Chapter Summaries: Dole: Prince Vasili announces his coming to Luisiya Gorui. Prince Nikolai's opinion of Prince Vasili. Out of sorts. The inspection. Alpatuitch has to shovel back the snow. The prince at dinner. Liza at Luisiya Gorui. The "minister". Mlle. Bourienne's audacity. Prince Nikolai visits his daughter-in-law. Arrival of Prince Vasili. Anatol's character. The Princess Marya's dread of her suitor. Liza and Mlle. Bourienne endeavor to improve Mariya's beauty. Their failure. Mariya's day-dreams. God's answer to her prayer.
Briggs: Prince Vasily takes Anatole to Bald Hills - a match for Princess Marya?
Maude: Prince Vasili and Anatole visit Prince Bolkonski. Princess Mary's appearance
Pevear and Volkhonsky (chapters 3-5): Prince Vassily and Anatole visit the old prince Bolkonsky at Bald Hills. The courting of Princess Marya. Anatole and Mlle Bourienne in the conservatory.
Translation:
III.
Old prince Nikolay Andreich Bolkonsky in December of the year 1805 received a letter from Prince Vasiliy, notifying him about his arrival together with his son. ("I am going on revision, and, of course, for me 100 versts is not a detour, so that to visit you, dear benefactor, — he wrote, — and Anatole escorts me and rides to the army; and I hope that you let me personally express to you that deep respect, which he, imitating his father, nourishes you".)
— Here Marie does not need to be taken out: grooms themselves ride to us, — careless said the small princess upon hearing about this is.
Prince Nikolay Andreich grimaced and said nothing.
In the two weeks after receiving the letter, at night, arrived the forward people of Prince Vasiliy, but on the following day arrived he himself with his son.
Old man Bolkonsky always had low opinions about the character of Prince Vasiliy, and by that more in the latter time, when Prince Vasiliy in the new reign of Paul and Alexander went a long way in ranks and honors. Now again, by the hints of the letter and the little princess, he got this business, and the low opinion of Prince Vasiliy passed in the soul of Prince Nikolay Andreich in a feeling of unfriendly contempt. He constantly snorted, talking about himself. In that day as Prince Vasiliy came, Prince Nikolay Andreich was especially displeased and not in spirit. Whether he was not in spirit because Prince Vasiliy was coming, or because he was especially displeased by the arrival Prince Vasiliy he was not in spirit; but he was not in spirit, and Tihon still in the morning advised the architect to enter with a report to prince.
— Hear how he goes, — said Tihon, turning the attention of the architect to the sounds of the steps of the prince. — On all heel steps — really we know...
However, as usual, at the 9th hour the prince got out to walk in his velvet coat with a stable collar and such the same hat. On the eve snow fell out. The path, by which Prince Nikolay Andreich went to the greenhouse, was cleared, traces of brooms were seen in the swept up snow, and a shovel was stuck in the loose embankment of snow, going from both parts of the track. The prince passed by the greenhouse, by the domestic servants and buildings, frowning and silent.
— But can they drive through in a sleigh? — he asked the seeing him off to home respectful, similar face and manners to the owner, manager.
— Deep snow, your excellency. I already said to have the avenue scattered.
The prince tipped his head and came up to the porch."Thank you, Lord, — thought the manager, — the cloud has flashed!"
— The drive through was difficult, your excellency, — added the manager. — as it was heard, your excellency, that a minister will grant to your excellency?
The prince turned to the manager and with frowning eyes stared at him.
— What? A minister? What minister? Who told you? — he began talking in his piercing, hard voice. — For the princesses, my daughter, it is not cleared, but for the minister! I have no ministers!
— Your excellency, I believed...
— You believed! — shouted the prince, all in haste and with incoherent negligent words. — You believed... robbers! Scumbags!... I will teach you to think, — and, holding up his stick, he swung it at Alpatych and would have stroked him, should the manager unwittingly not deviated from the blow. — Believed!... Scumbags!... he hastily shouted. Yet, despite this, Alpatych, himself frightened of his insolence — straying from his blow, approached to the prince, lowered before him his dutiful bald head, or, maybe, it was for the prince to shout: "Scumbags!...Cover the road!..." not raising another time his stick and running into the room.
Before dinner the princess and m-lle Bourienne, who knew that the prince was not in spirit, were standing, expecting him: m-lle Bourienne with her shining face, which said: "I know nothing, I am such the same, as always," and Princess Marya — pale, scared, with downward eyes. Only heavier for Princesses Marya was that she knew that in these cases she needed to act as m-lle Bourienne, but she could not do this. To her it seemed: "I do so as if I do not notice what he thinks, that in me is no empathy for him; I do so that I myself am boring and not in spirit, he will say (as this has happened), that I hang my nose", and so on.
The prince looked at the scared face of his daughter and snorted.
— Fo... or fool!... — he said.
"And no! Already she has gossiped," he thought about the little princess, who was not in the dining room.
— But where is the princess? — he asked. — Hiding?...
— She is not really healthy, — funnily smiling, said m-lle Bourienne, — She did not come. This is so understandable in her position.
— Ahem! Ahem! Hmm! Hmm! — spoke the prince sitting down behind the table.
His plate seemed not clean; he pointed out a blur and threw it. Tihon picked it up and delivered it to the barman. The small princess was not unhealthy; but she to such an extent was irresistibly afraid of the prince, that upon hearing about how he was not in spirit, she decided not to exit.
