Briggs: Pierre is happy now, full of good will and liked by everyone.
Maude (chapters 13-20): Pierre. Illness and recovery at Orel. His new attitude to life and his fellow-men. His affairs. He goes to Moscow: the town's animation and rapid recovery. Pierre meets Natasha at Princess Mary's. Love
Translation:
XIII.
Pierre almost had not changed in his external receptions. In view he was exactly so the same as he was before. So the same as before, he was scattered and seemed busy not by that that was before his eyes, but something special. The difference between the same and his present fortune consisted in how before, when he forgot that what was before him, then, what he said, he sufferingly wrinkled his forehead, as if trying to and not discerning something, long away distant from him. Now he so the same forgot that what he said and that what was before him; but now with a little bit noticeable, as if mocking, smile, he looked out at that very thing that was before him, listened to that what was said to him, although obviously seeing and hearing something really other. Before, although he seemed a kind human, yet misfortunate; and because of it unwittingly people distanced from him. Now the smile of the joys of life constantly was played about his mouth, and in his eyes shined a participation to people, — the question: whether they were satisfied so the same as him? And people were nice in his presence.
Before he spoke much, got excited when he spoke, and listened little; now he seldom was fond of conversation and able to listen so that people willingly expressed to him their most sincere secrets.
The princess, never loving Pierre and fed to him an especially hostile feeling with him since the death of the old count, felt herself in duty to Pierre, and to her annoyance and his surprise, after the short stay in Orel, where she arrived with an intention to prove to Pierre that, despite his ingratitude, she considered it a duty to walk for him, the princess soon felt that she loved him. Pierre did not ingratiate the location of the princesses. He only with curiosity considered her. Before the princess felt that in his glance to her was indifference and mockery, and she, as before others, clenched before him and exposed only her combat side of life; now, the opposite, she felt that he as if was digging to the most sincere parties of her life; and she first with mistrust, but then with gratitude showed him the hidden kind parties of her character.
The most сunning person could not more skillfully sneak into the trust of the princess, calling to her the memories of a better time of youth and showing his empathy. But between that all the cunning of Pierre consisted only in that he sought her pleasure, calling on the embittered, dry, and by it proud, human feeling of the princess.
— Yes, he is a very, very kind person, when located under the influence of not bad people, but people as I, — said the princess to herself.
The turn, occurring in Pierre, was spotted by his and his servants — Terenty and Vaska. They found that he prostrated much. Terenty often, undressing the baron, with boots and dress in hand, wishing to go for the night, hesitated to go away, expecting, whether or not to march the baron in conversation. And for the most part Pierre stopped Terenty, noticing that he wanted to talk.
— Well, so say to me... yes how again you got yourself food? — he asked. And Terenty started the story about Moscow’s ruin, about the count and long stood with dress, telling, but sometimes listening to the stories of Pierre, and, with an enjoyable consciousness of proximity to the baron himself and friendliness to him, went away in the hall.
The doctor, treating Pierre and visiting him every day, despite that, as usual for doctors, counted it his duty to have the view of a human, who for each minute is precious for the suffering of humanity, stayed up for hours at Pierre’s, telling their favorite story and the security above the morals of all the sick and giving particulars.
— Yes, here with such a human to talk nicely, not that as we have in the provinces, — he spoke.
In Orel lived a few captive French officers, and the doctor brought one of them, a young, Italian officer.
The officer began to walk to Pierre, and the princess laughed above those gentle feelings that the Italian expressed to Pierre.
The Italian apparently was happy only then, when he could come to Pierre and speak and tell him about his beliefs, about his home life, about his love and pour out to him his indignation at the French and in particular Napoleon.
— Should all Russians be a little similar to you, — he spoke to Pierre, —then to fight with these people, as you, — a crime.1012 You, affected so much from the French, you do even have anger against them.
And the passionate love of the Italian Pierre now deserved only by that he called on the best parties of his soul and admired them.
In the latter time of the stay of Pierre in Orel, to him had arrived his old familiar Mason — Count Villarsky, — that very one which introduced him in the lodge in the year of 1807. Villarsky was married to a rich Russian, having large estates in the Orlov provinces, and occupied in the city a temporary place by the food parts.
Upon learning that Bezuhov was in Orel, Villarsky, although never familiar with him, had arrived to him with those statements of friendship and proximity which is expressed usually by people to each other meeting in the desert. Villarsky was missed in Orel, and was happy to meet one human from his own circle and with equal, as he believed, interests.
Yet to his surprise, Villarsky saw soon that Pierre was extremely behind from present life and had fallen, as he himself with himself defined Pierre, into apathy and egoism.
— You are lower, my dear,1013 — he spoke to him. Despite that Villarsky was now more pleasant with Pierre than before, and he every day had been with him, Pierre the same, looking at Villarsky and listening to him now, thought it was weird and unbelievable that he himself was very recently such the same.
Villarsky was a married, family person, occupied with the business of the estates of his wife, service, and family. He counted that all these lessons were the crux hindrance in life and that they were all despicable because of how they had the purpose of personal good to him and his family. Military, administrative, political, and masonic considerations constantly absorbed his attention. And Pierre, not trying to change his look, not condemning him, with him now was constantly a quiet, joyful mockery, admiring this strange, so familiar to him phenomenon.
