Book 2 Part 5 Chapter 21 (Chapter 163 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Prince Andrei's return. Speransky's banishment. M. Dessalles. Prince Andrei sends back Natasha's letters. His excitement.
Briggs: Natasha takes poison. Andrey is now back. Pierre goes to see him.
Maude: Natasha tries to poison herself. Prince Andrew returns to Moscow and Pierre talks to him
Pevear and Volokhonsky: Natasha's despair. Rumors. Prince Andrei comes to Moscow and learns everything. Meets Pierre coldly and asks him to return Natasha's letters and portrait to her.

Translation:

XXI. Pierre went to Marya Dmitrievna, so that to report about the performance of her desires — about the exile of Kuragin from Moscow. All the house was in fear and agitation. Natasha was very sick, and, as Marya Dmitrievna under secret told him, she on that same night, as to her it was announced that Anatole was married, was poisoned with arsenic, which she quietly got. Swallowing it a little, she was so scared that she woke up Sonya and declared to her that what she did. In time were accepted the necessary steps against the poison, and now she was beyond danger; but all the same so weak that it could not be to think to carry her to the village and the countess was sent for. Pierre saw the confused count and the crying Sonya, but could not see Natasha. Pierre on this day lunched at the club and with all parties heard conversations about the tried abduction of Rostova and with tenacity refuted these conversations, assuring all that there was nothing more, as only that his brother-in-law made a proposal to Rostova and received a failure. To Pierre it seemed that it was in his responsibility to hide all the business and restore the reputation of Rostova. He with fear saw the return of Prince Andrey and every day drove in visiting him at the old prince’s. Prince Nikolay Andreich knew through m-lle Bourienne all the gossip which went by the city, and read that note to Princess Marya in which Natasha refused her groom. He seemed more fun than ordinary and with a big impatience saw his son. A few days after the departure of Anatole, Pierre received a note from Prince Andrey, notifying him about his arrival and asking Pierre to call to him. Prince Andrey, having arrived in Moscow, at the first moment of his arrival received from his father the note of Natasha to Princess Marya in which she refused her groom (this note was stolen in Princess Marya’s and delivered to the prince by m-lle Bourienne) and heard from his father with additions stories about the abduction of Natasha. Prince Andrey had arrived the night before. Pierre had arrived to him the next morning. Pierre seeing Prince Andrey was found in almost the same position which he was with Natasha, and because of this he was surprised, when, entering into the living room, he heard from the office the loud voice of Prince Andrey, lively speaking something about some Petersburg intrigue. The old prince and some different voice occasionally interrupted him. Princess Marya exited towards Pierre. She sighed, pointing her eyes to the door where Prince Andrey was, apparently wishing to express her empathy to his grief; but Pierre saw by the face of Princess Marya that she was happy to what had happened, and to how her brother accepted the news about the treason of his bride. — He said that he saw this, — she said. — I know that his pride will not allow him to express his feelings, but all the same it is better, much better he carried this, than I had awaited. It is seen, so it must be... — But is it really completely all over? — said Pierre. Princess Marya with surprise looked at him. She did not even understand how it could be to ask about this. Pierre entered into the office. Prince Andrey, quite changed, obviously recovered, but with a new, transverse wrinkle between his eyebrows, in civilian dress, stood against his father and Prince Mershchersky and hotly argued, making energetic gestures. The speech went about Speransky, the news about the sudden link and his imaginary treason that had only reached to Moscow. — Now judge and blame him (Speransky) all those that a month to that backwards delighted in him, — spoke Prince Andrey, — and those that were not in the condition to understand his goals. They judge a man in disgrace very easily and load up on him all the mistakes of others; but I say that if something good was done in the current reign, then all good was done by him — by him alone... — he stopped, seeing Pierre. His face trembled and immediately again had accepted an evil expression. — And posterity will give him back justice, — he finished talking, and immediately again turned to Pierre. — Well, you are so? All getting fat, — he spoke lively, but again the emerging wrinkle still deeper cut out on his forehead. — Yes, I am healthy, — was his response to the question of Pierre