— I am afraid for the child, — she said to m-lle Bourienne, — God knows what may become from fright.
At all the small princess lived at Bald Mountains, she was constantly under the feeling of fear and antipathy to the old prince, which she did not recognize because that the fear so prevailed that she could not feel it. With all parties the prince was also antipathic, but she was drowned out in contempt. The princess, settled down in Bald Mountains, especially fell in love m-lle Bourienne, carried out her day with her, requested her to spend the night with herself and with her often talked about her father-in-law and judged him.
— To us ride visitors, prince,335 — said m-lle Bourienne, her own rosy hands deploying a white napkin. — His excellency Prince Kuragin with his son, how I have heard?336 — interrogatively she said.
— Ahem... this excellent boy... I defined him in college, — offendedly said the prince. — But the son what for, I cannot understand. Princess Lizaveta Karlovna and Princess Marya may know; I do not know why he carries the son here. I do not need it. — and he looked at his reddened daughter.
— Unhealthy, what for? From fear of the minister, as now this blockhead Alpatych said.
— No, father.337
So unsuccessfully hitting m-lle Bourienne in the subject of conversation, she did not stop and chatted about the greenhouse, about the beauty of a new blooming flower, and the prince after the soup softened.
After dinner he passed to his sister-in-law. The small princess sat behind a little table and chatted with Masha, the maid. She became pale seeing her father-in-law.
The small princess was extremely changed. She was rather bad, rather than good now. Her cheeks lowered, her lips went up, her eyes were covered down.
— Yes, that heaviness, — she answered to a question of the prince about how she felt.
— Not need something?
— No, thank you, father.338
— Well, okay, okay.
He got out and reached to the waiter. Alpatych, bending down his head, standing at the waiter.
— Covered the road?
— Covered, your excellency; forgive, for God, the nonsense.
The prince interrupted him and bursted out laughing in his unnatural laugh.
— Well, okay, okay.
He held out his hand, which was kissed by Alpatych, and passed into the office.
At night arrived Prince Vasiliy. He met on the avenue (the so called “prospect”) the coachman and waiters, with screaming transported his carriages and sleigh to the outhouse by the purposely covered with snow way.
Prince Vasiliy and Anatole were set aside in a separate room.
Anatole sat, removing his camisole and propping up his hands on their sides, before the table, in the corner which he, smiling, intently and absent-mindedly turned his beautiful large eyes. At all life he watched as in continuous amusement, which someone for such a reason pledged to arrange for him. So the same now he looked at his trip to the evil old man and to the rich ugly heiress. All this could be exited by his assumption, very okay and funny. "But from what again not to marry, if she is very rich? This is never prevented," thought Anatole.
He shaved, scented with thoroughness and panache, made his habit, and from birth his good-naturedly victorious expression, highly carried his beautiful head, entered into the room to his father. About Prince Vasiliy fussed his two valets, dressing him; he himself lively looked around himself and funnily nodded at the incoming son, as if he said: "So, so you and I are needed!"
— No, without jokes, father, is she extremely ugly? Ah? — in French he asked, as would a conversation not time guided while in travels.
— Fully, nonsense! The main business — try hard to be respectful and prudent with the old prince.
— Should he scold, I will leave, — said Anatole. — I these old people cannot stand. Ah?
— Remember, for you everything depends on this.
At this time in the girls not only was the famous arrival the minister with his son, but the outside view of them both was now in detail described. Princess Marya sat alone in her room and in vain tried to get over her internal excitement.
"What for they wrote, what for did Liza speak to me about this? Because this may not be! — she said to herself, looking at the mirror. — How can I come into the living room? Should he even like me, I could not be with him now by myself". Only the idea about the glance of her father led her to horror.
The small princess and m-lle Bourienne received now all the necessary intelligence from the maid Masha about this rosy, black brow beauty that was the ministerial son, and about how daddy with his forcible legs conducted on the stairs, but he, as an eagle, stepping by three stairs, ran behind by him. Receiving this intelligence, the small princess with m-lle Bourienne, still from the corridor was audible their own lively speaking voices, entered into the room of the princess.
—They have arrived, Marie,339 did you know? — said the small princess, waddling with her stomach and heavily lowering into the chair.
She already was not in that blouse in which she sat in the morning, and on her was one of her best dresses; her head was carefully cleaned up, and her face was revitalized, not hiding, however, the descended and dead shape of her face. In this outfit, in which she had usually been in societies in Petersburg, still more noticeable was how much she had turned up. On m-lle Bourienne too appeared now an unnoticed improvement of outfits, which imparted her pretty, fresh face still more attractiveness.
— Well, and you stay in what you were. — she began talking. — Now come say that they come out. I need to be going downwards, but you though should be a little-bit dressed up!340
The small princess went up from the chair, rang the maid and hastily and funnily began to invent an outfit for Princess Marya and to bring it to the entrusted. Princess Marya felt himself offended at the feeling of her own virtues that the arrival of the promised to her groom worried her, and still more she was offended by both of her friends and did not suppose that this could be otherwise. They talked as they were ashamed for her, this was meant to give them excitement; besides to refuse this dressing up, which was offered to her, would have led to long jokes and insisting. She flared up, her beautiful eyes went out, her face covered in specks and with that ugly expression of victims, more often only stopped at her face, she gave back power to m-lle Bourienne and Lise. Both women looked after completely sincerely about this so that to make her beautiful. She was so bad that one of them could not come with the idea about a rivalry with her; therefore they completely sincerely, with that naive and solid conviction of women that the outfit may make her face beautiful, began to do the dressing for her.
