Book 2 Part 5 Chapter 10 (Chapter 152 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Ellen presents her brother to Natasha. The barrier of modesty. Anatol's audacity. Retrospect. Natasha needs her mother's counsel.
Briggs: Natasha meets the seductive Anatole and falls under his spell.
Maude: Helen presents Anatole to Natasha. He courts her

Translation:

X.

In the intermission in the lodge of Elen it felt cold, and opening the door, bending down and trying to not hook on to someone, entered Anatole.

— Let me to you represent my brother, — anxiously running across her eyes from Natasha to Anatole, said Elen. Natasha across her naked shoulder turned to the handsome with her pretty head and smiled. Anatole, who was near the same as good, as issued, hooked to her and said that he for a long time desired to have this pleasure, still from the Naryshkin’s ball, at which he had the pleasure, which he had not forgotten, of seeing her. Kuragin with women was much smarter and easier, than in male society. He spoke boldly and simply, and Natasha was weirdly and nicely struck by how not only was nothing so scary in this man, about whom so much was told, but that oppositely in him was a naive, hilarious and good natured smile.

Kuragin asked about her impression of the performance and told her about how in the last spectacle Semenova played falling.

— But you know, countess, — he said, suddenly turning to her, as to an old long-standing friend, — we arrange carousels in costumes; you would need to participate in him: it will be very funny. All are going to the Arharovs. Please, come visit, right, ah? — he spoke.

Saying this, he did not lower his smiling eye from the face, from the neck, and from the naked hands of Natasha. Natasha undoubtedly knew that he delighted in her. To her this was nice, but for some reason to her close and heavy became his presence. When she did not watch him, she felt that he was watching her shoulders, and she unwittingly intercepted his look, so he really better watch her eyes. Yet, looking him in the eyes, she with fear felt that between them and by her really were none of those obstacles of bashfulness, which she always felt between herself and other men. She, herself not knowing how, through five minutes felt herself fearfully close to this person. When she turned away, she was afraid at how he would not take her back behind the naked arm, and would not kiss her on the neck. They talked about the most simple things and she felt that they were close, as she had never been with a man. Natasha looked around at Elen and at her father, as if asking them what this meant; but Elen was busy in conversation with some general and did not answer to her look, but the look of her father said nothing to her, only that what he always spoke: "Funny, well and glad."

In one of the minutes of awkward silence, in the time of which Anatole with his own convex eyes calmly and stubbornly watched her, Natasha, so that to interrupt this silence, asked him how he liked Moscow. Natasha asked and blushed. To her it constantly seemed that she did something indecent, talking with him. Anatole smiled, as he would to encourage her.

— First I liked it little, because of what makes a city enjoyable? This pretty woman,540 whether it is not really? Well but now I very much like it, — he said, looking much at her. — ride in the carousel, countess? Ride, — he said and, stretching his hand to her bouquet and lowering his voice, said: — You will be pretty yourself. Ride, pretty countess, and in pledge I give this flower.541

Natasha did not understand what he said, so the same as he himself, but she felt that in his incomprehensible words was an indecent intent. She did not know what to say and turned away, as if not hearing what he said. Yet only had she turned away, she thought that he was here back so close against her.

"What is he now? Is he confused? Angry? Do I need to correct this?" — she asked herself. She could not hold on, so that to not look back. She in the eyes looked all at him, and his closeness and confidence, and good natured gentleness of smile conquered her. She smiled exactly so the same as he, looking all at his eyes. And again she with horror felt that between him and her were no obstacles.

Again went up the curtain. Anatole got out from the lodges, calm and merry. Natasha returned to her father in the lodge, completely now subordinate to that peace, in which she was found. All that was happening before her now seemed to her quite natural; but behind that all the former thoughts of hers about her groom, about Princess Marya, about village life not once came to her head, as if all that was for a long, long time verified.

In the fourth act was some devil, which sang, waving hands to those since, while the not put forward below him board was not lowered there. Natasha only saw this from the fourth act: something worried and tormented her, and the cause of this excitement was Kuragin, for whom she unwittingly watched the eyes of. When they exited from the theatre, Anatole came up to them, called their carriage and planted them. Planting Natasha, he shook her arm above the elbow. Natasha, agitated and red, looked around at him. He, glistening his own eyes and tenderly smiling, watched her.

—————

Only having arrived home could Natasha clearly think out all that what was with her, and suddenly remembering Prince Andrey, she was terrified, and during tea, behind which all sat down after the theatre, she loudly gasped,flushed and ran out from the room. —"My God! I am killed! — she said to herself. — How could I allow this?" she thought. She for long sat covering her flushed face with her hands, trying to give herself a clear report in what was with her, and could not understand what was with her, or what she felt. All seemed to her dark, not clear and fearful. There, in this great, lighted hall, where by wet boards hopped under the music with naked feet Duport in a jacket with sequins, and the girls, and the elderly, and the naked with a calm and proud smile Elen in delight shouted bravo, — there under this shadow was Elen, there this was all clear and simple; but now alone, with her very self, this was unclear. —"What such is this? What such is this fear, which I tested him? What such is this remorse of conscience, which I test now?" she thought.

