Book Three: 1805 - Chapter IV

by Leo Tolstoy

　　When Princess Mary came down, Prince Vasili and his son were alreadyin the drawing room, talking to the little princess and MademoiselleBourienne. When she entered with her heavy step, treading on herheels, the gentlemen and Mademoiselle Bourienne rose and the littleprincess, indicating her to the gentlemen, said: "Voila Marie!"Princess Mary saw them all and saw them in detail. She saw PrinceVasili's face, serious for an instant at the sight of her, butimmediately smiling again, and the little princess curiously notingthe impression "Marie" produced on the visitors. And she sawMademoiselle Bourienne, with her ribbon and pretty face, and herunusually animated look which was fixed on him, but him she couldnot see, she only saw something large, brilliant, and handsomemoving toward her as she entered the room. Prince Vasili approachedfirst, and she kissed the bold forehead that bent over her hand andanswered his question by saying that, on the contrary, sheremembered him quite well. Then Anatole came up to her. She stillcould not see him. She only felt a soft hand taking hers firmly, andshe touched with her lips a white forehead, over which was beautifullight-brown hair smelling of pomade. When she looked up at him she wasstruck by his beauty. Anatole stood with his right thumb under abutton of his uniform, his chest expanded and his back drawn in,slightly swinging one foot, and, with his head a little bent, lookedwith beaming face at the princess without speaking and evidently notthinking about her at all. Anatole was not quick-witted, nor readyor eloquent in conversation, but he had the faculty, so invaluablein society, of composure and imperturbable self-possession. If a manlacking in self-confidence remains dumb on a first introduction andbetrays a consciousness of the impropriety of such silence and ananxiety to find something to say, the effect is bad. But Anatole wasdumb, swung his foot, and smilingly examined the princess' hair. Itwas evident that he could be silent in this way for a very longtime. "If anyone finds this silence inconvenient, let him talk, butI don't want to"' he seemed to say. Besides this, in his behavior towomen Anatole had a manner which particularly inspires in themcuriosity, awe, and even love- a supercilious consciousness of his ownsuperiority. It was was as if he said to them: "I know you, I knowyou, but why should I bother about you? You'd be only too glad, ofcourse." Perhaps he did not really think this when he met women-even probably he did not, for in general he thought very little- buthis looks and manner gave that impression. The princess felt this, andas if wishing to show him that she did not even dare expect tointerest him, she turned to his father. The conversation was generaland animated, thanks to Princess Lise's voice and little downy lipthat lifted over her white teeth. She met Prince Vasili with thatplayful manner often employed by lively chatty people, andconsisting in the assumption that between the person they so addressand themselves there are some semi-private, long-established jokes andamusing reminiscences, though no such reminiscences really exist- justas none existed in this case. Prince Vasili readily adopted her toneand the little princess also drew Anatole, whom she hardly knew,into these amusing recollections of things that had never occurred.Mademoiselle Bourienne also shared them and even Princess Mary feltherself pleasantly made to share in these merry reminiscences.

　　"Here at least we shall have the benefit of your company all toourselves, dear prince," said the little princess (of course, inFrench) to Prince Vasili. "It's not as at Annette's* receptionswhere you always ran away; you remember cette chere Annette!"

　　*Anna Pavlovna.

　　"Ah, but you won't talk politics to me like Annette!"

　　"And our little tea table?"

　　"Oh, yes!"

　　"Why is it you were never at Annette's?" the little princess askedAnatole. "Ah, I know, I know," she said with a sly glance, "yourbrother Hippolyte told me about your goings on. Oh!" and she shook herfinger at him, "I have even heard of your doings in Paris!"

　　"And didn't Hippolyte tell you?" asked Prince Vasili, turning to hisson and seizing the little princess' arm as if she would have run awayand he had just managed to catch her, "didn't he tell you how hehimself was pining for the dear princess, and how she showed him thedoor? Oh, she is a pearl among women, Princess," he added, turningto Princess Mary.

　　When Paris was mentioned, Mademoiselle Bourienne for her part seizedthe opportunity of joining in the general current of recollections.

　　She took the liberty of inquiring whether it was long sinceAnatole had left Paris and how he had liked that city. Anatoleanswered the Frenchwoman very readily and, looking at her with asmile, talked to her about her native land. When he saw the prettylittle Bourienne, Anatole came to the conclusion that he would notfind Bald Hills dull either. "Not at all bad!" he thought, examiningher, "not at all bad, that little companion! I hope she will bring heralong with her when we're married, la petite est gentille."*

　　*The little one is charming.