— No, right, my friend,341 this dress is no good, — said Liza, from afar sideways looking at the princess: — Give lead, in there is your mask. Right! What the same, because this, maybe, the fate of life is decided. But this is too light, no good, no, no good!
No good was not the dress, but the face and all the figure of the princess, but this was not felt by m-lle Bourienne and the small princess; they all seemed that if to put a blue ribbon to the hair, combed it up, and released the blue scarf from the brown dress and so on, that all will okay. They forgot that the scared face and figure could not be changed, because as they or modified the frame and decoration of this face, her face stayed pitiful and ugly. After two or three changes, which were dutifully obeyed by Princess Marya, at that moment, as she was combed up (the hairstyle, completely cheated and spoiled her face), in a blue scarf and mask of a smart dress, the small princess two times walked around her, her little hand straightened here a crease in the dress, there jerked the scarf and looked, bowing her head, that from that, that from other parts.
— No, this cannot be, — she said resolutely, splashing out her hands. — No, Marie, this resolutely is not going to you. I better love you in your grayish daily dress; please do this for me.342 Katya, — she told the maid, — bring the princess the gray dress, and look, m-lle Bourienne, how I will arrange this, — she said with a smile of anticipation of artistic joys.
But when Katya brought the required dress, Princess Marya still all sat before the mirror, looking at her face, and in the mirror saw that in her eyes were tears, and that her mouth trembled, getting ready to sob.
— Well, princess, — said m-lle Bourienne, — more small effort.343
The small princess, taking the dress from the hands of the maid, fit it to Princess Marya.
— No, now this will simply do nicely, — she said.
Her voice, m-lle Bourienne and Kati, which about something laughed, blended into a fun babble, similar to singing birds.
— No, leave me,344 — said the princess.
And her voice was heard with such seriousness and misery that the babble of birds immediately again fell silent. They looked at the large, beautiful eyes, full of tears and thought, clearly and watched pleadingly at them, and understood how to insist useless and even cruelly.
— At least change the hairstyle. — said the small princess. —I say to you, — with reproach she said, turning to m-lle Bourienne, — that in Marie one thing of those persons, which this kind hairstyle is a total no. Change, please.345
— Leave me, I don’t care,346 — was the response of the voice, barely holding tears.
M-lle Bourienne and the small princess must have been admitting to themselves that Princess Marya in this was looking very bad, worse than always; but it was already late. She watched them with that expression, which they knew was an expression of thought and sadness. This expression did not inspire in them fear for Princess Marya. (This feeling she could not inspire in anyone.) But they knew that now on her face appeared this expression, she was silent and unshakable in her decisions.
— Whether or not you’ll really change?347 — said Liza, and now Princess Marya answered with nothing, Liza exited from the room.
Princess Marya left alone. She did not carry out the willingness of Lise and not only did not change hairstyles, but did not look at herself in the mirror. She powerlessly lowered her eyes and hands, silently sitting and thinking. Her presented husband, a man, strong, prevailing and unclearly attractive being, carrying her suddenly to his completely different, happy world. Her child, such as the one which she saw yesterday in the daughter of her nurse, — presented to her at her own breast. Her husband was standing and tenderly watching her and the child. "But no, this is impossible, I am too bad," she thought.
— Welcome to tea. The prince now comes, — said, from behind the door the voice of a maid.
She woke up and was terrified about what she thought. And before going downwards, she got up, entered into the oratory and, directing at the illuminated lamp the black face of the image of the savior, stood before him a few minutes with stacked hands. In the soul of the Princess Marya was excruciating doubt. Is it possible for her to have the joy of love, the earthly love to man? In the thoughts about marriage Princess Marya dreamed of family happiness, and children, but the main, strongest and her hidden dream was earthly love. The stronger the feeling, the more she tried to hide it from another and even from herself. My God, — she said, — how to crush in my heart this thought of the devil? How I refuse so, forever against evil thoughts, so that to calmly enforce your free will? And barely did she make this question, as God was now responding for her in her own heart: "Do not wish anything for yourself; do not search, do not worry, do not envy. Future people and your fate should be unknown to you; yet live so, so that to be ready for all. If God will test you in anything in the responsibilities of marriage, be ready to perform his free will." With this sedative thought (but all the same with hope in her entrusted forbidden, earthly dreams) Princess Marya, sighed, crossed herself and went downwards, not thinking about her dress, or about her hairstyle, or about how she entered and what she would say. What could all this mean in comparison with the predestination of God, without whose commitment will not fall one hair from the head of a human.
335. Il nous arrive du monde, mon prince, (We arrive from the world, my prince,)
336. Son excellence le prince Kouraguine avec son fils, à ce que j’ai entendu dire? (His Excellency Prince Kuragin with his son, have I heard?)
337. mon père. (my father.)
338. merci, mon père. (thank you, my father.)