and he grinned. To Pierre it was clear that his grin said: "healthy, but my health is not needed by anyone." He said a few words with Pierre about the terrible road from the boundary of Poland, about how he met in Switzerland people who knew Pierre, about master Desala, whom he as an educator for his son brought from behind the border, and Prince Andrey again with fervor intervened in the conversation about Speransky, continued between the older two. — Should it have been treason there would have been evidence of his secret relations with Napoleon and they would have been publicly declared, — with fervor and haste he spoke. — I personally do not love and did not love Speransky, but I love justice. — Pierre found now in his friend his too familiar need to worry and argue about cases alien for himself only so that to drown himself in too heavy sincere thoughts. When Prince Meshchersky left, Prince Andrey took under the arm of Pierre and invited him into the room which was taken for him. In the room was a visibly broken bed, disclosed suitcases and a chest. Prince Andrey came up to one of them and took out a casket. From the caskets he took out a bundle of paper. He did all silently and very fast. He rose and cleared his throat. His face was frowning and his lips were tucked in. — I am sorry, if I am bothering you... — Pierre got that Prince Andrey wanted to speak about Natasha, and his broad face expressed regret and empathy. This expression of the face of Pierre angered Prince Andrey; he resolutely, loudly and unpleasantly continued: — I received failure from Countess Rostova, and to me reached gossip about the seeking of her hand by your brother-in-law, or to the like of that. Whether this really is? — Really and not really, — started Pierre; but Prince Andrey interrupted him. — Here are her letters and portrait, — he said. He took the bundle from the desk and delivered it to Pierre. — Give this back to the countess... should you see her. — She is very sick, — said Pierre. — So she is still here? — said Prince Andrey. — But Prince Kuragin? — he asked quickly. — He a long time ago left. She was at death... — I am very sorry about her disease, — said Prince Andrey. He coldly, evilly, unpleasantly, as his father, grinned. — Yet sir Kuragin, has not honored his hand to Countess Rostova? — said Prince Andrey. He snorted his nose a few times. — He could not marry because of how he was married, — said Pierre. Prince Andrey unpleasantly bursted out laughing, again reminding him of his father. — But where again is he now located, your brother-in-law, if I can know? — he said. — He left to Peter... however I do not know, — said Pierre. — Well, yes this is all care, — said Prince Andrey. — Deliver to Countess Rostova that she was and is completely free, and that I want her only to be better. Pierre took in his hand the bundle of papers. Prince Andrey, as if remembering whether or not he needed to say something more or expecting whether or not Pierre would say something, stopped to look and watch him. — Listen, do you remember our dispute in Petersburg, — said Pierre, — remember about...? — Remember, — hasty was the response of Prince Andrey, — I spoke that a fallen woman needed to be forgiven, but I did not speak that I can forgive. I cannot. — Can you not compare this?... — said Pierre. Prince Andrey interrupted him. He abruptly shouted: — Yes, again to ask for her hand, to be generous, and like that?... Yes, this is very noble, but I am not capable of going in the footprints of this gentlemen.561 — Should you want to be my friend, do not talk with me ever about this... about all this. Well, goodbye. So will you deliver?.. Pierre got out and went to the old prince and Princess Marya. The old man seemed livelier than ordinary. Princess Marya was such the same as always, but from behind her empathy to her brother, Pierre saw in her joy to that the wedding of her brother was upset. Looking at them, Pierre got what contempt and malice they all had against the Rostovs, got that it could not be at them to even mention that name who could for anyone or anything exchange Prince Andrey. Behind dinner speeches came in about the war, the approximation of which had now become obvious. Prince Andrey not silently spoke and argued with his father, then with Desala, the Swiss educator, and seemed livelier than ordinary, by that revival, whose moral cause so well was known by Pierre. 561 sur les brisées de monsieur (on the broken of the mister)
Time: a few days after the departure of Anatole, evening, following morning, dinner

Locations: Marya Dmitrievna's house, the Bolkonski's house
Mentioned: Moscow, the country, St. Petersburg, Polish, Switzerland (also Swiss)

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Natasha has poisoned herself, swallowing arsenic, then becoming scared, and not going all the way with it.

