Briggs: Pierre attacks the government, Nikolay defends, and little Nikolay listens.
Translation:
XIV.
Soon after this the children came to say goodbye. The children kissed with all, the governors and governesses bowed and came out. Stayed only Desala with his pupil. The governor whisperingly invited his pupil to go downwards.
— No, monsieur Desala, I will ask my aunt to stay,1019 — was the response, also in a whisper, of Nikolinka Bolkonsky.
— Ma tante (my aunt), let me stay, — said Nikolinka, coming up to his aunt. His face expressed supplication, excitement and delight. Countess Marya saw him and turned to Pierre.
— When you are here, he may not rip off,... — she said to him.
— I will now bring you him Monsieur Desala; good night,1020 — said Pierre, giving the Swiss his hand and, smiling, turning to Nikolinka. — I really have not seen you. Marie, how he begins to look like, — he added, turning to Countess Marya.
— Father? — said the boy, blushingly flaring up and from below looking at Pierre with admired, brilliant eyes. Pierre nodded his head and continued to interrupt the children’s story. Countess Marya worked by hands on the canvas; Natasha, not lowering her eyes, watched her husband. Nikolay and Denisov got up, asked for pipes, smoked, took tea at Sonya’s, sitting depressingly and stubbornly behind the samovar, and questioned Pierre. The curly, painful boy, with his own brilliant eyes, sat unnoticed in the corner, and only turning his curly head on his fine neck, coming out of the turning down collar, on that side where Pierre was, he occasionally shuddered and whispered something with himself, apparently testing some new and strong feeling.
The conversation spun around on that modern gossip from higher management, in which the majority of people usually see the most important interest of the internal politicians. Denisov, displeased with the government for his failures by service, with joy found out all nonsense that by his opinion, was made now in Petersburg, and in strong and sharp expressions made his remarks to the words of Pierre.
— Before it was needed to be German, now it is needed to dance with Tatarinov and m-me Krudner, to read... Eckarsthausen and fraternity. Oh! Would again lower our fine fellow Bonaparte. He would drive all nonsense out. Well in what will appear the soldier Schwartz to give the Semenovsky regiment? — he shouted.
Nikolay, although without this willingness to find out everything bad, which was at Denisov, also counted it quite a worthy and important business to judge about the government and counted that A. was assigned as minister of that, but that B. was the general-governor there, and that the sovereign said that, but a minister that, and that all these affairs were very significant. And he counted it fit to be interested in this and asked Pierre. Behind the asking of these two interlocutors the conversation did not go out from this ordinary character of gossip of the higher, governmental spheres.
Yet Natasha, who knew all the tricks and thoughts of her husband, saw that Pierre for a long time wanted to and could not bring out the conversation to another road and express his sincere idea, that very one for which he drove to Petersburg to advise with his new friend Prince Fedor, and she aided his issue: what again of his business with Prince Fedor?
— About what is this? — asked Nikolay.
— All about the same and about the same, — said Pierre, looking back around himself. — All see that the business goes so bad, that this cannot be so left, and that the duty of all honest people is to oppose by the least forces.
— What may honest people do? — a little frowning, said Nikolay — What again can we do?
— But here is what...
— Let's go into the office, — said Nikolay.
Natasha, now a long time guessing that came her call to feed, heard the call of the nanny and went in the children's room. Countess Marya went with her. The men went in the office, and Nikolinka Bolkonsky, unnoticed by his uncle, came there again and sat down in the shadows, to the window, at the writing desk.
— Well what are you to do? — said Denisov.
— Forever fantasies, — said Nikolay.
— Here is what, — started Pierre, not sitting down and then going by the room, then stopping, lisping and making quick gestures with his hands in that time as he spoke. — Here is what. The position in Petersburg here is what: the sovereign does not enter in anything. He is all loyal to this mysticism (mysticism Pierre did not forgive anyone now). He is looking for only calmness, and his calm may give only those people without conscience and honor,1021 that fell and choke all immediately: Magnitsky, Arakcheev, and those similar...1022 You agree that should you yourself not be occupied by economy, but wanted only calmness, that the tougher would be your steward, by that the sooner you would reach your goals, — he turned to Nikolay.
— Well yes, why do speak this? — said Nikolay.