In his relations with Villarsky, with the princess, with the doctor, with all people with which he met now, in Pierre was a new feature, deserving his location to all people: — this acknowledgement of opportunity for each human thought, feeling and look at things by him; the acknowledgement of the impossibility of words to dissuade a human. This legal feature of each human, which before worried and annoyed Pierre, now formed the foundation of the participation and interest that he took in people. The difference, sometimes the perfect contradiction of views of the people with his life and between himself, pleased Pierre and called to him a mocking and meek smile.
In practical deeds Pierre suddenly now felt that in him was a center weight, which was not before. Before every monetary question, in particular requests about money, which he, as a very rich person, was exposed to very often, brought him to hopeless excitement and perplexity. —"To give or not to give?" he asked himself. "I have it, but he needs it. Yet to another still more is needed. Who needs it more? But maybe both are deceivers?" And from all these assumptions he before found no exit and gave to all, while there was to give. Exactly in such the same perplexity he found out before to each question, concerning his state, when one spoke, that was needed to do, but to another — otherwise.
Now, to his surprise, he found that to all these questions was no more doubt and bewilderment. In him now appeared a judge, by somehow unknown to him laws, it was decided what was needed and what was not needed to do.
He was so the same, as before, indifferent to monetary deeds; but now he undoubtedly knew what must be done and what must not be. The first application of this new judge was for him the request of the captive French colonel, coming to him, telling about his exploits and at the end declaring almost a demand for Pierre to give him 4000 francs for the referrals of his wife and children. Pierre without the slightest labor and strains refused him, wondering afterwards, how it was that simple and easy, that before it seemed insoluble and hard. Together with that here already refusing the colonel, he decided that it was necessary to consume the cunning for going away from Orel and to force the Italian officer to take money which he apparently needed. The new proof for Pierre of his approved sight in practical affairs was his decision about the issue of the debts of his wife and about the renewal or nonrenewal of the Moscow houses and the country houses.
In Eagle came to him the main manager, and with him Pierre did a common score of his changed income. The fire of Moscow had cost Pierre, by the accounting of his chief executive, about two million.
The chief manager, in comfort of these losses, represented to Pierre calculations about, despite these losses, his income not only would not decrease, but increase, if he refused from the payments of debts, remaining after the countess, which he must, and if he will not renew his Moscow houses and the Moscow region, which cost annually 80 thousand and brought nothing.
— Yes, yes, this really is, — said Pierre, funnily smiling. — Yes, yes, I need this for nothing. I from ruin have become much richer.
Yet in January had arrived Savelich from Moscow, telling about the position of Moscow, about an estimate, which an architect made to him for the renewal of the home and Moscow region, talking about this as about business decided. At this same time Pierre received letters from Prince Vasiliy and other acquaintances from Petersburg. In the letters it was spoken about the debts of his wife. And Pierre decided that the so liked by him plan of the manager was not true, and that he needed to go to Petersburg to do away with the affairs of his wife and to build in Moscow. What for was this needed, he did not know; but he knew undoubtedly that this was needed. His income owing to this decision decreased to three quarters. but this was needed; he felt this.
Villarsky rode to Moscow, and they agreed to go together.
Pierre felt in all the time of his convalescence in Orel, a sense of joy, freedom, and life; but when he, in the time of his travels, found himself in the free world, seeing hundreds of new persons, this sense still more intensified. He all the time of his travels felt the joy of a schoolboy on vacation. All faces: — the driver, caretaker, men on the road or in the village, — all had for him a new meaning. The presence and remarks of Villarsky, constantly complaining on the poverty, backwardness from Europe, ignorance of Russia, only towered the joy of Pierre. There, where Villarsky saw deadness, Pierre saw an unusually mighty force of vitality, that force, which in the snow, in this space, supported the life of this whole, of particular and single people. He did not contradict Villarsky and, as if agreeing with him (as mocking consent was the shortest means to walk around the reasoning, of which nothing could exit), happily smiled, listening to him.
1012 c’est un sacrilège que de faire la guerre à un peuple comme le vôtre (it is a sacrilege to wage war on a people like yours)
1013 Vous vous encroutez, mon cher, (You are getting encrusted, my dear,)
Mentioned: 1807
Locations: Orel
Mentioned: Moscow, Italian, French, Russia (and Russian), suburban estate, St. Petersburg, Europe
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: We get more of the changes in Pierre, which is accompanied by the smiles and looks in his eyes. He treats people, including the princess, the doctor, Count Willarski, and his servants, much more kindly and listens to him. Pierre is also more certain and makes wiser choices with his money. He decides to pay his wife's debts and rebuild his Moscow house despite the advice of his chief steward. He goes back to Moscow with Willarski.
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 *):
Pierre Bezukhoi (also "barin")
The oldest princess
Terentii
Vaska
a young Italian
Napoleon
Count Villarsky (and the rich Russian lady he married is mentioned.)
The head overseer
Savelyitch ("Savelich" in Wiener, Mandelker, and Dunnigan. Cut in Bell.)
Prince Vasili
Ellen ("wife")
Abridged Versions: Line break instead of chapter break in Bell.
Gibian: Line break instead of chapter break.
Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.
Komroff: Entire chapter is cut.
Kropotkin: Villarsky's sections of the chapter are removed. Rest of chapter is preserved. End of Chapter 6.
Simmons: The sections containing Terenty, the Italian, Willarski, and the French colonel are removed. Line break instead of chapter break.
Additional Notes:
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