Book Six: 1808-10 - Chapter II

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Prince Andrew had to see the Marshal of the Nobility for thedistrict in connection with the affairs of the Ryazan estate ofwhich he was trustee. This Marshal was Count Ilya Rostov, and in themiddle of May Prince Andrew went to visit him.

　　It was now hot spring weather. The whole forest was alreadyclothed in green. It was dusty and so hot that on passing near waterone longed to bathe.

　　Prince Andrew, depressed and preoccupied with the business aboutwhich he had to speak to the Marshal, was driving up the avenue in thegrounds of the Rostovs' house at Otradnoe. He heard merry girlishcries behind some trees on the right and saw group of girls running tocross the path of his caleche. Ahead of the rest and nearer to him rana dark-haired, remarkably slim, pretty girl in a yellow chintzdress, with a white handkerchief on her head from under which looselocks of hair escaped. The girl was shouting something but, seeingthat he was a stranger, ran back laughing without looking at him.

　　Suddenly, he did not know why, he felt a pang. The day was sobeautiful, the sun so bright, everything around so gay, but thatslim pretty girl did not know, or wish to know, of his existence andwas contented and cheerful in her own separate- probably foolish-but bright and happy life. "What is she so glad about? What is shethinking of? Not of the military regulations or of the arrangementof the Ryazan serfs' quitrents. Of what is she thinking? Why is she sohappy?" Prince Andrew asked himself with instinctive curiosity.

　　In 1809 Count Ilya Rostov was living at Otradnoe just as he had donein former years, that is, entertaining almost the whole provincewith hunts, theatricals, dinners, and music. He was glad to see PrinceAndrew, as he was to see any new visitor, and insisted on hisstaying the night.

　　During the dull day, in the course of which he was entertained byhis elderly hosts and by the more important of the visitors (the oldcount's house was crowded on account of an approaching name day),Prince Andrew repeatedly glanced at Natasha, gay and laughing amongthe younger members of the company, and asked himself each time, "Whatis she thinking about? Why is she so glad?"

　　That night, alone in new surroundings, he was long unable tosleep. He read awhile and then put out his candle, but relit it. Itwas hot in the room, the inside shutters of which were closed. Hewas cross with the stupid old man (as he called Rostov), who hadmade him stay by assuring him that some necessary documents had notyet arrived from town, and he was vexed with himself for havingstayed.

　　He got up and went to the window to open it. As soon as he openedthe shutters the moonlight, as if it had long been watching forthis, burst into the room. He opened the casement. The night wasfresh, bright, and very still. Just before the window was a row ofpollard trees, looking black on one side and with a silvery light onthe other. Beneath the trees grewsome kind of lush, wet, bushyvegetation with silver-lit leaves and stems here and there. Fartherback beyond the dark trees a roof glittered with dew, to the right wasa leafy tree with brilliantly white trunk and branches, and above itshone the moon, nearly at its full, in a pale, almost starless, springsky. Prince Andrew leaned his elbows on the window ledge and hiseyes rested on that sky.

　　His room was on the first floor. Those in the rooms above werealso awake. He heard female voices overhead.

　　"Just once more," said a girlish voice above him which Prince Andrewrecognized at once.

　　"But when are you coming to bed?" replied another voice.

　　"I won't, I can't sleep, what's the use? Come now for the lasttime."

　　Two girlish voices sang a musical passage- the end of some song.

　　"Oh, how lovely! Now go to sleep, and there's an end of it."

　　"You go to sleep, but I can't," said the first voice, comingnearer to the window. She was evidently leaning right out, for therustle of her dress and even her breathing could be heard.Everything was stone-still, like the moon and its light and theshadows. Prince Andrew, too, dared not stir, for fear of betraying hisunintentional presence.

　　"Sonya! Sonya!" he again heard the first speaker. "Oh, how can yousleep? Only look how glorious it is! Ah, how glorious! Do wake up,Sonya!" she said almost with tears in her voice. "There never, neverwas such a lovely night before!"

　　Sonya made some reluctant reply.

　　"Do just come and see what a moon!... Oh, how lovely! Comehere.... Darling, sweetheart, come here! There, you see? I feel likesitting down on my heels, putting my arms round my knees like this,straining tight, as tight as possible, and flying away! Like this...."

　　"Take care, you'll fall out."

　　He heard the sound of a scuffle and Sonya's disapproving voice:"It's past one o'clock."

　　"Oh, you only spoil things for me. All right, go, go!"

　　Again all was silent, but Prince Andrew knew she was still sittingthere. From time to time he heard a soft rustle and at times a sigh.

　　"O God, O God! What does it mean?" she suddenly exclaimed. "To bedthen, if it must be!" and she slammed the casement.

　　"For her I might as well not exist!" thought Prince Andrew whilehe listened to her voice, for some reason expecting yet fearing thatshe might say something about him. "There she is again! As if itwere on purpose," thought he.

　　In his soul there suddenly arose such an unexpected turmoil ofyouthful thoughts and hopes, contrary to the whole tenor of hislife, that unable to explain his condition to himself he lay downand fell asleep at once.