Book Eight: 1811-12 - Chapter XII

by Leo Tolstoy

　　The day after the opera the Rostovs went nowhere and nobody cameto see them. Marya Dmitrievna talked to the count about somethingwhich they concealed from Natasha. Natasha guessed they were talkingabout the old prince and planning something, and this disquieted andoffended her. She was expecting Prince Andrew any moment and twicethat day sent a manservant to the Vozdvizhenka to ascertain whether hehad come. He had not arrived. She suffered more now than during herfirst days in Moscow. To her impatience and pining for him were nowadded the unpleasant recollection of her interview with PrincessMary and the old prince, and a fear and anxiety of which she did notunderstand the cause. She continually fancied that either he wouldnever come or that something would happen to her before he came. Shecould no longer think of him by herself calmly and continuously as shehad done before. As soon as she began to think of him, therecollection of the old prince, of Princess Mary, of the theater,and of Kuragin mingled with her thoughts. The question again presenteditself whether she was not guilty, whether she had not alreadybroken faith with Prince Andrew, and again she found herself recallingto the minutest detail every word, every gesture, and every shade inthe play of expression on the face of the man who had been able toarouse in her such an incomprehensible and terrifying feeling. Tothe family Natasha seemed livelier than usual, but she was far lesstranquil and happy than before.

　　On Sunday morning Marya Dmitrievna invited her visitors to Mass ather parish church- the Church of the Assumption built over thegraves of victims of the plague.

　　"I don't like those fashionable churches," she said, evidentlypriding herself on her independence of thought. "God is the same everywhere. We have an excellent priest, he conducts the service decentlyand with dignity, and the deacon is the same. What holiness is therein giving concerts in the choir? I don't like it, it's justself-indulgence!"

　　Marya Dmitrievna liked Sundays and knew how to keep them. Herwhole house was scrubbed and cleaned on Saturdays; neither she nor theservants worked, and they all wore holiday dress and went to church.At her table there were extra dishes at dinner, and the servants hadvodka and roast goose or suckling pig. But in nothing in the house wasthe holiday so noticeable as in Marya Dmitrievna's broad, sternface, which on that day wore an invariable look of solemn festivity.

　　After Mass, when they had finished their coffee in the dining roomwhere the loose covers had been removed from the furniture, aservant announced that the carriage was ready, and Marya Dmitrievnarose with a stern air. She wore her holiday shawl, in which she paidcalls, and announced that she was going to see Prince NicholasBolkonski to have an explanation with him about Natasha.

　　After she had gone, a dressmaker from Madame Suppert-Roguet waitedon the Rostovs, and Natasha, very glad of this diversion, havingshut herself into a room adjoining the drawing room, occupiedherself trying on the new dresses. Just as she had put on a bodicewithout sleeves and only tacked together, and was turning her headto see in the glass how the back fitted, she heard in the drawing roomthe animated sounds of her father's voice and another's- a woman's-that made her flush. It was Helene. Natasha had not time to take offthe bodice before the door opened and Countess Bezukhova, dressed in apurple velvet gown with a high collar, came into the room beaming withgood-humored amiable smiles.

　　"Oh, my enchantress!" she cried to the blushing Natasha."Charming! No, this is really beyond anything, my dear count," saidshe to Count Rostov who had followed her in. "How can you live inMoscow and go nowhere? No, I won't let you off! Mademoiselle Georgewill recite at my house tonight and there'll be some people, and ifyou don't bring your lovely girls- who are prettier thanMademoiselle George- I won't know you! My husband is away in Tver or Iwould send him to fetch you. You must come. You positively must!Between eight and nine."

　　She nodded to the dressmaker, whom she knew and who had curtsiedrespectfully to her, and seated herself in an armchair beside thelooking glass, draping the folds of her velvet dress picturesquely.She did not cease chattering good-naturedly and gaily, continuallypraising Natasha's beauty. She looked at Natasha's dresses and praisedthem, as well as a new dress of her own made of "metallic gauze,"which she had received from Paris, and advised Natasha to have onelike it.

　　"But anything suits you, my charmer!" she remarked.

　　A smile of pleasure never left Natasha's face. She felt happy and asif she were blossoming under the praise of this dear CountessBezukhova who had formerly seemed to her so unapproachable andimportant and was now so kind to her. Natasha brightened up and feltalmost in love with this woman, who was so beautiful and so kind.Helene for her part was sincerely delighted with Natasha and wished togive her a good time. Anatole had asked her to bring him and Natashatogether, and she was calling on the Rostovs for that purpose. Theidea of throwing her brother and Natasha together amused her.

　　Though at one time, in Petersburg, she had been annoyed with Natashafor drawing Boris away, she did not think of that now, and in herown way heartily wished Natasha well. As she was leaving the Rostovsshe called her protegee aside.

　　"My brother dined with me yesterday- we nearly died of laughter-he ate nothing and kept sighing for you, my charmer! He is madly,quite madly, in love with you, my dear."

　　Natasha blushed scarlet when she heard this.

　　"How she blushes, how she blushes, my pretty!" said Helene. "Youmust certainly come. If you love somebody, my charmer, that is not areason to shut yourself up. Even if you are engaged, I am sure yourfiance would wish you to go into society rather than be bored todeath."

　　"So she knows I am engaged, and she and her husband Pierre- thatgood Pierre- have talked and laughed about this. So it's all right."And again, under Helene's influence, what had seemed terrible nowseemed simple and natural. "And she is such a grande dame, so kind,and evidently likes me so much. And why not enjoy myself?" thoughtNatasha, gazing at Helene with wide-open, wondering eyes.

　　Marya Dmitrievna came back to dinner taciturn and serious, havingevidently suffered a defeat at the old prince's. She was still tooagitated by the encounter to be able to talk of the affair calmly.In answer to the count's inquiries she replied that things were allright and that she would tell about it next day. On hearing ofCountess Bezukhova's visit and the invitation for that evening,Marya Dmitrievna remarked:

　　"I don't care to have anything to do with Bezukhova and don't adviseyou to; however, if you've promised- go. It will divert yourthoughts," she added, addressing Natasha.