— Well, and everything dies. In the courts is theft, in the army is only the stick: marchers, settlements, — tormented people; education choked. What is young, honest is then ruined! All see that this may not go so. All too tightly and indispensably bursts, — spoke Pierre (as always, peering at the action which would be amazing, speaking with people since, as exists the government). — I spoke to one of them in Petersburg.
— Who? — asked Denisov.
— Well, you know who, — said Pierre looking very sneakily: — Prince Fedor and them all. To complete education and charity, all this is okay, of course. The objective is beautiful and everything; but in present circumstances we need another.
At this time Nikolay saw the presence of his nephew. His face was made gloomy; he came up to him.
— What for are you here?
— From what? Leave him, — said Pierre, taking for the hand of Nikolay, and continued: — This little, I speak to them: now we need another. When you stand and wait, now here bursts this stretched string; when all wait for an imminent coup, we need to as we can closer and more people to take hand with hand, so that to resist the general catastrophe. All young, strong are attracted there and corrupted. One is seduced by women, another honors, a third vanity, money, and they go over in that camp. Independent, free people, as you and I, really do not stay. I speak: expands a circle of society: a slogan1023 will not let only virtue, but independence and activity.
Nikolay, leaving his nephew, angrily moved his chair, sat down in it and, listening to Pierre, displeasingly coughed and all more and more frowned.
— And with what purpose is your activity? — he cried out. — And in what relationship do you stand to the government?
— Here is what! In the relationship of assistants. Society may not be secret, should government admit it. It is not only not hostile to the government, but this society presents conservatives. A society of gentlemen in the full meaning of these words. We only so that Pugachev does not come to slaughter your and my children, and for Arakcheev not to send me to a military settlement, — We only for this take hand with hand, with one purpose, the common good and general safety.
— Yes; but a secret society, therefore hostile and harmful, which may give birth to only evil.
— From what? Did the Tugenbund, which saved Europe (then still it was not dared to think that Russia saved Europe), produce something harmful? The Tugenbund — this is the union of virtues: this is love, mutual help; this is that what on the cross preached Christ...
Natasha, in the middle of the conversation entered in the room, happily watching her husband. She was not gladdened to that what he spoke. This she was even not interested in, because of how to her it seemed that all this was extremely simple, and that she all this long time knew (to her it seemed this was because of how she knew all that from what this came out — all the soul of Pierre); but she was gladdened, looking at his brisk, enthusiastic figure.
Still more happy and enthusiastically watched Pierre the forgotten by all boy, with the subtle neck, leaving from the turned down collar. All the words of Pierre burned in his heart and in a nervous movement of fingers broke, himself not noticing this, — falling in his hands sealing wax and feathers on the table of his uncle.
— It is really not that what you think, but here such was the German Tugenbund, and that which I offer.
— Well, brother, these sausages of the Tugenbund are okay, but I do not understand this, and I will not reprimand, — was the heard loud, resolute voice of Denisov. — All is bad and vile, I agree, only the Tugenbund I do not understand, but not like — so riot, here this is so! Then I am yours!1024
Pierre smiled, Natasha laughed, but Nikolay still more pushed his eyebrows and began to prove to Pierre that no coup was foreseen and that all the danger about which he spoke was located only in his imagination. Pierre argued the opposite and, as his mental abilities were stronger and more resourceful, Nikolay felt himself delivered at a dead end. This still more angered him, as he in his soul not by reason, but for some reason stronger than reasoning, knew the undoubted justice of his opinions.
— I here say what to you, — he spoke, getting up and in nervous movements setting on the corner his pipe and finally throwing it. — I cannot prove it to you. You speak that we are all bad and that there will be a coup; I do not see this; but you speak that the oath is conditional business, and to this I say to you: that you are my best friend, you know this, but you make up a secret society, you start to oppose the government, what would be, I know that my duty is to obey it. And led me now Arakcheev to go at you with a squadron and hack — not for a second to think about it and I will go. But there judge as you want.
After these words happened an awkward silence. Natasha was the first to begin talking, defending her husband and attacking her brother. Her protection was weak and awkward, but her objective was achieved. The conversation again resumed and now not in that unpleasant hostile tone in which were said the last words of Nikolay.
When all had risen to dinner, Nikolinka Bolkonsky came up to Pierre, pale, with brilliant, radiant eyes.
