Book Eight: 1811-12 - Chapter VII

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Next day, by Marya Dmitrievna's advice, Count Rostov took Natasha tocall on Prince Nicholas Bolkonski. The count did not set outcheerfully on this visit, at heart he felt afraid. He wellremembered the last interview he had had with the old prince at thetime of the enrollment, when in reply to an invitation to dinner hehad had to listen to an angry reprimand for not having provided hisfull quota of men. Natasha, on the other hand, having put on herbest gown, was in the highest spirits. "They can't help liking me,"she thought. "Everybody always has liked me, and I am so willing to doanything they wish, so ready to be fond of him- for being hisfather- and of her- for being his sister- that there is no reasonfor them not to like me..."

　　They drove up to the gloomy old house on the Vozdvizhenka andentered the vestibule.

　　"Well, the Lord have mercy on us!" said the count, half in jest,half in earnest; but Natasha noticed that her father was flurried onentering the anteroom and inquired timidly and softly whether theprince and princess were at home.

　　When they had been announced a perturbation was noticeable among theservants. The footman who had gone to announce them was stopped byanother in the large hall and they whispered to one another. Then amaidservant ran into the hall and hurriedly said something, mentioningthe princess. At last an old, cross looking footman came and announcedto the Rostovs that the prince was not receiving, but that theprincess begged them to walk up. The first person who came to meet thevisitors was Mademoiselle Bourienne. She greeted the father anddaughter with special politeness and showed them to the princess'room. The princess, looking excited and nervous, her face flushed inpatches, ran in to meet the visitors, treading heavily, and vainlytrying to appear cordial and at ease. From the first glance PrincessMary did not like Natasha. She thought her too fashionably dressed,frivolously gay and vain. She did not at all realize that beforehaving seen her future sister-in-law she was prejudiced against her byinvoluntary envy of her beauty, youth, and happiness, as well as byjealousy of her brother's love for her. Apart from this insuperableantipathy to her, Princess Mary was agitated just then because onthe Rostovs' being announced, the old prince had shouted that he didnot wish to see them, that Princess Mary might do so if she chose, butthey were not to be admitted to him. She had decided to receivethem, but feared lest the prince might at any moment indulge in somefreak, as he seemed much upset by the Rostovs' visit.

　　"There, my dear princess, I've brought you my songstress," saidthe count, bowing and looking round uneasily as if afraid the oldprince might appear. "I am so glad you should get to know oneanother... very sorry the prince is still ailing," and after a fewmore commonplace remarks he rose. "If you'll allow me to leave myNatasha in your hands for a quarter of an hour, Princess, I'll driveround to see Anna Semenovna, it's quite near in the Dogs' Square,and then I'll come back for her."

　　The count had devised this diplomatic ruse (as he afterwards toldhis daughter) to give the future sisters-in-law an opportunity to talkto one another freely, but another motive was to avoid the danger ofencountering the old prince, of whom he was afraid. He did not mentionthis to his daughter, but Natasha noticed her father's nervousness andanxiety and felt mortified by it. She blushed for him, grew stillangrier at having blushed, and looked at the princess with a boldand defiant expression which said that she was not afraid ofanybody. The princess told the count that she would be delighted,and only begged him to stay longer at Anna Semenovna's, and hedeparted.

　　Despite the uneasy glances thrown at her by Princess Mary- whowished to have a tete-a-tete with Natasha- Mademoiselle Bourienneremained in the room and persistently talked about Moscow amusementsand theaters. Natasha felt offended by the hesitation she hadnoticed in the anteroom, by her father's nervousness, and by theunnatural manner of the princess who- she thought- was making afavor of receiving her, and so everything displeased her. She didnot like Princess Mary, whom she thought very plain, affected, anddry. Natasha suddenly shrank into herself and involuntarily assumed anoffhand air which alienated Princess Mary still more. After fiveminutes of irksome, constrained conversation, they heard the soundof slippered feet rapidly approaching. Princess Mary lookedfrightened.

　　The door opened and the old prince, in a dress, ing gown and a whitenightcap, came in.

　　"Ah, madam!" he began. "Madam, Countess... Countess Rostova, if I amnot mistaken... I beg you to excuse me, to excuse me... I did notknow, madam. God is my witness, I did not know you had honored us witha visit, and I came in such a costume only to see my daughter. I begyou to excuse me... God is my witness, I didn't know-" he repeated,stressing the word "God" so unnaturally and so unpleasantly thatPrincess Mary stood with downcast eyes not daring to look either ather father or at Natasha.

　　Nor did the latter, having risen and curtsied, know what to do.Mademoiselle Bourienne alone smiled agreeably.

　　"I beg you to excuse me, excuse me! God is my witness, I did notknow," muttered the old man, and after looking Natasha over fromhead to foot he went out.

　　Mademoiselle Bourienne was the first to recover herself after thisapparition and began speaking about the prince's indisposition.Natasha and Princess Mary looked at one another in silence, and thelonger they did so without saying what they wanted to say, the greatergrew their antipathy to one another.

　　When the count returned, Natasha was impolitely pleased and hastenedto get away: at that moment she hated the stiff, elderly princess, whocould place her in such an embarrassing position and had spent half anhour with her without once mentioning Prince Andrew. "I couldn't begintalking about him in the presence of that Frenchwoman," thoughtNatasha. The same thought was meanwhile tormenting Princess Mary.She knew what she ought to have said to Natasha, but she had beenunable to say it because Mademoiselle Bourienne was in the way, andbecause, without knowing why, she felt it very difficult to speak ofthe marriage. When the count was already leaving the room, PrincessMary went up hurriedly to Natasha, took her by the hand, and said witha deep sigh:

　　"Wait, I must..."

　　Natasha glanced at her ironically without knowing why.

　　"Dear Natalie," said Princess Mary, "I want you to know that I amglad my brother has found happiness...."

　　She paused, feeling that she was not telling the truth. Natashanoticed this and guessed its reason.

　　"I think, Princess, it is not convenient to speak of that now,"she said with external dignity and coldness, though she felt the tearschoking her.

　　"What have I said and what have I done?" thought she, as soon as shewas out of the room.

　　They waited a long time for Natasha to come to dinner that day.She sat in her room crying like a child, blowing her nose and sobbing.Sonya stood beside her, kissing her hair.

　　"Natasha, what is it about?" she asked. "What do they matter to you?It will all pass, Natasha."

　　"But if you only knew how offensive it was... as if I..."

　　"Don't talk about it, Natasha. It wasn't your fault so why shouldyou mind? Kiss me," said Sonya.

　　Natasha raised her head and, kissing her friend on the lips, pressedher wet face against her.

　　"I can't tell you, I don't know. No one's to blame," said Natasha-"It's my fault. But it all hurts terribly. Oh, why doesn't hecome?..."

　　She came in to dinner with red eyes. Marya Dmitrievna, who knewhow the prince had received the Rostovs, pretended not to notice howupset Natasha was and jested resolutely and loudly at table with thecount and the other guests.