Briggs: The separate microcosms at Bald Hills. Little Nikolay idolizes Pierre.
Translation:
XII.
As in each present family, in the Bald Mountains house lived together a few completely institutional worlds, which, every one holding their features and making concessions to one another, blended in one harmonic whole. Each event that happened in the house was equally important, equally happy or sad for all these worlds but every world had completely theirs, independent from others, causes to rejoice or be sad in an event.
So the arrival of Pierre was a major joyful event, and so it reflected on all.
The servants, loyal judges of the gentleman, because of how they judged not by conversations and expressed feelings, but by the action and image of life, were glad to visit Pierre, because of how with him, they knew, the count stopped the daily walk of the farm and it will be more fun and kinder, and more because of how to all will be rich gifts for the holiday.
The children and governesses rejoiced at the visit of Bezuhov, because of how no one was so involved in their overall life, as Pierre. He alone was able to play on the clavichord that ecossaise (only he played), under which can be a dance, as he spoke, all possible dancing, and he brought for sure to all gifts.
Nikolinka, who was now a lean fifteen year old, with curly fair hair and beautiful eyes, a painful, smart boy, rejoiced because of how Uncle Pierre, as he called him, was his subject of admiration and passionate love. Nothing inspired to Nikolinka a special love to Pierre, and he only occasionally saw him. His educator, Countess Marya, used all forces so that to force Nikolinka to love her husband so the same as she loved him, and Nikolinka loved his uncle; but loved him with a little bit noticeable tint of contempt. Pierre the same he adored. He did not want to be a hussar, or a George cavalier, as Uncle Nikolay, he wanted to be scientific, smart and kind, as Pierre. In the presence of Pierre on his face was always a joyful radiance, and he blushed and gasped for breath when Pierre approached to him. He did not spit out one word from what spoke Pierre, and then with Desala and himself remembered and thought of the matters of each word of Pierre. The past life of Pierre, his misfortunes to the 12th year (about which he from heard words made up to himself a vague, poetic presentation), his adventure in Moscow, captivity, Platon Karataev (about whom he heard from Pierre), his love to Natasha (who was also especially loved by the boy) and the main thing, his friendship to his father, who was not remembered by Nikolinka, all this made Pierre for him a hero and sacred object.
From the interrupted speeches about his father and Natasha, from that excitement, with which Pierre spoke about the deceased, from that careful, reverent tenderness, with which Natasha spoke about him the same, the boy, only now beginning to guess about love, made up for himself a concept about how his father loved Natasha and bequeathed her, dying, to his friend. This same father, who was not remembered by the boy, presented to him as a deity, who it cannot be for himself to imagine, and about which he otherwise did not think, as with a fading heart and in tears of sadness and delight. — And the boy was happy owing to the arrival of Pierre.
The visitors were glad for Pierre, as a person, always revived and rallying all society.
The grown ups, homeworkers, not talking about his wife, were glad for the friend who lived easier and calmer.
The old women were glad for the gifts that he will bring, and the main thing that again revived Natasha.
Pierre felt these various in himself views of the institutional worlds and hurried to each to give the expected.
Pierre, the most absent-minded, forgetful person, now, by the list formed by his wife, bought all, not forgetting the commissions of mother and brother, or the gift of the dress for Belova, or toys for the nephews. To him it seemed weird at the first time of his marriage this demand of his wife — to perform and not to forget only what he took to buy, and was struck by seriously upsetting her when he on his first trip forgot all. But afterwards he was used to this. He knew that Natasha for herself instructed nothing, but for others instructed only so, when he himself called, he now found an unexpected for himself childish pleasure in these bought gifts for the only at home and never forgot anything. Should he deserve reproaches from Natasha, that was only for that he bought the unnecessary and too expensive. To all his disadvantages, by the opinion of the majority, or qualities, by the opinion of Pierre, sloppiness, omission, Natasha attached more avarice.
From this time itself, as Pierre had begun to live in a big house, with a family requiring large expenditure, he, to his surprise, saw that he lived on less than half than before, and that his disturbed in the latter time (in particular the debts of his first wife) business began to mend.
Life was cheaper because of how life was tied: that most expensive luxury, consisting in such a kind of life that all moments can change it, Pierre did not have now, and he did not desire to have more. He felt that the form of his life was defined now in time forever until death, that to change was not in his authorities, and because of this his form of life was cheap.
Pierre with a fun, smiling face assorted his purchases.
— What is it! — he spoke, deploying, as a shopkeeper, a piece of matter. Natasha, holding in her lap the older daughter, and quickly transferring her shining eye from her husband to that what he showed, sat against him.
— This is for Belova? Fine. — She felt goodness.
— This fell by right?
Pierre said the price.
— Expensive, — said Natasha. — well how the children will be glad and maman (mama). Only in vain you bought me this, — she added, not in her forces to hold a smile, admiring at a golden in pearls crest, which then only now had become to enter in fashion.
— I knocked Adele down: to buy, yes to buy, — said Pierre.
— When again do I put it on? — Natasha invested in its braid. — This to Masha I will take out; maybe then more will be to carry. Well, go.
And, taking the gifts, they went first to the children's room, then to the countess.