The news of the broken engagement picks up Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky. Princess Marya is also happy.

Prince Andrei finally returns. He is healthier and doesn't seem to be upset over the broken engagement.

Reference to Speransky's exile. Andrei: "It's very easy to judge a man in disgrace and shift the mistakes of others onto him; but I say that if there was anything good done during his reign, it was done by him--by him alone...
Personally I don't like and have never liked Speransky, but I do like justice."

"Pierre now recognized in his friend the all too familiar need to worry and argue about things extraneous to him, only in order to stifle his all too painful innermost thoughts."

Repeatedly in the chapter, Andrei is described as being like his father. He gives Pierre Natasha's letters and her picture. He makes Pierre promise to not talk about it again.

"Over dinner the talk turned to the war, the approach of which was becoming obvious."

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

Marya Dmitrievna

Natasha (also “Countess Rostova”)

Anatol Kuragin (also “brother-in-law”, “Mr. Kuragin”, and “Prince Kuragin”)

Sonya

Count Rostof (“count”)

Countess Rostova (“countess”)

Prince Andrei (also “son” and “brother”)

Prince Nikolai Andreyitch (also “old prince” and “father”)

Mademoiselle Bourienne (could argue whether she is mentioned or a character in the chapter)

Princess Mariya (also “sister”)

Prince Meshchersky (as in Dole and Briggs. “Meshtchersky” in Garnett. “Meshcherski” in Wiener. “Mestchersky” in Bell.)

Speransky

Mr. Dessalles (Dunnigan and Edmonds use Monsieur. The Swiss tutor. Wiener spells it “Desalles”.)

Napoleon

Abridged Versions: No break in Bell.
Gibian: Chapter 21.

Fuller: The discussion about Speransky and the Prince Meschersky section is removed, getting directly from Andrei’s arrival and Pierre going to visit him to their conversation about Natasha and Anatole. That conversation
is slightly shorter and the chapter ends without the final two paragraphs about the old prince and Mr. Dessalles. Line break.

Komroff: Some details, such as the final paragraph, are removed, but most of the chapter is preserved and followed by a line break.

Kropotkin: Chapter 15: the discussion about Speransky is cut. Rest of the chapter is preserved.
Simmons: Chapter 21: the Speranski section is shortened. The dinner that ends the chapter is also removed.

Edmundson: Act Three Scene 13: Of course there is no Speransky, but Andrei firmly talks about how they will stop Napoleon.

Additional Notes: Although searches for arsenic in the 19th century will bring up a plethora of sensational articles about how it was used for murder, there were cases of young women taking arsenic on purpose in

order to commit suicide after altercations with men.

Prince Andrei's remark that posterity will give justice to Speransky is somewhat ironic due to Tolstoy's overall portrayal of him (which, unstated, but in my opinion stems a lot from his role in sentencing the Decembrists),

but also in the way that Speransky himself, as he came back into favor, distanced himself from the very projects that has him positively remembered in history.

Breunig: Page 245: “Whatever additional reforms Speranski undertook resulted from his thorough familiarity with russia’s bureauracy, and tended toward improving the efficiency of its operation. Even if Napoleon had

not invaded Russia in 1812, it is doubtful whether Speranski would have remained in office much longer. For in an effort to meet the serious financial crisis from which the Russian government was suffering, he

proposed financial reforms and new taxes that aroused the bitter antagonism of the landed nobility. Branded a “Russian Jacobin” by his opponents...In St. Petersburg, however, the nobility of an older generation--

some of whom had been associated with Tsar Paul’s government--recovered influence, particularly after 1815, and the regime became increasingly repressive”