Book One: 1805 - Chapter VII

by Leo Tolstoy

　　The rustle of a woman's dress was heard in the next room. PrinceAndrew shook himself as if waking up, and his face assumed the look ithad had in Anna Pavlovna's drawing room. Pierre removed his feetfrom the sofa. The princess came in. She had changed her gown for ahouse dress as fresh and elegant as the other. Prince Andrew roseand politely placed a chair for her.

　　"How is it," she began, as usual in French, settling down brisklyand fussily in the easy chair, "how is it Annette never got married?How stupid you men all are not to have married her! Excuse me forsaying so, but you have no sense about women. What an argumentativefellow you are, Monsieur Pierre!"

　　"And I am still arguing with your husband. I can't understand why hewants to go to the war," replied Pierre, addressing the princesswith none of the embarrassment so commonly shown by young men in theirintercourse with young women.

　　The princess started. Evidently Pierre's words touched her to thequick.

　　"Ah, that is just what I tell him!" said she. "I don't understandit; I don't in the least understand why men can't live without wars.How is it that we women don't want anything of the kind, don't needit? Now you shall judge between us. I always tell him: Here he isUncle's aide-de-camp, a most brilliant position. He is so wellknown, so much appreciated by everyone. The other day at theApraksins' I heard a lady asking, 'Is that the famous PrinceAndrew?' I did indeed." She laughed. "He is so well receivedeverywhere. He might easily become aide-de-camp to the Emperor. Youknow the Emperor spoke to him most graciously. Annette and I werespeaking of how to arrange it. What do you think?"

　　Pierre looked at his friend and, noticing that he did not like theconversation, gave no reply.

　　"When are you starting?" he asked.

　　"Oh, don't speak of his going, don't! I won't hear it spoken of,"said the princess in the same petulantly playful tone in which she hadspoken to Hippolyte in the drawing room and which was so plainlyill-suited to the family circle of which Pierre was almost a member."Today when I remembered that all these delightful associations mustbe broken off... and then you know, Andre..." (she lookedsignificantly at her husband) "I'm afraid, I'm afraid!" she whispered,and a shudder ran down her back.

　　Her husband looked at her as if surprised to notice that someonebesides Pierre and himself was in the room, and addressed her in atone of frigid politeness.

　　"What is it you are afraid of, Lise? I don't understand," said he.

　　"There, what egotists men all are: all, all egotists! Just for awhim of his own, goodness only knows why, he leaves me and locks me upalone in the country."

　　"With my father and sister, remember," said Prince Andrew gently.

　　"Alone all the same, without my friends.... And he expects me not tobe afraid."

　　Her tone was now querulous and her lip drawn up, giving her not ajoyful, but an animal, squirrel-like expression. She paused as ifshe felt it indecorous to speak of her pregnancy before Pierre, thoughthe gist of the matter lay in that.

　　"I still can't understand what you are afraid of," said PrinceAndrew slowly, not taking his eyes off his wife.

　　The princess blushed, and raised her arms with a gesture of despair.

　　"No, Andrew, I must say you have changed. Oh, how you have..."

　　"Your doctor tells you to go to bed earlier," said Prince Andrew."You had better go."

　　The princess said nothing, but suddenly her short downy lipquivered. Prince Andrew rose, shrugged his shoulders, and walked aboutthe room.

　　Pierre looked over his spectacles with naive surprise, now at himand now at her, moved as if about to rise too, but changed his mind.

　　"Why should I mind Monsieur Pierre being here?" exclaimed the littleprincess suddenly, her pretty face all at once distorted by atearful grimace. "I have long wanted to ask you, Andrew, why youhave changed so to me? What have I done to you? You are going to thewar and have no pity for me. Why is it?"

　　"Lise!" was all Prince Andrew said. But that one word expressed anentreaty, a threat, and above all conviction that she would herselfregret her words. But she went on hurriedly:

　　"You treat me like an invalid or a child. I see it all! Did youbehave like that six months ago?"

　　"Lise, I beg you to desist," said Prince Andrew still moreemphatically.

　　Pierre, who had been growing more and more agitated as he listenedto all this, rose and approached the princess. He seemed unable tobear the sight of tears and was ready to cry himself.

　　"Calm yourself, Princess! It seems so to you because... I assure youI myself have experienced... and so... because... No, excuse me! Anoutsider is out of place here... No, don't distress yourself...Good-by!"

　　Prince Andrew caught him by the hand.

　　"No, wait, Pierre! The princess is too kind to wish to deprive me ofthe pleasure of spending the evening with you."

　　"No, he thinks only of himself," muttered the princess withoutrestraining her angry tears.

　　"Lise!" said Prince Andrew dryly, raising his voice to the pitchwhich indicates that patience is exhausted.

　　Suddenly the angry, squirrel-like expression of the princess' prettyface changed into a winning and piteous look of fear. Her beautifuleyes glanced askance at her husband's face, and her own assumed thetimid, deprecating expression of a dog when it rapidly but feebly wagsits drooping tail.

　　"Mon Dieu, mon Dieu!" she muttered, and lifting her dress with onehand she went up to her husband and kissed him on the forehead.

　　"Good night, Lise," said he, rising and courteously kissing her handas he would have done to a stranger.