First Epilogue: 1813-20 - Chapter XIII

by Leo Tolstoy

　　When Pierre and his wife entered the drawing room the countess wasin one of her customary states in which she needed the mental exertionof playing patience, and so- though by force of habit she greetedhim with the words she always used when Pierre or her son returnedafter an absence: "High time, my dear, high time! We were all weary ofwaiting for you. Well, thank God!" and received her presents withanother customary remark: "It's not the gift that's precious, my dear,but that you give it to me, an old woman..."- yet it was evidentthat she was not pleased by Pierre's arrival at that moment when itdiverted her attention from the unfinished game.

　　She finished her game of patience and only then examined thepresents. They consisted of a box for cards, of splendidworkmanship, a bright-blue Sevres tea cup with shepherdessesdepicted on it and with a lid, and a gold snuffbox with the count'sportrait on the lid which Pierre had had done by a miniaturist inPetersburg. The countess had long wished for such a box, but as shedid not want to cry just then she glanced indifferently at theportrait and gave her attention chiefly to the box for cards.

　　"Thank you, my dear, you have cheered me up," said she as she alwaysdid. "But best of all you have brought yourself back- for I neversaw anything like it, you ought to give your wife a scolding! What arewe to do with her? She is like a mad woman when you are away.Doesn't see anything, doesn't remember anything," she went on,repeating her usual phrases. "Look, Anna Timofeevna," she added to hercompanion, "see what a box for cards my son has brought us!"

　　Belova admired the presents and was delighted with her dressmaterial.

　　Though Pierre, Natasha, Nicholas, Countess Mary, and Denisov hadmuch to talk about that they could not discuss before the oldcountess- not that anything was hidden from her, but because she haddropped so far behindhand in many things that had they begun toconverse in her presence they would have had to answer inopportunequestions and to repeat what they had already told her many times:that so-and-so was dead and so-and-so was married, which she wouldagain be unable to remember- yet they sat at tea round the samovarin the drawing room from habit, and Pierre answered the countess'questions as to whether Prince Vasili had aged and whether CountessMary Alexeevna had sent greetings and still thought of them, and othermatters that interested no one and to which she herself wasindifferent.

　　Conversation of this kind, interesting to no one yet unavoidable,continued all through teatime. All the grown-up members of thefamily were assembled near the round tea table at which Sonya presidedbeside the samovar. The children with their tutors and governesses hadhad tea and their voices were audible from the next room. At tea allsat in their accustomed places: Nicholas beside the stove at a smalltable where his tea was handed to him; Milka, the old gray borzoibitch (daughter of the first Milka), with a quite gray face andlarge black eyes that seemed more prominent than ever, lay on thearmchair beside him; Denisov, whose curly hair, mustache, and whiskershad turned half gray, sat beside countess Mary with his general'stunic unbuttoned; Pierre sat between his wife and the old countess. Hespoke of what he knew might interest the old lady and that she couldunderstand. He told her of external social events and of the peoplewho had formed the circle of her contemporaries and had once been areal, living, and distinct group, but who were now for the most partscattered about the world and like herself were garnering the lastears of the harvests they had sown in earlier years. But to the oldcountess those contemporaries of hers seemed to be the only seriousand real society. Natasha saw by Pierre's animation that his visit hadbeen interesting and that he had much to tell them but dare not say itbefore the old countess. Denisov, not being a member of the family,did not understand Pierre's caution and being, as a malcontent, muchinterested in what was occurring in Petersburg, kept urging Pierreto tell them about what had happened in the Semenovsk regiment, thenabout Arakcheev, and then about the Bible Society. Once or twicePierre was carried away and began to speak of these things, butNicholas and Natasha always brought him back to the health of PrinceIvan and Countess Mary Alexeevna.

　　"Well, and all this idiocy- Gossner and Tatawinova?" Denisovasked. "Is that weally still going on?"

　　"Going on?" Pierre exclaimed. "Why more than ever! The Bible Societyis the whole government now!"

　　"What is that, mon cher ami?" asked the countess, who hadfinished her tea and evidently needed a pretext for being angryafter her meal. "What are you saying about the government? I don'tunderstand."

　　"Well, you know, Maman," Nicholas interposed, knowing how totranslate things into his mother's language, "Prince AlexanderGolitsyn has founded a society and in consequence has great influence,they say."

　　"Arakcheev and Golitsyn," incautiously remarked Pierre, "are now thewhole government! And what a government! They see treason everywhereand are afraid of everything."

　　"Well, and how is Prince Alexander to blame? He is a mostestimable man. I used to meet him at Mary Antonovna's," said thecountess in an offended tone; and still more offended that they allremained silent, she went on: "Nowadays everyone finds fault. A GospelSociety! Well, and what harm is there in that?" and she rose(everybody else got up too) and with a severe expression sailed backto her table in the sitting room.

　　The melancholy silence that followed was broken by the sounds of thechildren's voices and laughter from the next room. Evidently somejolly excitement was going on there.

　　"Finished, finished!" little Natasha's gleeful yell rose abovethem all.

　　Pierre exchanged glances with Countess Mary and Nicholas (Natasha henever lost sight of) and smiled happily.

　　"That's delightful music!" said he.

　　"It means that Anna Makarovna has finished her stocking," saidCountess Mary.

　　"Oh, I'll go and see," said Pierre, jumping up. "You know," headded, stopping at the door, "why I'm especially fond of that music?It is always the first thing that tells me all is well. When I wasdriving here today, the nearer I got to the house the more anxious Igrew. As I entered the anteroom I heard Andrusha's peals of laughterand that meant that all was well."

　　"I know! I know that feeling," said Nicholas. "But I mustn't gothere- those stockings are to be a surprise for me."

　　Pierre went to the children, and the shouting and laughter grewstill louder.

　　"Come, Anna Makarovna," Pierre's voice was heard saying, "comehere into the middle of the room and at the word of command, 'One,two,' and when I say 'three'... You stand here, and you in my arms-well now! One, two!..." said Pierre, and a silence followed:"three!" and a rapturously breathless cry of children's voicesfilled the room. "Two, two!" they shouted.

　　This meant two stockings, which by a secret process known only toherself Anna Makarovna used to knit at the same time on the sameneedles, and which, when they were ready, she always triumphantlydrew, one out of the other, in the children's presence.