Anna Pavlovna offered him a desiccated hand to kiss and then introduced him to a number of people he didn’t know, adding a whispered description of them one by one. Prince Hippolyte Kuragin was ‘a young man of great charm’, M. Krug,
Thanks to a combination of his mother’s exertions, his own tastes and the peculiarities of his canny nature, Boris had by this time succeeded in obtaining a very advantageous position in the service. In his capacity as an adjutant in the entourage of a high-ranking officer, he had been given a very important assignment in Prussia, from where he had just returned as a special messenger. He had mastered the unwritten code that had pleased him so much at Olmütz, which allows for a junior officer to outrank a general and says that what you need to succeed in the service is not effort, hard work, gallantry or perseverance, but simply the art of getting on well with people who have promotion and awards in their gift. He often marvelled at his own rapid advancement, and the fact that other people couldn’t see how it was done. This discovery had altered everything beyond recognition – his whole manner of life, his relationships with old friends, all his plans for the future. Though not well off he would spend his last kopeck to look better turned out than anyone else. He would have deprived himself of many a pleasure sooner than permit himself to drive in an inferior carriage or be seen on the streets of Petersburg in an old uniform. He sought out and cultivated only people in higher positions who might be of use to him. He loved Petersburg and despised Moscow. The Rostov household and his childish passion for Natasha were now unpleasant memories, and he had never been back to their house since joining the army. Once admitted to Anna Pavlovna’s drawing-room, a development which he saw as an important step up in the service, he knew immediately how to act and let Anna Pavlovna reap the benefits of any interest he might be able to offer, which left him free to observe every face in detail and take stock of any advantages or possibilities of intimacy with anyone there. He sat down in the place indicated, next to the lovely Hélène, and opened his ears to the general run of conversation, which was conducted in French. The Danish
‘ “Vienna considers the bases of the proposed treaty so unattainable,”’ he said, ‘ “that they could not be secured even by a succession of the most brilliant victories, and she doubts whether we have any means at all of securing them.” These are the actual words of the Vienna cabinet.’
‘The doubt is flattering,’ put in the serious intellectual with a subtle smile.
‘We must make a distinction between the Vienna cabinet and the Emperor of Austria,’ said Mortemart. ‘The Emperor of Austria can never have thought up anything like this. It is the cabinet talking.’
‘Alas, my dear vicomte,’ said Anna Pavlovna, ‘Europe will never be a sincere ally of ours.’ (She slightly mispronounced the first syllable of the French word ‘Europe’ as if it were a nicety of pronunciation that she could allow herself to use in the presence of a native speaker.)
Then Anna Pavlovna steered the conversation round to the courage and determination of the Prussian King, so that Boris could be brought into action.
Boris was listening carefully to each speaker, but as he waited for his turn he managed to get in a few glances at the lovely Hélène, who more than once smiled back into the handsome young adjutant’s eyes.
It was perfectly natural when speaking of the Prussian situation for Anna Pavlovna to invite Boris to describe his journey to Glogau, and the situation of the Prussian army as seen by him. Boris took his time, using his immaculate French to recount many a fascinating detail about the armies, and the court, and studiously keeping any personal opinion out of the facts he was narrating. Boris held their interest for quite some time, which allowed Anna Pavlovna to feel that her novelty item had gone down very well with the guests. Keenest of all to show interest in Boris’s account was Hélène. She asked him a number of detailed questions about his trip and seemed particularly fascinated by the situation of the Prussian army. The moment he had finished she turned to him with her usual smile.
‘You really must come and see me,’ she said in a tone that implied that this was absolutely essential, for reasons he couldn’t begin to understand. ‘Tuesday, between eight and nine. It will give me great pleasure.’
Boris promised that he would, and was about to plunge into further conversation with her when Anna Pavlovna took him aside on the pretext that her aunt wished to hear him.
