he had grown still stouter sinceNatasha last saw him. He passed up to the front rows, not noticinganyone. Anatole went up to him and began speaking to him, looking atand indicating the Rostovs' box. On seeing Natasha Pierre grewanimated and, hastily passing between the rows, came toward their box.When he got there he leaned on his elbows and, smiling, talked toher for a long time. While conversing with Pierre, Natasha heard aman's voice in Countess Bezukhova's box and something told her itwas Kuragin. She turned and their eyes met. Almost smiling, he gazedstraight into her eyes with such an enraptured caressing look thatit seemed strange to be so near him, to look at him like that, to beso sure he admired her, and not to be acquainted with him.

　　In the second act there was scenery representing tombstones, therewas a round hole in the canvas to represent the moon, shades wereraised over the footlights, and from horns and contrabass came deepnotes while many people appeared from right and left wearing blackcloaks and holding things like daggers in their hands. They beganwaving their arms. Then some other people ran in and began draggingaway the maiden who had been in white and was now in light blue.They did not drag her away at once, but sang with her for a longtime and then at last dragged her off, and behind the scenes somethingmetallic was struck three times and everyone knelt down and sang aprayer. All these things were repeatedly interrupted by theenthusiastic shouts of the audience.

　　During this act every time Natasha looked toward the stalls shesaw Anatole Kuragin with an arm thrown across the back of his chair,staring at her. She was pleased to see that he was captivated by herand it did not occur to her that there was anything wrong in it.

　　When the second act was over Countess Bezukhova rose, turned tothe Rostovs' box- her whole bosom completely exposed- beckoned the oldcount with a gloved finger, and paying no attention to those who hadentered her box began talking to him with an amiable smile.

　　"Do make me acquainted with your charming daughters," said she. "Thewhole town is singing their praises and I don't even know then!"

　　Natasha rose and curtsied to the splendid countess. She was sopleased by praise from this brilliant beauty that she blushed withpleasure.

　　"I want to become a Moscovite too, now," said Helene. "How is ityou're not ashamed to bury such pearls in the country?"

　　Countess Bezukhova quite deserved her reputation of being afascinating woman. She could say what she did not think- especiallywhat was flattering- quite simply and naturally.

　　"Dear count, you must let me look after your daughters! Though Iam not staying here long this time- nor are you- I will try to amusethem. I have already heard much of you in Petersburg and wanted to getto know you," said she to Natasha with her stereotyped and lovelysmile. "I had heard about you from my page, Drubetskoy. Have you heardhe is getting married? And also from my husband's friend Bolkonski,Prince Andrew Bolkonski," she went on with special emphasis,implying that she knew of his relation to Natasha. To get betteracquainted she asked that one of the young ladies should come into herbox for the rest of the performance, and Natasha moved over to it.

　　The scene of the third act represented a palace in which manycandles were burning and pictures of knights with short beards hung onthe walls. In the middle stood what were probably a king and aqueen. The king waved his right arm and, evidently nervous, sangsomething badly and sat down on a crimson throne. The maiden who hadbeen first in white and then in light blue, now wore only a smock, andstood beside the throne with her hair down. She sang somethingmournfully, addressing the queen, but the king waved his arm severely,and men and women with bare legs came in from both sides and begandancing all together. Then the violins played very shrilly and merrilyand one of the women with thick bare legs and thin arms, separatingfrom the others, went behind the wings, adjusted her bodice,returned to the middle of the stage, and began jumping and strikingone foot rapidly against the other. In the stalls everyone clapped andshouted "bravo!" Then one of the men went into a corner of thestage. The cymbals and horns in the orchestra struck up more loudly,and this man with bare legs jumped very high and waved his feetabout very rapidly. (He was Duport, who received sixty thousand rublesa year for this art.) Everybody in the stalls, boxes, and galleriesbegan clapping and shouting with all their might, and the manstopped and began smiling and bowing to all sides. Then other menand women danced with bare legs. Then the king again shouted to thesound of music, and they all began singing. But suddenly a stormcame on, chromatic scales and diminished sevenths were heard in theorchestra, everyone ran off, again dragging one of their numberaway, and the curtain dropped. Once more there was a terrible noiseand clatter among the audience, and with rapturous faces everyonebegan shouting: "Duport! Duport! Duport!" Natasha no longer thoughtthis strange. She look about with pleasure, smiling joyfully.

　　"Isn't Duport delightful?" Helene asked her.

　　"Oh, yes," replied Natasha.