339. Ils sont arrivés, Marie, (They have arrived, Marie,)
340. Eh bien, et vous restez comme vous êtes, chère princesse? On va venir annoncer, que ces messieurs sont au salon; il faudra descendre, et vous ne faites pas un petit brin de toilette! (Well, and you stay as you are, dear princess? We will come to announce, that these gentlemen are in the living room; it will be necessary to descend, and you don't do a little strand of washing!)
341. ma bonne amie, (my good friend,)
342. Non, Marie, décidement ça ne vous va pas. Je vous aime mieux dans votre petite robe grise de tous les jours. Non, de grâce, faites cela pour moi. (No, Marie, decidedly that does not suit you. I like you best in your everyday little gray dress. No, please, do this for me.)
343. Voyons, chère princesse, encore un petit effort. (Let’s see, dear princess, one more little effort.)
344. Non, laissez-moi, (No, let me,)
345. Au moins changez de coiffure, Je vous disais, Marie a une de ces figures, auxquelles ce genre de coiffure ne va pas du tout. Mais du tout, du tout. Changez de grâce. (At least change your hairstyle, I told you, Marie has one of those figures, to which this kind of hairstyle does not go at all. Not at all, at all. Change it please.)
346. Laissez-moi, laissez-moi, tout ça m’est parfaitement égal, (Leave me, leave me, all this is perfectly equal to me,)
347. Vous changerez, n’est-ce pas? (You will change, won't you?)
Time: December of 1805 (Bell isn't specific about the year). Two weeks (Maude, Garnett, and Mandelker use fortnight) after the receipt of the letter. The following day at nine o'clock and then the evening.
Mentioned: the reigns of Paul and Alexander.
Locations: Lysyya Gory
Mentioned: St. Petersburg
Pevear and Volkhonsky: Lie about Anatole, he is coming from the army, not going to the army. Vassily is an example of someone who has been raised up in recent administrations, while Bolkonsky has cut himself off, so there is that obvious disdain but also totally different life paths. Again Bolkonsky is in a bad mood. Poor architect and the poor steward, who gets the brunt of Bolkonsky’s anger because he cleared the road. Princess Marya also cannot act correctly in these situations. No matter what happens, the prince complains. There is a contrast from earlier, when Marya told Bourienne not tell her if he was in a bad mood or not. Again the tossing of the plate and the catching of it, a detail that seems stranger than most.
Briggs: Prince Vasily takes Anatole to Bald Hills - a match for Princess Marya?
Maude: Prince Vasili and Anatole visit Prince Bolkonski. Princess Mary's appearance
Pevear and Volkhonsky (chapters 3-5): Prince Vassily and Anatole visit the old prince Bolkonsky at Bald Hills. The courting of Princess Marya. Anatole and Mlle Bourienne in the conservatory.
Translation:
III.
Old prince Nikolay Andreich Bolkonsky in December of the year 1805 received a letter from Prince Vasiliy, notifying him about his arrival together with his son. ("I am going on revision, and, of course, for me 100 versts is not a detour, so that to visit you, dear benefactor, — he wrote, — and Anatole escorts me and rides to the army; and I hope that you let me personally express to you that deep respect, which he, imitating his father, nourishes you".)
— Here Marie does not need to be taken out: grooms themselves ride to us, — careless said the small princess upon hearing about this is.
Prince Nikolay Andreich grimaced and said nothing.
In the two weeks after receiving the letter, at night, arrived the forward people of Prince Vasiliy, but on the following day arrived he himself with his son.
Old man Bolkonsky always had low opinions about the character of Prince Vasiliy, and by that more in the latter time, when Prince Vasiliy in the new reign of Paul and Alexander went a long way in ranks and honors. Now again, by the hints of the letter and the little princess, he got this business, and the low opinion of Prince Vasiliy passed in the soul of Prince Nikolay Andreich in a feeling of unfriendly contempt. He constantly snorted, talking about himself. In that day as Prince Vasiliy came, Prince Nikolay Andreich was especially displeased and not in spirit. Whether he was not in spirit because Prince Vasiliy was coming, or because he was especially displeased by the arrival Prince Vasiliy he was not in spirit; but he was not in spirit, and Tihon still in the morning advised the architect to enter with a report to prince.
— Hear how he goes, — said Tihon, turning the attention of the architect to the sounds of the steps of the prince. — On all heel steps — really we know...
However, as usual, at the 9th hour the prince got out to walk in his velvet coat with a stable collar and such the same hat. On the eve snow fell out. The path, by which Prince Nikolay Andreich went to the greenhouse, was cleared, traces of brooms were seen in the swept up snow, and a shovel was stuck in the loose embankment of snow, going from both parts of the track. The prince passed by the greenhouse, by the domestic servants and buildings, frowning and silent.
— But can they drive through in a sleigh? — he asked the seeing him off to home respectful, similar face and manners to the owner, manager.
— Deep snow, your excellency. I already said to have the avenue scattered.
The prince tipped his head and came up to the porch."Thank you, Lord, — thought the manager, — the cloud has flashed!"
— The drive through was difficult, your excellency, — added the manager. — as it was heard, your excellency, that a minister will grant to your excellency?
The prince turned to the manager and with frowning eyes stared at him.
— What? A minister? What minister? Who told you? — he began talking in his piercing, hard voice. — For the princesses, my daughter, it is not cleared, but for the minister! I have no ministers!
— Your excellency, I believed...
