Briggs: Marya comes to Moscow. The match with Nikolay becomes possible.
Translation:
VI.
In the beginning of winter Princess Marya arrived in Moscow. From city rumors she recognized the position of the Rostovs about how "the son sacrificed himself for his mother"; — so was said in the city. —"I did not wait from him another," said Princess Marya to herself, feeling joyful confirmation in her love to him. Remembering his friendly and almost kindred relationship to all family, she counted it her duty to go to him. Yet remembering her relationship to Nikolay in Voronezh, she was afraid of this. Making above herself a great effort, however, she in a few weeks after her arrival in the city arrived to Rostov.
Nikolay was the first to meet her, so as to the countess it could be only to pass through his room. At the first glance to her, the face of Nikolay instead of an expression of joys, which awaited to see in him Princess Marya, had accepted an unprecedented before the princess expression of coldness, dryness and pride, and Nikolay asked about her health, spent her to his mother and, after sitting five minutes, got out from the room.
When the princess exited from the countess, Nikolay again met her, and especially solemnly and dryly spent her to the front. He not in words replied to her remarks about the health of the countess. "What is your business? Leave me alone," spoke his look.
— And what is hanging around? What does she need? I cannot stand these mistresses and all these courtesies! — he said out loud to Sonya, apparently not in his forces to hold his annoyance after this, as the coach of the princess drove off from the home.
— Ah, how can you so speak, Nicolas! — said Sonya, barely hiding her joy. — She is so good, and mama1015 so loves her.
Nikolay responded with nothing and wanted to not quite speak more about the princess. Yet, with the time of her visit, the old countess on any day several times began talking about her.
The countess praised her, demanded so that the son went to her, expressed a wish to see her more often, but together with that always became not in spirit when she was spoken about.
Nikolay tried to be silent when his mother spoke about the princess, but his silence annoyed the countess.
— She is a very worthy and beautiful girl, — she said, — and you need to go to her. All the same see someone; but that you are bored, I think, with us.
— And I do not want any, Mama.
— That wanted to see you, but now you do not want it. I, my sweet, rightly do not understand you. You are bored, then you suddenly do not want to see anyone.
— And I did not say that I am bored.
— How again, you yourself said that you do not wish to see her. She is a very worthy girl and always liked you; but now suddenly there are some reasons. All from me is hidden.
— And any, Mama.
— If I requested you to do something unpleasant, then I beg you to go give a visit. It seems courtesy requires... I requested you and now no more will interfere, when you have secrets from your mother.
— And I will ride, if you want me to.
— I all care; I for you want it.
Nikolay sighed, biting his mustache, and unfolding cards, trying to distract the attention of his mother to a different subject.
On the next, on the third and on the fourth day repeated that same conversation.
After her visits to the Rostovs and this unexpected, cold reception made to her by Nikolay, Princess Marya recognized herself that she was right, not wishing to go at first to Rostov.
"I awaited not another," she said to herself, appealing to the help of her pride. "I have no affairs to him, and I only wanted to see one of old who was always good to me and to whom I am much obliged."
Yet she could not calm down this reasoning: a feeling, similar to remorse, tormented her when she remembered her visit. Despite that she firmly decided not to ride more to Rostov and to forget all this, she felt herself incessantly in an uncertain position. And when she asked herself what again such was that what tormented her, she should recognize that this was her relationship to Rostov. His cold, courteous tone did not flow out from his feeling to her (she knew this), but this tone covered something. This something she needed to clarify; and she felt that she could not be calm.
In the middle of winter she sat in the cold, keeping behind the lessons of her nephew, when to her came a report about the arrival of Rostov. With a solid decision not to give away her secrets and to not express her embarrassment, she invited m-lle Bourienne and together with her exited to the living room.
At the first glance at the face of Nikolay, she saw that he had arrived only so to perform a duty of courtesy and decided to firmly hold in this very tone at which he turned to her.
They began talking about the health of the countess, about common acquaintances, about the last news of the war and when passed that required decency of ten minutes, after which the guest may get up, Nikolay rose, saying goodbye.
