Pierre recognized now in his friend that desire he knew only too well, for excitement and discussion of something apart from himself, simply in order to stifle thoughts that were too painful and too near his heart.
When Prince Meshtchersky had gone, Prince Andrey took Pierre’s arm, and asked him to come to the room that had been assigned him. In that room there was a folding bedstead and open trunks and boxes. Prince Andrey went up to one of them and took out a case. Out of the case he took a packet of letters. He did all this in silence, and very rapidly. He stood up again and cleared his throat. His face was frowning, and his lips set.
‘Forgive me, if I’m troubling you . . .’ Pierre saw that Prince Andrey was going to speak of Natasha, and his broad face showed sympathy and pity. That expression in Pierre’s face exasperated Prince Andrey. He went on resolutely, clearly, and disagreeably: ‘I have received a refusal from Countess Rostov, and rumours have reached me of your brother-im- law’s seeking her hand, or something of the kind. Is that true?’
‘Both true and untrue,’ began Pierre; but Prince Andrey cut him short.
S64 WARANDPEACE
‘Here are her letters and her portrait/ he said. He took the packet from the table and gave it to Pierre.
‘Give that to the countess ... if you will see herd
‘She is very ill/ said Pierre.
‘So she’s still here?’ said Prince Andrey. ‘And Prince Kuragin?’ he asked quickly.
‘He has been gone a long while. She has been at death’s door.’
‘I am very sorry to hear of her illness/ said Prince Andrey. He laughed a cold, malignant, unpleasant laugh like his father’s.
‘But M. Kuragin, then, did not deign to bestow his hand on Countess Rostov?’ said Prince Andrey. He snorted several times.
‘He could not have married her, because he is married/ said Pierre.
Prince Andrey laughed unpleasantly, again recalling his father.
‘And where is he now, your brother-in-law, may I ask?’ he said.
‘He went to Peter . . . but, really, I don’t know,’ said Pierre.
‘Well, that’s no matter/ said Prince Andrey. ‘Tell Countess Rostov from me that she was and is perfectly free, and that I wish her all prosperity.’
Pierre took the packet. Prince Andrey, as though reflecting whether he had not something more to say, or waiting for Pierre to say something, looked at him with a fixed gaze.
‘Listen. Do you remember our discussion in Petersburg?’ said Pierre. ‘Do you remember about-?’
‘I remember/ Prince Andrey answered hurriedly. ‘I said that a fallen woman should be forgiven, but I did not say I could forgive one. I can’t.’
‘How can you compare it? . . .’said Pierre.
Prince Andrey cut him short. He cried harshly: ‘Yes, ask her hand again, be magnanimous, and all that sort of thing? . . . Oh, that’s all very noble, but I’m not equal to following in that gentleman’s tracks. If you care to remain my friend, never speak to me of that ... of all this business. Well, good-bye. So you’ll give that? . . .’
Pierre left him, and went in to the old prince and Princess Marya.
The old man seemed livelier than usual. Princess Marya was the same as usual, but behind her sympathy for her brother, Pierre detected her relief that her brother’s marriage was broken off. Looking at them, Pierre felt what a contempt and dislike they all had for the Rostovs; felt that it would be impossible in their presence even to mention the name of the girl who could give up Prince Andrey for any one in the world.
At dinner they talked of the coming war, of which there could now be no doubt in the near future. Prince Andrey talked incessantly, and argued first with his father, and then with Dessalle, the Swiss tutor. He seemed more eager than usual, with that eagerness of which Pierre knew so well the. inner cause.
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That evening Pierre went to the Rostovs’ to fulfil Prince Andrey’s commission. Natasha was in bed, the count was at the club, and Pierre, after giving the letters to Sonya, went in to see Marya Dmitryevna, who was interested to know how Prince Andrey had taken the news. Ten minutes later, Sonya came in to Marya Dmitryevna.
‘Natasha insists on seeing Count Pyotr Kirillitch,’ she said.
‘Why, are we to take him up to her, eh? Why, you are all in a muddle there,’ said Marya Dmitryevna.
‘No, she has dressed and gone into the drawing-room,’ said Sonya.
Marya Dmitryevna could only shrug her shoulders. ‘When will the countess come? She has quite worn me out! You mind now, don’t tell her everything,’ she said to Pierre. ‘One hasn’t the heart to scold her, she's so piteous, poor thing.’
Natasha was standing in the middle of the drawing-room, looking thinner, and with a pale, set face (not at all overcome with shame, as Pierre had expected to see her). When Pierre appeared in the doorway, she made a hurried movement, evidently in uncertainty whether to go to met him, or to wait for him to come to her.
