Kuragin spent the entire interval standing with Dolokhov in front of the footlights staring across at the Rostovs’ box. Natasha sensed that he was talking about her and the knowledge gave her a thrill of pleasure. She even adjusted her position so that he could see her in profile, which she considered her best angle. Before the beginning of the second act the figure of Pierre, whom the Rostovs hadn’t seen since their arrival, appeared in the stalls. He had a sad look on his face, and he had put on even more weight since Natasha had last seen him. He walked down to the front rows without noticing anyone. Anatole went over to him and started talking, with the occasional glance and gesture towards the Rostovs’ box. Pierre’s face lit up when he saw Natasha and he hurried past rows of stalls towards their box. When he reached them he leant an elbow on the edge of their box and chatted to Natasha at some length, smiling all the time.
While she was talking to Pierre Natasha heard the sound of a man’s voice from Countess Bezukhov’s box, and something told her it was Kuragin. She glanced round and their eyes met. With a half-smile on his face and a look of such warmth and admiration he stared straight at her in such a way that it seemed odd for her to be standing so close to him and to be looking at him like that, absolutely certain that he liked her, without their knowing each other.
In the second act a cemetery was depicted on the painted cardboard, there was a hole in the back-cloth to represent the moon, the footlights were shaded, horns and double-basses sounded forth, and a number of people emerged from right and left dressed in black cloaks. These people began waving their arms about, with things that looked like daggers in their hands. Then some more people ran on and began dragging away the girl who had been in white but was now wearing a pale-blue dress. Instead of dragging her off straightaway they spent a long time singing with her, but then they did drag her away, and behind the scenes someone banged three times on a piece of iron, whereupon they all fell to their knees and sang a prayer. This action was interrupted more than once by wild cries from the audience.
All through the act, whenever Natasha glanced across at the stalls she saw Anatole Kuragin, with one arm flung along the back of his chair, staring up at her. She was delighted to see that he was so taken with her, and it never entered her head that there could be anything wrong with this.
When the second act came to an end Countess Bezukhov got to her feet, turned towards the Rostovs’ box (with her bosom completely exposed), crooked a tiny gloved finger to beckon the old count over, ignored all the men crowding round her box, and engaged him in conversation with the sweetest of smiles.
‘Oh, please introduce me to your lovely daughters,’ she said. ‘The whole town is singing their praises and I don’t even know them.’
Natasha got up and curtsied to the magnificent countess. She was so delighted at being praised by such a brilliant beauty that she blushed with pleasure.
‘I’ve every intention of becoming a Moscow resident myself,’ said Hélène. ‘Shame on you for burying pearls like these in the country!’
Countess Bezukhov’s reputation as a woman of great charm was well founded. Saying what she didn’t think, especially when it was flattering, came so naturally to her it was simplicity itself.
‘No, my dear count, you must let me take your daughters in hand. Actually I’m not here for very long this time, and neither are you. But I’ll do what I can to amuse them. I heard so much about you in Petersburg, and I’ve been wanting to meet you,’ she said to Natasha, with that beautiful smile that never varied. ‘I’ve heard of you from my page, too, Drubetskoy – you’ll have heard that he’s getting married – and also from my husband’s friend, Bolkonsky, Prince Andrey Bolkonsky,’ she said, with special emphasis and a strong hint that she knew how things stood between him and Natasha. She asked for one of the young ladies to be allowed to sit through the rest of the performance in her box so that they could get to know each other, and Natasha moved across.