The princess with the help of m-lle Bourienne survived the conversation very okay; but at the very last moment, in that time as he rose, she was so tired of speaking about what to her were not affairs, and the idea about what for her was one of the so little given joys in her life, so occupying her that she was in a fit of distraction, directing forward of herself to his radiant eye, sitting still, not noticing that he rose.
Nikolay looked at her and, wishing to make a view that he did not notice her distraction, said a few words to m-lle Bourienne and again looked at the princess. She sat so the same still, and on her tender face expressed suffering. He suddenly began to pity her and vaguely introduced to himself that, maybe, he was the cause of those sorrows which expressed on her face. He wanted to help her, say to her something pleasant; but he could not figure out what he would say to her.
— Farewell, princess, — he said. She came to her senses, flared up and heavily sighed.
— Ah, to blame, — she said, as would be waking up. — You now ride, count; well, farewell! But the pillow of the countess?
— Wait, I now will bring it, — said m-lle Bourienne and exited from the room.
Both were silent, occasionally looking at each other.
— Yes, princess, — finally said Nikolay, sadly smiling, — recently it seems, but how much water has leaked since you and I for the first time saw each other at Bogucharovo. How we all seemed to be in misfortunes, but I would dearly give so that to bring back this time...And it is not brought back.
The princess intently saw in his eyes his radiant look when he spoke this. She as if tried to understand that secret meaning of his words which would explain to her his feeling to her.
— Yes, yes, — she said, — but there is nothing to pity in the past, count. As I understand your life now, you always with enjoyment will be remembered by it, because of the selflessness, which you live now...
— I will not take your praise, — he interrupted her hastily, — the opposite, I incessantly reproach myself; but this is a really uninteresting and unhappy conversation.
And again his look accepted the former dry and cold expression. Yet the princess now saw in him again this same human, whom she knew and loved, and spoke now only with this human.
— I think that you will let me say this to you, — she said. — I got so close with you... and with your family, and I think that you do not respect my inappropriate participation; but I am mistaken, — she said. Her voice suddenly trembled. — I do not know why, — she continued, recovering, — you before were different and...
— There are a thousand reasons why (he made a particular stress on the word why). Thank you, princess, — he said quietly. — It is sometimes heavy.
"So here is what! Here is what!" spoke an inner voice in the soul of Princess Marya. "No, I am not from this one merry, kind and open look, not one beautiful appearance fell in love with him; I got it right, he is a noble, solid, selfless soul," she said to herself. "Yes, he is now poor, but I am rich...Yes, only from this... Yes, if only this was not..."
And, remembering his former tenderness, now looking at his good and sad face, she suddenly understood the cause of his coldness.
— Why again, count, why? — she suddenly almost cried out unwittingly, moving forward to him. — Why, tell me. You must tell. — He kept silent. — I do not know, count, your why, — she continued. — Yet for me it is heavy, for me... I confess to you this. You for something want to deprive me of our previous friendship. And this hurts me. — She had tears in her eyes and in her voice. — I had so little happiness in life that for me any loss is heavy...I am sorry, farewell. — She suddenly cried and went from the room.
— Princess! Wait, for God, — he cried out, trying to stop her. — Princess!
She looked around. For a few seconds they silently looked at each other’s eyes, and the impossible distance suddenly became close, possible and inevitable ..........................................................................................
1015 maman (mom)
Mentioned: several times a day
Locations: Moscow
Mentioned: Voronezh, Bogucharovo
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Princess Marya's love for Nikolai is further developed because of his sacrifices for his other. Nikolai is cold to her, but Sonya and his mother encourages him to love her. Marya realizes that the awkwardness of their relationship is because of the difference between their financial situation. She asks him for forgiveness and why he is trying to deprive her, and he finally breaks down. There is a long series of spaced dots at the end of the chapter.
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
Nikolai (also "son", "count", and "Nicolas")
Countess Rostova ("countess", "maman", "mamenka", and "mother")
Sonya
Nikolushka ("nephew")
Mlle. Bourienne
Gibian: line break instead of chapter break.
Fuller: Chapter is preserved and ends the book.
Komroff: Nikolai's conversation with his mother and Sonya is removed, as well as some details. Followed by a line break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 2: Chapter is preserved.
Simmons: The conversation between Nicholas and his mother is shortened. Line break instead of chapter break.
Additional Notes:
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