— You believed! — shouted the prince, all in haste and with incoherent negligent words. — You believed... robbers! Scumbags!... I will teach you to think, — and, holding up his stick, he swung it at Alpatych and would have stroked him, should the manager unwittingly not deviated from the blow. — Believed!... Scumbags!... he hastily shouted. Yet, despite this, Alpatych, himself frightened of his insolence — straying from his blow, approached to the prince, lowered before him his dutiful bald head, or, maybe, it was for the prince to shout: "Scumbags!...Cover the road!..." not raising another time his stick and running into the room.
Before dinner the princess and m-lle Bourienne, who knew that the prince was not in spirit, were standing, expecting him: m-lle Bourienne with her shining face, which said: "I know nothing, I am such the same, as always," and Princess Marya — pale, scared, with downward eyes. Only heavier for Princesses Marya was that she knew that in these cases she needed to act as m-lle Bourienne, but she could not do this. To her it seemed: "I do so as if I do not notice what he thinks, that in me is no empathy for him; I do so that I myself am boring and not in spirit, he will say (as this has happened), that I hang my nose", and so on.
The prince looked at the scared face of his daughter and snorted.
— Fo... or fool!... — he said.
"And no! Already she has gossiped," he thought about the little princess, who was not in the dining room.
— But where is the princess? — he asked. — Hiding?...
— She is not really healthy, — funnily smiling, said m-lle Bourienne, — She did not come. This is so understandable in her position.
— Ahem! Ahem! Hmm! Hmm! — spoke the prince sitting down behind the table.
His plate seemed not clean; he pointed out a blur and threw it. Tihon picked it up and delivered it to the barman. The small princess was not unhealthy; but she to such an extent was irresistibly afraid of the prince, that upon hearing about how he was not in spirit, she decided not to exit.
— I am afraid for the child, — she said to m-lle Bourienne, — God knows what may become from fright.
At all the small princess lived at Bald Mountains, she was constantly under the feeling of fear and antipathy to the old prince, which she did not recognize because that the fear so prevailed that she could not feel it. With all parties the prince was also antipathic, but she was drowned out in contempt. The princess, settled down in Bald Mountains, especially fell in love m-lle Bourienne, carried out her day with her, requested her to spend the night with herself and with her often talked about her father-in-law and judged him.
— To us ride visitors, prince,335 — said m-lle Bourienne, her own rosy hands deploying a white napkin. — His excellency Prince Kuragin with his son, how I have heard?336 — interrogatively she said.
— Ahem... this excellent boy... I defined him in college, — offendedly said the prince. — But the son what for, I cannot understand. Princess Lizaveta Karlovna and Princess Marya may know; I do not know why he carries the son here. I do not need it. — and he looked at his reddened daughter.
— Unhealthy, what for? From fear of the minister, as now this blockhead Alpatych said.
— No, father.337
So unsuccessfully hitting m-lle Bourienne in the subject of conversation, she did not stop and chatted about the greenhouse, about the beauty of a new blooming flower, and the prince after the soup softened.
After dinner he passed to his sister-in-law. The small princess sat behind a little table and chatted with Masha, the maid. She became pale seeing her father-in-law.
The small princess was extremely changed. She was rather bad, rather than good now. Her cheeks lowered, her lips went up, her eyes were covered down.
— Yes, that heaviness, — she answered to a question of the prince about how she felt.
— Not need something?
— No, thank you, father.338
— Well, okay, okay.
He got out and reached to the waiter. Alpatych, bending down his head, standing at the waiter.
— Covered the road?
— Covered, your excellency; forgive, for God, the nonsense.
The prince interrupted him and bursted out laughing in his unnatural laugh.
— Well, okay, okay.
He held out his hand, which was kissed by Alpatych, and passed into the office.
At night arrived Prince Vasiliy. He met on the avenue (the so called “prospect”) the coachman and waiters, with screaming transported his carriages and sleigh to the outhouse by the purposely covered with snow way.
Prince Vasiliy and Anatole were set aside in a separate room.
Anatole sat, removing his camisole and propping up his hands on their sides, before the table, in the corner which he, smiling, intently and absent-mindedly turned his beautiful large eyes. At all life he watched as in continuous amusement, which someone for such a reason pledged to arrange for him. So the same now he looked at his trip to the evil old man and to the rich ugly heiress. All this could be exited by his assumption, very okay and funny. "But from what again not to marry, if she is very rich? This is never prevented," thought Anatole.
He shaved, scented with thoroughness and panache, made his habit, and from birth his good-naturedly victorious expression, highly carried his beautiful head, entered into the room to his father. About Prince Vasiliy fussed his two valets, dressing him; he himself lively looked around himself and funnily nodded at the incoming son, as if he said: "So, so you and I are needed!"
— No, without jokes, father, is she extremely ugly? Ah? — in French he asked, as would a conversation not time guided while in travels.
— Fully, nonsense! The main business — try hard to be respectful and prudent with the old prince.
— Should he scold, I will leave, — said Anatole. — I these old people cannot stand. Ah?
— Remember, for you everything depends on this.
At this time in the girls not only was the famous arrival the minister with his son, but the outside view of them both was now in detail described. Princess Marya sat alone in her room and in vain tried to get over her internal excitement.