The countess by custom sat with Belova behind solitaire, when Pierre and Natasha with bundles under their shoulders entered in the living room.
The countess was now behind 60 years-old. She was all grey and carried a cap, embracing all her face in a ruffle. Her face was wrinkled, her top lip left, and her eyes were dull.
After so quickly ensuing one behind another a dead son and husband, she felt herself accidentally forgotten in this world of essence, not having either goals or sense. She ate, drank, slept, was awake, but she did not live. Life gave her no impressions. To her nothing was needed from life, besides calmness, and this calm she could find only in death. Yet while death had still not come, she was needed to live, i.e. use her forces of life. In her to the higher extent it was noticeable that what is noticeable in very small children and very old people. In her life were seen no external goals, but it was obvious she only needed to exercise various propensities and abilities. She needed to eat, sleep, think, talk, cry, work, get angry and etc. only because of how in her was a stomach, brain, muscles, nerves and liver. All this she did, not caused by anything outside as do people throughout the strength of life, when from behind goals to which they strive, not noticeable was another objective — the annexing of her forces. She talked only because of how she physically needed to work her mouth and tongue. She cried, as a child, because of how she needed to sniff and etc. That, what for people in complete strength present a purpose, for her obviously was a pretext.
So in the morning, in particular should on the eve she eat something fat, in her appeared a need to get angry, and so she chose the nearest pretext, — the deafness of Belova.
She from another end of the room began to speak to her something quiet.
— Now, it seems, warmer, my pretty, — she said in a whisper. And when Belova answered: —"How again, he has arrived," she angrily grumbled.
— My God, how deaf and stupid! — A different pretext was the snuff tobacco, which to her seemed dry, then cheesy, then badly rubbed. After this annoying bile spilled on her face, and her maids knew by faithful features when will again be deaf Belova and again the tobacco is made cheesy, and when will be yellow face. As her need was to work bile, so her need was to sometimes work the remaining abilities to think, and for this pretext was solitaire. When it was needed to cry, then the subject was the late count. When it was needed to worry, the pretext was Nikolay and his health; when the need was to caustically talk, then the pretext was Countess Marya. When the need was to give an exercise to the organ of her voice, — this was for the most part in the 7th hour, after digestive recreation in the dark room, — then the pretext were stories all one and the same stories and all by one and by that same listener.
This state of old women was understood by all at home, although no one ever spoke about this and all used all kinds of efforts for the satisfaction of her needs. Only in a rare glance and a sad half smile, addressed to each other between Nikolay, Pierre, Natasha and Countess Marya, happened to express this mutual understanding of her situation.
Yet these looks besides this said still another; they said that she did now her business in life, that she was not all in what now was seen on her, that all of us will be such the same, and that to happily submit to her, restraining ourselves for this when it is dear, when that such the same the full, as we are, of life, but now will be miserable creatures. Remember about death,1017 said these looks.
Only really bad and stupid people, and small children, from all the home, did not understand this and were alienated by her.
1017 Memento mori
Time: see previous chapter
Mentioned: 1812, morning, day before
Locations: Lysyya Gory
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: "As in every real family, several totally different worlds lived together in the house at Bald Hills, each maintaining its own particularity and yielding to the others, but merging into one harmonious whole."
Nikolenka, Marya's nephew, looks up to Pierre, not Nikolai. "He did not want to be a hussar or a chevalier of St. George like Uncle Nikolai; he wanted to be learned and intelligent and kind, like Pierre."
His father "whom the boy did not remember (this is repeated twice), appeared to him as a deity, whom it was impossible to imagine and of whom he did not think otherwise than with a thrill in his heart and tears of sadness and rapture."
For Pierre, "Life was cheaper because it was restricted...He felt that his way of life was now defined once and for all, till death, that to change it was not in his power, and therefore this way of life was cheap."
Countess Rostova though, "felt herself an accidentally forgotten being in this world, with no purpose or meaning. She ate, drank, slept, woke, but did not live. Life gave her no impressions at all."
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 (also "Uncle Pierre")
Nikolenka (formerly "Nikolushka". Often called "the lad".)
Countess Mariya (also "aunt and guardian".)
Nikolai (also "uncle", "brother", and "husband".)
Dessalles
Platon Karatayef
Natasha (also "wife")
Prince Andrei ("father" and "the lamented prince")
Countess Rostova ("mother", "countess" and "maman". Her maids are also mentioned.)
Byelova
Mashenka (or "Masha". Natasha and Pierre's daughter.)
Adele
Petya Rostof ("son")
Count Rostof ("husband")
Abridged Versions: In Bell, only the opening section, which establishes Nicolas Bolkonsky and his relationship with Pierre, is kept, and then bleeds into a different chapter without a break.
Gibian: Line break instead of chapter break.
Komroff: Chapter is preserved, other than the conversation Pierre and Natasha have. Followed by a line break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 7: The chapter cuts off after the conversation after Natasha says she won't wear what Pierre has gotten for her. No break.
Simmons: The servants are cut and the Nicholas section is shortened. The talk about Pierre's absent-mindedness is removed. The discussion of the old countess at the end is also removed. Line break instead of chapter break.
Additional Notes:
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