Only to the old countess was Natasha in the condition to at night in bed say all that she thought. Sonya, she knew, with her strict and wholesome look, would understand nothing, or would be terrified in recognizing it. Natasha alone with herself tried to allow that what tormented her.

"Whether I killed the love for Prince Andrey or not?" she asked herself and with a sedative grin answered herself: "What am I for a fool that I ask this? What is it to me? Nothing. I did nothing, this is called nothing. Nothing is recognized, and I will never see him anymore," she said to herself. "It has become clear that nothing happened, that there is nothing to repent, that Prince Andrey may love me and such. Yet which such? Ah my God, my God! What for is he no here!" Natasha calmed down in an instant, but then again some instinct spoke to her that although all this really is and although nothing was — the instinct spoke to her that all the former pure love of her to Prince Andrey was killed. And she again in her imagination repeated all of her conversation with Kuragin and presented to herself the face, gestures and tender smile of this beautiful and bold man, at that time as he shook her arm.

540 Ce sont les jolies femmes, (These are the pretty women,)

541 Vous serez la plus jolie. Venez, chère comtesse, et comme gage donnez moi cette fleur. (You will be the prettiest. Come, dear countess, and as a pledge give me this flower.)

Time: During the intermission (Entr'acte in Maude, Dunnigan, and Pevear and Volkhonsky.)

Locations: see previous chapter, the Marya Dmitrievna's house is assumed again, as Natasha goes home.
Mentioned: Moscow, the country

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Helene introduces Anatole to Natasha.

"Natasha knew beyond doubt that he admired her. She enjoyed that, but for some reason his presence made her feel constrained, hot, and oppressed."

"that barrier of modesty which she had always felt between herself and other men was not there at all."

"Natasha did not understand what he said, nor did he himself, but she felt that there was some indecent purpose in his incomprehensible words."

There also seems to be a cross-chapter emphasis on Natasha leaving her country life behind and forgetting it.

It is only when she gets back home does the spell break and she realizes that she had forgotten about Prince Andrei. And not having her mom around is important as she feels that she is the only one she could talk to.

Characters (characters who do not appear, but are mentioned are placed in italics. First appearances are in Bold. First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):

Ellen

Anatol Kuragin (also “brother”)

Nathasha

Count Rostof (“father”)

Prince Andrei (also “her lover”)

Princess Mariya

Sonya

(the Naruishkins’ ball is referenced, as is a “Semyonova”, which doesn’t appear to be any of the previous Semyonovnas. Duport is mentioned again)

Abridged Versions: Line break after “His brilliant eyes returned her gaze, and he gave her a tender smile.” in Dole, Dunnigan, Garnett, and Edmonds.

Line break instead of chapter break in Bell.
Gibian: Chapter 10: line break after "glittering eyes, smiling tenderly."

Fuller: The description of the fourth act of the opera is removed. Fuller line breaks after “tender smile.” Rest of chapter is preserved and followed by a line break.

Komroff: The fourth description of the opera is removed and there is a line break after “tender smile”. The rest of the chapter is shortened down to one paragraph, with a lot less detail and inner monologuing. Followed by a
line break.

Kropotkin: Chapter 5: Does not use the line break after “tender smile”. Chapter is preserved.

Bromfield: The last description of the opera and Natasha’s final thoughts seem shortened. End of Chapter 12.
Simmons: Chapter 10: line break after "glittering eyes, smiling tenderly." Natasha's reflections afterward are slightly shortened, with no reflection of her mother or Sonya.

Additional Notes:

Speirs Page 20: “The passage in the novel to which Tolstoy devoted most time and trouble was not the final epilogue, nor yet the Battle of Borodino for all his arduous researches into the tactics used there. It was the

story of Natasha’s relations with Anatole Kuragin....Previous to this episode the novel has shown new generations coming to consciousness in a bewildering world...It is hard to distinguish between good and evil,

between what is valuable and what is worthless. Natasha’s tragic mistake over Anatole epitomises this eternal human predicament. Each character in the novel creates the world in his own image, and each reacts in his

own way on discovering his mistake. Natasha has lived in an enchanted, child’s world, beautifully evoked when the young Rostovs play a dressing-up game the Christmas before Natasha’s disaster...

The next three books (VI, VIII and VIII) form the section which takes us to the centre of the novel...It is seen by Tolstoy as the key to the whole novel, though the military scene will not once appear in it. The central figure

will be Natasha Rostov...Natasha’s disgrace is intended as the most disturbing manifestation so far of the destructive impulses human nature is subject to...It is also the climax of the first half of the novel. The primitive,

imperfectly conscious creature Anatole and the mind-torn Prince Andrew together will be responsible for the near ruin of Natasha. It seems that neither of them can help themselves...

The Author on the Novel (Gibian): (Letter to P.I. Bartenev --November 1, 1867) “Because the end of the third volume was the most difficult place and the crux of the whole novel.” Footnote: “The “end of the third volume” refers to Book Eight, Chapters 17 to 21. Natasha Rostova’s infatuation with Anatole Kuragin.”