　　The old prince dressed leisurely in his study, frowning andconsidering what he was to do. The coming of these visitors annoyedhim. "What are Prince Vasili and that son of his to me? PrinceVasili is a shallow braggart and his son, no doubt, is a finespecimen," he grumbled to himself. What angered him was that thecoming of these visitors revived in his mind an unsettled questionhe always tried to stifle, one about which he always deceived himself.The question was whether he could ever bring himself to part fromhis daughter and give her to a husband. The prince never directlyasked himself that question, knowing beforehand that he would haveto answer it justly, and justice clashed not only with his feelingsbut with the very possibility of life. Life without Princess Mary,little as he seemed to value her, was unthinkable to him. "And whyshould she marry?" he thought. "To be unhappy for certain. There'sLise, married to Andrew- a better husband one would think could hardlybe found nowadays- but is she contented with her lot? And who wouldmarry Marie for love? Plain and awkward! They'll take her for herconnections and wealth. Are there no women living unmarried, andeven the happier for it?" So thought Prince Bolkonski whiledressing, and yet the question he was always putting off demanded animmediate answer. Prince Vasili had brought his son with the evidentintention of proposing, and today or tomorrow he would probably askfor an answer. His birth and position in society were not bad."Well, I've nothing against it," the prince said to himself, "but hemust be worthy of her. And that is what we shall see."

　　"That is what we shall see! That is what we shall see!" he addedaloud.

　　He entered the drawing room with his usual alert step, glancingrapidly round the company. He noticed the change in the littleprincess' dress, Mademoiselle Bourienne's ribbon, Princess Mary'sunbecoming coiffure, Mademoiselle Bourienne's and Anatole's smiles,and the loneliness of his daughter amid the general conversation. "Gotherself up like a fool!" he thought, looking irritably at her. "She isshameless, and he ignores her!"

　　He went straight up to Prince Vasili.

　　"Well! How d'ye do? How d'ye do? Glad to see you!"

　　"Friendship laughs at distance," began Prince Vasili in his usualrapid, self-confident, familiar tone. "Here is my second son; pleaselove and befriend him."

　　Prince Bolkonski surveyed Anatole.

　　"Fine young fellow! Fine young fellow!" he said. "Well, come andkiss me," and he offered his cheek.

　　Anatole kissed the old man, and looked at him with curiosity andperfect composure, waiting for a display of the eccentricities hisfather had told him to expect.

　　Prince Bolkonski sat down in his usual place in the corner of thesofa and, drawing up an armchair for Prince Vasili, pointed to itand began questioning him about political affairs and news. Heseemed to listen attentively to what Prince Vasili said, but keptglancing at Princess Mary.

　　"And so they are writing from Potsdam already?" he said, repeatingPrince Vasili's last words. Then rising, he suddenly went up to hisdaughter.

　　"Is it for visitors you've got yourself up like that, eh?" saidhe. "Fine, very fine! You have done up your hair in this new way forthe visitors, and before the visitors I tell you that in future youare never to dare to change your way of dress without my consent."

　　"It was my fault, mon pere," interceded the little princess, witha blush.

　　"You must do as you please," said Prince Bolkonski, bowing to hisdaughter-in-law, "but she need not make a fool of herself, she's plainenough as it is."

　　And he sat down again, paying no more attention to his daughter, whowas reduced to tears.

　　"On the contrary, that coiffure suits the princess very well,"said Prince Vasili.

　　"Now you, young prince, what's your name?" said Prince Bolkonski,turning to Anatole, "come here, let us talk and get acquainted."

　　"Now the fun begins," thought Anatole, sitting down with a smilebeside the old prince.

　　"Well, my dear boy, I hear you've been educated abroad, not taughtto read and write by the deacon, like your father and me. Now tell me,my dear boy, are you serving in the Horse Guards?" asked the oldman, scrutinizing Anatole closely and intently.

　　"No, I have been transferred to the line," said Anatole, hardly ableto restrain his laughter.

　　"Ah! That's a good thing. So, my dear boy, you wish to serve theTsar and the country? It is wartime. Such a fine fellow must serve.Well, are you off to the front?"

　　"No, Prince, our regiment has gone to the front, but I amattached... what is it I am attached to, Papa?" said Anatole,turning to his father with a laugh.

　　"A splendid soldier, splendid! 'What am I attached to!' Ha, ha, ha!"laughed Prince Bolkonski, and Anatole laughed still louder. SuddenlyPrince Bolkonski frowned.

　　"You may go," he said to Anatole.

　　Anatole returned smiling to the ladies.

　　"And so you've had him educated abroad, Prince Vasili, haven't you?"said the old prince to Prince Vasili.

　　"I have done my best for him, and I can assure you the educationthere is much better than ours."

　　"Yes, everything is different nowadays, everything is changed. Thelad's a fine fellow, a fine fellow! Well, come with me now." He tookPrince Vasili's arm and led him to his study. As soon as they werealone together, Prince Vasili announced his hopes and wishes to theold prince.

　　"Well, do you think I shall prevent her, that I can't part fromher?" said the old prince angrily. "What an idea! I'm ready for ittomorrow! Only let me tell you, I want to know my son-in-law better.You know my principles- everything aboveboard? I will ask her tomorrowin your presence; if she is willing, then he can stay on. He canstay and I'll see." The old prince snorted. "Let her marry, it's allthe same to me!" he screamed in the same piercing tone as when partingfrom his son.