"What for they wrote, what for did Liza speak to me about this? Because this may not be! — she said to herself, looking at the mirror. — How can I come into the living room? Should he even like me, I could not be with him now by myself". Only the idea about the glance of her father led her to horror.
The small princess and m-lle Bourienne received now all the necessary intelligence from the maid Masha about this rosy, black brow beauty that was the ministerial son, and about how daddy with his forcible legs conducted on the stairs, but he, as an eagle, stepping by three stairs, ran behind by him. Receiving this intelligence, the small princess with m-lle Bourienne, still from the corridor was audible their own lively speaking voices, entered into the room of the princess.
—They have arrived, Marie,339 did you know? — said the small princess, waddling with her stomach and heavily lowering into the chair.
She already was not in that blouse in which she sat in the morning, and on her was one of her best dresses; her head was carefully cleaned up, and her face was revitalized, not hiding, however, the descended and dead shape of her face. In this outfit, in which she had usually been in societies in Petersburg, still more noticeable was how much she had turned up. On m-lle Bourienne too appeared now an unnoticed improvement of outfits, which imparted her pretty, fresh face still more attractiveness.
— Well, and you stay in what you were. — she began talking. — Now come say that they come out. I need to be going downwards, but you though should be a little-bit dressed up!340
The small princess went up from the chair, rang the maid and hastily and funnily began to invent an outfit for Princess Marya and to bring it to the entrusted. Princess Marya felt himself offended at the feeling of her own virtues that the arrival of the promised to her groom worried her, and still more she was offended by both of her friends and did not suppose that this could be otherwise. They talked as they were ashamed for her, this was meant to give them excitement; besides to refuse this dressing up, which was offered to her, would have led to long jokes and insisting. She flared up, her beautiful eyes went out, her face covered in specks and with that ugly expression of victims, more often only stopped at her face, she gave back power to m-lle Bourienne and Lise. Both women looked after completely sincerely about this so that to make her beautiful. She was so bad that one of them could not come with the idea about a rivalry with her; therefore they completely sincerely, with that naive and solid conviction of women that the outfit may make her face beautiful, began to do the dressing for her.
— No, right, my friend,341 this dress is no good, — said Liza, from afar sideways looking at the princess: — Give lead, in there is your mask. Right! What the same, because this, maybe, the fate of life is decided. But this is too light, no good, no, no good!
No good was not the dress, but the face and all the figure of the princess, but this was not felt by m-lle Bourienne and the small princess; they all seemed that if to put a blue ribbon to the hair, combed it up, and released the blue scarf from the brown dress and so on, that all will okay. They forgot that the scared face and figure could not be changed, because as they or modified the frame and decoration of this face, her face stayed pitiful and ugly. After two or three changes, which were dutifully obeyed by Princess Marya, at that moment, as she was combed up (the hairstyle, completely cheated and spoiled her face), in a blue scarf and mask of a smart dress, the small princess two times walked around her, her little hand straightened here a crease in the dress, there jerked the scarf and looked, bowing her head, that from that, that from other parts.
— No, this cannot be, — she said resolutely, splashing out her hands. — No, Marie, this resolutely is not going to you. I better love you in your grayish daily dress; please do this for me.342 Katya, — she told the maid, — bring the princess the gray dress, and look, m-lle Bourienne, how I will arrange this, — she said with a smile of anticipation of artistic joys.
But when Katya brought the required dress, Princess Marya still all sat before the mirror, looking at her face, and in the mirror saw that in her eyes were tears, and that her mouth trembled, getting ready to sob.
— Well, princess, — said m-lle Bourienne, — more small effort.343
The small princess, taking the dress from the hands of the maid, fit it to Princess Marya.
— No, now this will simply do nicely, — she said.
Her voice, m-lle Bourienne and Kati, which about something laughed, blended into a fun babble, similar to singing birds.
— No, leave me,344 — said the princess.
And her voice was heard with such seriousness and misery that the babble of birds immediately again fell silent. They looked at the large, beautiful eyes, full of tears and thought, clearly and watched pleadingly at them, and understood how to insist useless and even cruelly.
— At least change the hairstyle. — said the small princess. —I say to you, — with reproach she said, turning to m-lle Bourienne, — that in Marie one thing of those persons, which this kind hairstyle is a total no. Change, please.345
— Leave me, I don’t care,346 — was the response of the voice, barely holding tears.
M-lle Bourienne and the small princess must have been admitting to themselves that Princess Marya in this was looking very bad, worse than always; but it was already late. She watched them with that expression, which they knew was an expression of thought and sadness. This expression did not inspire in them fear for Princess Marya. (This feeling she could not inspire in anyone.) But they knew that now on her face appeared this expression, she was silent and unshakable in her decisions.
— Whether or not you’ll really change?347 — said Liza, and now Princess Marya answered with nothing, Liza exited from the room.
Princess Marya left alone. She did not carry out the willingness of Lise and not only did not change hairstyles, but did not look at herself in the mirror. She powerlessly lowered her eyes and hands, silently sitting and thinking. Her presented husband, a man, strong, prevailing and unclearly attractive being, carrying her suddenly to his completely different, happy world. Her child, such as the one which she saw yesterday in the daughter of her nurse, — presented to her at her own breast. Her husband was standing and tenderly watching her and the child. "But no, this is impossible, I am too bad," she thought.
— Welcome to tea. The prince now comes, — said, from behind the door the voice of a maid.