— Uncle Pierre... Do you... No...Should papa be alive...Would he agree with you? — he asked.
Pierre suddenly got how the special, independent, complex and strong work of feeling and thought was happening in this boy in the time of conversation and, remembering all that he spoke, he had become annoyed that the boy heard him. However the need was to answer him.
— I think that yes, — he said reluctantly, and got out from the office.
The boy bent down his head and here for the first time as if saw what he had done at the table. He flared up and came up to Nikolay.
— Uncle, excuse me, this I did — accidentally, — he said, showing the breaking of sealing wax and feathers.
Nikolay angrily flinched.
— Okay, okay, — he said, throwing under the table the pieces of sealing wax and feathers. And apparently, with labor holding the lifted in him wrath, he turned away from him.
— You quite should not have been here, — he said.
1019 Non, mr Dessales, je demanderai à ma tante de rester, (No, Mr. Dessales, I will ask my aunt to stay,)
1020 Je vous le ramènerai tont-à-l’heure, m-r Dessales; bonsoir, (I will bring it back to you right on time, Mr. Dessales, Good evening,)
1021 sans foi ni loi (without faith or law)
1022 tutti quanti..
1023 Mot d’ordre (Word of order)
1024 Je suis vot’e homme! (I am your man!)
Locations: see previous chapter
Mentioned: Swiss, St. Petersburg, German, Europe, Russia
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: The focus is on Nikolenka watching the other characters as he doesn't go to bed with the children but stays up with the adults, "clearly experiencing some new and strong feeling."
Denisov's dislike for the government is tied to "his own unsuccesses in the service". Nikolai is different in that he doesn't see everything as negative but is very interested and invested in how the government operates. Natasha knows that Pierre sees everything differently, and that is why he had gone away, and probes him to input. She leaves the conversation to nurse the baby and Pierre puts forth the idea that "the sovereign doesn't enter into anything. He's totally given up to this mysticism...All he seeks is peace, and peace can be given only by those people without faith or law who hack up and stifle everything far and wide: Magitsky, Arakcheev...There's thievery in the courts, in the army only the rod: drill, settlements --they torment the people, stifle enlightenment...It's all too strained and bound to snap...people must join hands, as many and as closely as possible...One is seduced by women, another by honors, a third by vainglory or money...let the watchword be not only virtue, but independence and activity....Not only is it not hostile to the government, but it is a society of true conservatives. A society of gentlemen in the full sense of the word. It's only so as not have Pugachev come tomorrow and put a knife into my and your children, or to have Arakcheev send me to a military settlement"
There is an interesting parenthetical in "they still did not dare to think then that Russia had saved Europe"
Denisov's objection is that the thinking, which is tied to the Tugenbund, is "fine for sausage makers". Nikolai becomes angry because he feels himself right but his mental powers are not as strong as Pierre's and claims "if Arakcheev ordered me right now to go against you with a squadron and cut you down--I'd go without thinking for a second."
Nikolenka asks Pierre if his father Andrei would agree with him and Pierre says that he thinks so. Nikolai doesn't think he should have been there 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 *):
M. Dessalles
Nikolenka Bolkonsky (also "nephew")
Countess Mariya (also "aunt" and "Marie")
Pierre (also "husband" and "Uncle Pierre")
Prince Andrei ("father" and "papa")
Natasha
Nikolai (also "uncle")
Denisof
Sonya
Tatawinova
Madame Kwudener (as in Dole and Maude. "...Krudner" in Garnett, Bell (who doesn't use Madame), and Wiener.)
Eckarsthausen ("Ecka'tshausen" in Edmonds, Maude, and Mandelker. "Eckartshausen" in Briggs and Garnett.)
Napoleon ("Bonaparte")
Schwartz
Prince Feodor
nyanya
Alexander ("sovereign")
Magnitsky
Arakcheyef
Pugachof ("Pougatchew" in Bell. "Pugachov" in Mandelker, Edmonds, and Briggs.)
Abridged Versions: Chapter is here in Bell with no break.
Gibian: End of Chapter 3.
Komroff: Chapter is preserved. Followed by a line break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 8: Chapter is preserved.
Simmons: Some of Denisov's comments are removed. The broken pens are also removed, ending the chapter slightly earlier. End of Chapter 3.
Additional Notes:
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