　　"I will tell you frankly," said Prince Vasili in the tone of acrafty man convinced of the futility of being cunning with sokeen-sighted companion. "You know, you see right through people.Anatole is no genius, but he is an honest, goodhearted lad; anexcellent son or kinsman."

　　"All right, all right, we'll see!"

　　As always happens when women lead lonely lives for any length oftime without male society, on Anatole's appearance all the three womenof Prince Bolkonski's household felt that their life had not been realtill then. Their powers of reasoning, feeling, and observingimmediately increased tenfold, and their life, which seemed to havebeen passed in darkness, was suddenly lit up by a new brightness, fullof significance.

　　Princess Mary grew quite unconscious of her face and coiffure. Thehandsome open face of the man who might perhaps be her husbandabsorbed all her attention. He seemed to her kind, brave,determined, manly, and magnanimous. She felt convinced of that.Thousands of dreams of a future family life continually rose in herimagination. She drove them away and tried to conceal them.

　　"But am I not too cold with him?" thought the princess. "I try to bereserved because in the depth of my soul I feel too near to himalready, but then he cannot know what I think of him and may imaginethat I do not like him."

　　And Princess Mary tried, but could not manage, to be cordial toher new guest. "Poor girl, she's devilish ugly!" thought Anatole.

　　Mademoiselle Bourienne, also roused to great excitement by Anatole'sarrival, thought in another way. Of course, she, a handsome youngwoman without any definite position, without relations or even acountry, did not intend to devote her life to serving PrinceBolkonski, to reading aloud to him and being friends with PrincessMary. Mademoiselle Bourienne had long been waiting for a Russianprince who, able to appreciate at a glance her superiority to theplain, badly dressed, ungainly Russian princesses, would fall inlove with her and carry her off; and here at last was a Russianprince. Mademoiselle Bourienne knew a story, heard from her aunt butfinished in her own way, which she liked to repeat to herself. Itwas the story of a girl who had been seduced, and to whom her poormother (sa pauvre mere) appeared, and reproached her for yielding to aman without being married. Mademoiselle Bourienne was often touched totears as in imagination she told this story to him, her seducer. Andnow he, a real Russian prince, had appeared. He would carry her awayand then sa pauvre mere would appear and he would marry her. So herfuture shaped itself in Mademoiselle Bourienne's head at the very timeshe was talking to Anatole about Paris. It was not calculation thatguided her (she did not even for a moment consider what she shoulddo), but all this had long been familiar to her, and now thatAnatole had appeared it just grouped itself around him and shewished and tried to please him as much as possible.

　　The little princess, like an old war horse that hears the trumpet,unconsciously and quite forgetting her condition, prepared for thefamiliar gallop of coquetry, without any ulterior motive or anystruggle, but with naive and lighthearted gaiety.

　　Although in female society Anatole usually assumed the role of a mantired of being run after by women, his vanity was flattered by thespectacle of his power over these three women. Besides that, he wasbeginning to feel for the pretty and provocative MademoiselleBourienne that passionate animal feeling which was apt to master himwith great suddenness and prompt him to the coarsest and most recklessactions.

　　After tea, the company went into the sitting room and PrincessMary was asked to play on the clavichord. Anatole, laughing and inhigh spirits, came and leaned on his elbows, facing her and besideMademoiselle Bourienne. Princess Mary felt his look with a painfullyjoyous emotion. Her favorite sonata bore her into a most intimatelypoetic world and the look she felt upon her made that world still morepoetic. But Anatole's expression, though his eyes were fixed on her,referred not to her but to the movements of Mademoiselle Bourienne'slittle foot, which he was then touching with his own under theclavichord. Mademoiselle Bourienne was also looking at PrincessMary, and in her lovely eyes there was a look of fearful joy andhope that was also new to the princess.

　　"How she loves me!" thought Princess Mary. "How happy I am now,and how happy I may be with such a friend and such a husband! Husband?Can it be possible?" she thought, not daring to look at his face,but still feeling his eyes gazing at her.

　　In the evening, after supper, when all were about to retire, Anatolekissed Princess Mary's hand. She did not know how she found thecourage, but she looked straight into his handsome face as it camenear to her shortsighted eyes. Turning from Princess Mary he went upand kissed Mademoiselle Bourienne's hand. (This was not etiquette, butthen he did everything so simply and with such assurance!)Mademoiselle Bourienne flushed, and gave the princess a frightenedlook.

　　"What delicacy! " thought the princess. "Is it possible that Amelie"(Mademoiselle Bourienne) "thinks I could be jealous of her, and notvalue her pure affection and devotion to me?" She went up to her andkissed her warmly. Anatole went up to kiss the little princess' hand.

　　"No! No! No! When your father writes to tell me that you arebehaving well I will give you my hand to kiss. Not till then!" shesaid. And smilingly raising a finger at him, she left the room.