Briggs: Natasha unburdens herself, telling the whole story of Andrey's death.
Translation:
XVI.
— She arrived to stay with me, — said Princess Marya. — The count and countess will be on another day. The countess is in a terrible position. Yet for Natasha it was most needed to see a doctor. She was forcibly sent away with me.
— Yes, whether there is a family without grief? — said Pierre, turning to Natasha. — You know that this was on that very day as we were freed. I saw him. What a charming boy!
Natasha watched him, and in answer to his words only more opened and lit up her eyes.
— What can you say or think in comforting? — said Pierre. — Nothing. What for was to die such a glorious, complete in life boy?
— Yes, in our time it would be difficult to live without faith... — said Princess Marya.
— Yes, yes. Here this is true really, — hastily interrupted Pierre.
— From what? — asked Natasha, carefully looking in the eyes of Pierre.
— How from what? — said Princess Marya. — Only the idea about what waits there...
Natasha, not listening to Princess Marya, again interrogatively looked at Pierre.
— And because, — continued Pierre, — that only that person, who believes that there is a God managing us, may bring such loss as hers and... yours, — said Pierre.
Natasha now uncovered her mouth, wishing to say something, but suddenly stopped. Pierre hurried to turn away from her and turned again to Princess Marya with the issue about the last days of the life of his friend. — The embarrassment of Pierre now almost disappeared; but together with that he felt that disappeared all his former freedom. He felt that above every word and action of his was now a judge, the court of which was a dear to him trial of all the people in the world. He now spoke together with his own words thinking of that impression, which were produced by his words on Natasha. He did not speak with the purpose that it would be liked by her; but that he would speak with her point of view of judging himself.
Princess Marya reluctantly, as this always is, began telling about that position in which she caught Prince Andrey. Yet the questions of Pierre, his lively anxious look, his trembling from excitement face little by little caused her to go into the details that she was afraid for mostly herself to renew in her imagination.
— Yes, yes, so, so... — spoke Pierre, bending over forward all his body above Princess Marya and greedily listening to her story. — Yes, yes; so he calmed down? Softened? He so by all the forces of his soul always sought one thing: to be quite good, that he could not be afraid of death. The limitations that were in him — if they were — occurred not from him. So he softened? — spoke Pierre. — What happiness, that he met with you, — he said to Natasha, suddenly turning to her and looking at her completely with tears in his eyes.
The face of Natasha shuddered. She frowned and in an instant lowered her eyes. For a moment she hesitated: to speak or not speak?
— Yes, this was happiness, — she said with a quiet in her breast voice; — for me for sure this was happiness. — She kept silent. — And he... he... he spoke that he desired this, in that moment, as I had come to him... — the voice of Natasha broke off. She blushed, reaped her hand on her knees and suddenly, apparently making an effort above herself, raised her head and quickly began to speak:
— We knew nothing, when we rode from Moscow. I did not dare to ask about him. And suddenly Sonya said to me that he was with us. I thought nothing, could not represent to myself in which position he was; I only needed to see him, to be with him, — she said, trembling and gasping for breath. And not giving to interrupt herself, she told that what she still never told anyone: all that what she survived in those three weeks of their travels and life at Yaroslavl.
Pierre listened to her with an uncovered mouth and did not lower from her eyes, full of tears. Listening to her, he did not think about Prince Andrey, or about death, or about what she told. He listened to her and only pitied her for that suffering, which she tested now, telling it.
The princess, frowning from the willingness to hold tears, sat beside Natasha and listened for the first time to the story of these last days of the love of her brother with Natasha.
This agonizing and joyous story apparently was necessary for Natasha.
She spoke, transporting insignificant details with the most sincere secrets, and, it seemed, never could finish. A few times she repeated that very same thing.
Behind the door was heard the voice of Desala, asking whether Nikolushka could enter to say goodbye.
— Yes here and all, all... — said Natasha. She got up fast, at that time as entered Nikolushka, and almost ran to the door, bumped his head about the door, veiled by a curtain, and with a groan not of that pain, not of that sorrow, burst out from the room.
Pierre watched the door at which she exited, and did not understand from what he suddenly stayed alone in all the world.
Princess Marya called him from his distraction, turning his attention to the nephew, who entered in the room.
The face of Nikolushki, similar to his father, in the moment of sincere softening at which Pierre was now found out, so in him acted that he, kissing Nikolushka, hastily got up and, getting a handkerchief, walked away to the window. He wanted to say goodbye with Princess Marya, but she kept him.
— No, Natasha and I do not sleep sometimes until the third hour; please sit. I will command to give supper. Come downwards; we now will come.
Before Pierre got out, the princess said to him: — This is the first time she spoke so about him.
Mentioned: a few days, three weeks
Locations: see previous chapter
Mentioned: Moscow, Yaroslav
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Natasha, Pierre, and Marya speak, and the latter two say it is impossible to live without faith. Marya seems to tie this to the afterlife, but Pierre says this is true because it is the only way that people can endure tremendous suffering. Pierre now, unlike his freer self, reflects on his words and how they will affect Natasha.
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 *):
Princess Mariya
Natasha
Countess Rostova ("countess")
Count Rostof ("count")
Pierre
Petya ("young fellow")
Prince Andrei (also "his friend" and "father")
Sonya
Dessalles
Nikolushka
Abridged Versions: No break in Bell.
Gibian: Line break instead of chapter break.
Fuller: Chapter is preserved and followed by a line break.
Komroff: Entire chapter is cut.
Kropotkin: Chapter is preserved. End of chapter 8.
Simmons: No break since chapter ends at end of page.
Edmundson: Act 4 Scene 26: Pierre talks about Platon and how it helped him find the meaning of life. Marya speaks about Andrei's similar journey.
Act 4 Scene 27: Pierre reflects on Natasha at his house and now it is Platon that comes to be the other side of his inner monologue. Maria and Natasha have a simultaneous conversation about Pierre. Pierre, with Platon's advice, decides to tell Natasha how he feels.
Act 4 Scene 28: Pierre says goodbye to Natasha and embraces her.
Additional Notes:
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