She woke up and was terrified about what she thought. And before going downwards, she got up, entered into the oratory and, directing at the illuminated lamp the black face of the image of the savior, stood before him a few minutes with stacked hands. In the soul of the Princess Marya was excruciating doubt. Is it possible for her to have the joy of love, the earthly love to man? In the thoughts about marriage Princess Marya dreamed of family happiness, and children, but the main, strongest and her hidden dream was earthly love. The stronger the feeling, the more she tried to hide it from another and even from herself. My God, — she said, — how to crush in my heart this thought of the devil? How I refuse so, forever against evil thoughts, so that to calmly enforce your free will? And barely did she make this question, as God was now responding for her in her own heart: "Do not wish anything for yourself; do not search, do not worry, do not envy. Future people and your fate should be unknown to you; yet live so, so that to be ready for all. If God will test you in anything in the responsibilities of marriage, be ready to perform his free will." With this sedative thought (but all the same with hope in her entrusted forbidden, earthly dreams) Princess Marya, sighed, crossed herself and went downwards, not thinking about her dress, or about her hairstyle, or about how she entered and what she would say. What could all this mean in comparison with the predestination of God, without whose commitment will not fall one hair from the head of a human.
335. Il nous arrive du monde, mon prince, (We arrive from the world, my prince,)
336. Son excellence le prince Kouraguine avec son fils, à ce que j’ai entendu dire? (His Excellency Prince Kuragin with his son, have I heard?)
337. mon père. (my father.)
338. merci, mon père. (thank you, my father.)
339. Ils sont arrivés, Marie, (They have arrived, Marie,)
340. Eh bien, et vous restez comme vous êtes, chère princesse? On va venir annoncer, que ces messieurs sont au salon; il faudra descendre, et vous ne faites pas un petit brin de toilette! (Well, and you stay as you are, dear princess? We will come to announce, that these gentlemen are in the living room; it will be necessary to descend, and you don't do a little strand of washing!)
341. ma bonne amie, (my good friend,)
342. Non, Marie, décidement ça ne vous va pas. Je vous aime mieux dans votre petite robe grise de tous les jours. Non, de grâce, faites cela pour moi. (No, Marie, decidedly that does not suit you. I like you best in your everyday little gray dress. No, please, do this for me.)
343. Voyons, chère princesse, encore un petit effort. (Let’s see, dear princess, one more little effort.)
344. Non, laissez-moi, (No, let me,)
345. Au moins changez de coiffure, Je vous disais, Marie a une de ces figures, auxquelles ce genre de coiffure ne va pas du tout. Mais du tout, du tout. Changez de grâce. (At least change your hairstyle, I told you, Marie has one of those figures, to which this kind of hairstyle does not go at all. Not at all, at all. Change it please.)
346. Laissez-moi, laissez-moi, tout ça m’est parfaitement égal, (Leave me, leave me, all this is perfectly equal to me,)
347. Vous changerez, n’est-ce pas? (You will change, won't you?)
Time: December of 1805 (Bell isn't specific about the year). Two weeks (Maude, Garnett, and Mandelker use fortnight) after the receipt of the letter. The following day at nine o'clock and then the evening.
Mentioned: the reigns of Paul and Alexander.
Locations: Lysyya Gory
Mentioned: St. Petersburg
Pevear and Volkhonsky: Lie about Anatole, he is coming from the army, not going to the army. Vassily is an example of someone who has been raised up in recent administrations, while Bolkonsky has cut himself off, so there is that obvious disdain but also totally different life paths. Again Bolkonsky is in a bad mood. Poor architect and the poor steward, who gets the brunt of Bolkonsky’s anger because he cleared the road. Princess Marya also cannot act correctly in these situations. No matter what happens, the prince complains. There is a contrast from earlier, when Marya told Bourienne not tell her if he was in a bad mood or not. Again the tossing of the plate and the catching of it, a detail that seems stranger than most.
“The little princess lived at Bald Hills under a constant feeling of fear and antipathy for the old prince, though she was not aware of the antipathy, because the fear was so predominant.”
When the prince actually is kind, or tries to be, it only comes off as “unnatural”.
Anatole: “He looked upon his whole life as a ceaseless entertainment, which somebody for some reason had taken it upon himself to arrange for him.”
He wonders if Marya is ugly and says he can’t stand old men, but Vassily believes everything depends on this. For Marya: “it was still more noticeable how far she had lost her good looks.” As in the detail about Sonya at age 20 later in
the novel, Tolstoy really seems to believe that women lose their looks very young (on one hand, this could be a creepy sexism of Tolstoy or; people would age much faster back then).
the novel, Tolstoy really seems to believe that women lose their looks very young (on one hand, this could be a creepy sexism of Tolstoy or; people would age much faster back then).
She is actually excited but feels guilty about her excitement. The big thing is the parallel between her, who will overcome, and Pierre, who did not overcome. “She was so plain that the thought of rivalry with her did not occur to either of
them; they therefore undertook to dress her up in all sincerity, with that naive and firm conviction of women that clothes can make a face beautiful.”
them; they therefore undertook to dress her up in all sincerity, with that naive and firm conviction of women that clothes can make a face beautiful.”
“Why, this may just be the deciding of your fate in life.”
Tolstoy is ruthless about her looks.
She cannot scare anyone, but she can be resolute and unchanging.
Has very traditional imagination, man taking her away, having a baby, but then says it isn’t for her (similar to Pierre saying Helene isn’t for him).
Her pep talk: “The future of people and your own fate must be unknown to you; but live so as to be ready for anything.”
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 *):
Prince Nikolai Andreitch Bolkonsky
Prince Vasili Kuragin
Anatol
Princess Mariye (also “Marie”)
Liza, the little princess (also “Lizavieta Karlovna”, as in Dole. “Lisaveta Karlovna” in Dunnigan and Garnett. Edmonds just uses “Princess Lisa”. “Princess Elizabeth” in Maude and Mandelker. “Liza Karlovna” in Wiener. “Elizabeth
Carlovna” in Bell. “Princess Lizaveta” in Briggs)
Carlovna” in Bell. “Princess Lizaveta” in Briggs)
Emperor Paul
Emperor Alexander
Tikhon
Mikhail Ivanovitch (just “architect”, though Bell puts last name in as a reminder)
Alpatuitch (as in Dole. “Alpatych” in Wiener, Briggs, and Maude. “Alpatitch” in Bell and Garnett. “an overseer” in Dole and Maude. “superintendent” in Wiener. “Steward” in Bell, Briggs, and Garnett.)
Mlle. Bourienne
Masha (the little princess’s “maid”)
Katya (another maid. Bell offers alternative reading in “Katia”)
(also servants and two valets)
Abridged Versions: Edmonds puts a line break between “Heaven knows what a fright might do” and “The little princess, in fact, lived at Bald Hills”
No break of any kind in Bell to signify chapter change.
Gibian: Chapter 2.
Gibian: Chapter 2.
Fuller: Entire chapter is cut
Komroff: Tikhon and the architect are cut. The dressing up of Mary is slightly shortened and her reflective portion towards the end is pretty significantly shortened.
Kropotkin: Tikhon and the architect are cut. The rest of the chapter seems pretty well preserved.
Bromfield: Chapter 2: Prince Bolkonsky directly scolds Mikhail Ivanovich in the narration and the conversation the latter has with Tikhon is not there. Rest seems same. No chapter or line break.
Simmons: Chapter 2: entire chapter is cut and replaced with "Prince Vasili and his son Anatole arrive at Bald Hills with the intention of offering marriage to Princess Mary. Her father suspects the sincerity of the
handsome but unscrupulous Anatole. Lise and Mlle. Bourienne attempt to improve Mary's appearance; her feelings alternate between hopefulness and fear."
Simmons: Chapter 2: entire chapter is cut and replaced with "Prince Vasili and his son Anatole arrive at Bald Hills with the intention of offering marriage to Princess Mary. Her father suspects the sincerity of the
handsome but unscrupulous Anatole. Lise and Mlle. Bourienne attempt to improve Mary's appearance; her feelings alternate between hopefulness and fear."
Additional notes: I find the Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky sections of the novel the most cartoonish. Perhaps it is because his character traits are so outlandish and exaggerated, but he feels a little less like a real
"character" and more of a caricature than even the outright comical character of Ilya Rostov. One could perhaps argue that undercuts some of the sadness of his death (his tyranny over his daughter affecting
the way his death is portrayed is another matter entirely) or perhaps the argument can go the other way and shows how the invasion of Russia turns the mood of the novel toward a more serious direction.
Either way, the constant throwing of plates and the servants dodging his blows creates an entirely more cartoonic image than the other settings in the novel.
Montefiore: Page 230: “Paul...While capable of rational political plans, aesthetic taste and chivalrous generosity, he was aslso so morose and hysterical, prone to foam-flecked rages, and tormented by the
memory of his murdered father. He had nightmares about Peter the Great in which his great-grandfather warned “poor Paul” that he would die young.”
Tolstoy's Letters (Christian): Page 264: “It’s particularly shocking and pathetic to someone who is able to understand the Russian’s forbearance and humility in suffering--his calmness, and submissiveness.
There’s no good food--well, there’s no point in complaining. If he dies--it’s God’s will. They aren’t sheep, but good, strong oxen ploughing their furrow. If they fall--they’ll be dragged away, and others will pull the plough.”
"character" and more of a caricature than even the outright comical character of Ilya Rostov. One could perhaps argue that undercuts some of the sadness of his death (his tyranny over his daughter affecting
the way his death is portrayed is another matter entirely) or perhaps the argument can go the other way and shows how the invasion of Russia turns the mood of the novel toward a more serious direction.
Either way, the constant throwing of plates and the servants dodging his blows creates an entirely more cartoonic image than the other settings in the novel.
Montefiore: Page 230: “Paul...While capable of rational political plans, aesthetic taste and chivalrous generosity, he was aslso so morose and hysterical, prone to foam-flecked rages, and tormented by the
memory of his murdered father. He had nightmares about Peter the Great in which his great-grandfather warned “poor Paul” that he would die young.”
Tolstoy's Letters (Christian): Page 264: “It’s particularly shocking and pathetic to someone who is able to understand the Russian’s forbearance and humility in suffering--his calmness, and submissiveness.
There’s no good food--well, there’s no point in complaining. If he dies--it’s God’s will. They aren’t sheep, but good, strong oxen ploughing their furrow. If they fall--they’ll be dragged away, and others will pull the plough.”
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