Book 2 Part 5 Chapter 7 (Chapter 149 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: Count Ilya Andreyevitch and Natasha call on Prince Bolkonsky's. Natasha misinterpreted. The count beats an inglorious retreat. The old prince appears. Natasha's humiliation.
Briggs: The Rostovs call on the Bolkonskys. Disastrous relationships.
Maude: Count Rostov and Natasha call on Prince Bolkonski. They are received by Princess Mary. Prince Bolkonsky's strange behaviour. Mary and Natasha dislike one another.
Pevear and Volkhonsky: The count and Natasha call on Prince Bolkonsky.

Translation:

VII. On the next day, by the advice of Marya Dmitrievna, Count Ilya Andreich went with Natasha to Prince Nikolay Andreich. The count with a sad heart was going on this visit: in his soul was fear. The last appointment in the time of the militia, when the count in answer to his invitation to dinner listened to the hot reprimand for the failure to deliver people, was memorable to Count Ilya Andreich. Natasha, dressed in her best dress, was oppositely in the most fun location of spirit ."It may not be for them to not fall in love with me, — she thought: — I am always loved by all. And I am so ready to do all for them that they wish, so ready to fall in love with him — for that he is the father, but her for that she is the sister, what for can they not fall in love with me!" They pulled up to the old gloomy home on Vzdvizhenka and entered into the canopy. — Well, Lord bless us, — spoke the count, half-jokingly, half-seriously; but Natasha noticed that her father hastened, entered into the hall, and timidly, quietly asked, whether the prince and princess were at home. After the report about their arrival between the maidservant of the prince confusion happened. The lackey, running to report about them, was stopped by another lackey in the hall and they whispered about something. In the hall ran out a maid girl, who hastily also said something, mentioning the princess. Finally one old, with an angry look lackey got out and reported to Rostov that the prince may not accept them, but the princess asked them to herself. The first towards the guests entered m-lle Bourienne. She especially courteously met father and daughter and carried them out to the princess. The princess with a thrilled, scared and covered red specks on her face ran out, heavily stepping towards the guests, and in vain tried to seem free and hearty. Natasha from first sight did not like Princess Marya. She to her seemed too smart, frivolously-fun and vain. Princess Marya did not know that before she saw her future sister-in-law, she already was badly located by her involuntary envy to her beauty, youth and happiness and by jealousy to the love of her brother. Besides this irresistible feeling of antipathies to her, Princess Marya in this moment was excited more by how at the report about the arrival of the Rostovs, the prince shouted that he did not need them, that let Princess Marya accept them, if she wants to, but that to not let them to him. Princess Marya decided to accept the Rostovs, but all the time was afraid that the prince would do some kind of trick, as he seemed very thrilled by the arrival of the Rostovs. — Well here, I to you, pretty princess, have brought my songstress, — said the count, barking and anxiously looking back, as if he was afraid, whether the old prince would rise. — Really how I am glad that you flew... it is a pity, a pity that the prince is all unwell, — and saying a few more common phrases, he got up. — Should you let me, princess, for a quarter an hour to your estimate leave my Natasha, I would go from here two steps, to the Doggy grounds, to Anna Semenovna, and will call for her. Ilya Andreich thought up this diplomatic cunning so that to give spaciousness to the future sister-in-law to explain with her sister-in-law (as he said this after to his daughter) and more so to avoid the opportunity of meeting with the prince, whom he was afraid of. He did not say this to his daughter, but Natasha understood this fear and anxiety of her father and felt herself offended. She blushed for her father, still more angered for that she blushed and with a bold, defiant look, which spoke about how she was afraid of nobody, looked at the princess. The princess told the count that she was very happy to and asked him only to stay longer at Anna Semenovna’s, and Ilya Andreich left. М-llе Bourienne, despite her anxiety, threw her looks at Princess Marya, willing with eye to eye to talk with Natasha, did not exit from the room and held a firm conversation about Moscow pleasures and theaters. Natasha was offended by the confusion that happened in the front, the anxiety of her father and the unnatural tone of the princess, who — to her it seemed — did an act of mercy by taking her. And because of this all of her was unpleasant. Princess Marya she did not like. She seemed to her very bad by herself, feigned and dry. Natasha suddenly morally cringed and accepted unwittingly such a careless tone, which still more repelled from her Princess Marya. After five minutes of heavy, feigned conversation, was heard approaching quick steps on shoes. The face of Princess Marya expressed fright, the door of the room opened and the prince entered in a white cap and smock. — Ah, madam, — he began talking, — madam, countess... Countess Rostov, if I am not mistaken... I beg you to excuse, to excuse... I did not know, madam. God sees I did not know that you honored us by visiting, to my daughter I called for in such a costume. I beg you to excuse... God sees I did not know, — he repeated so not naturally, hitting on the word God and so unpleasantly that Princess Marya stood with lowered eyes, not daring to take a look at her father, or at Natasha. Natasha, getting up and sitting down, also did not know what to do. Only m-llе Bourienne nicely smiled. — I beg you to excuse, I beg you to excuse! God sees I did not know, — grumbled the old man and, examining from the head to thel feet Natasha, got out. М-llе Bourienne was the first to find themselves after this occurrence and began a conversation about the ill health of the prince. Natasha and Princess Marya silently looked at each other, and then for longer they silently looked at each other, not expressing what they needed to express, by that more unfriendly they thought about each other. When the count returned, Natasha disrespectfully gladdened at him and hurried to leave: she almost hated in this moment this old dry princess, which could put her in such an awkward position and conduct with her for half an hour, saying nothing about Prince Andrey. "Because I could not already start speaking about him with this Frenchwoman," — thought Natasha. Princess Marya between that was tormented by that very same. She knew that she needed to talk to Natasha, but she could not do this because of how m-lle Bourienne hindered her, and because of how she herself did not know from what it was so heavy to start speaking about this marriage. When now the count went out from the room, Princess Marya with fast steps came up to Natasha, took her behind the hand and, heavily sighing, said: "Wait, me need to..." Natasha mockingly, herself not knowing about what, watched Princess Marya. — Pretty Natalie, — said Princess Marya, — Know that I am happy that my brother has found happiness... — she stopped, feeling that she spoke an untruth. Natasha noticed this stop and guessed the cause of it. — I think, princess, that now it is uncomfortable to speak about that, — said Natasha with an outside quality and coldness and with tears, which she felt in her throat. "What have I said, what have I done!" she thought, as she alone exited from the room. For long were they waiting on this day for Natasha to dinner. She sat in her room and sobbed, as a child, blowing her nose and sobbing. Sonya stood above her and kissed her hair. — Natasha, what are you about? — she said. — What for you is their business? All will pass, Natasha. — No, should you have known, how this is a shame... I exactly... — Do not say this, Natasha, because you are not to blame, so what for you is this business? Kiss me, — said Sonya. Natasha raised her head, and on the lips kissed her friend, pressing to her her wet face. — I cannot say, I do not know. No one is to blame, — said Natasha, — I am to blame. Yet all this hurt is terrible. Ah, how does he not ride!... She with red eyes exited to dinner. Marya Dmitrievna, who knew about how the prince accepted the Rostovs, made a view that she did not notice the disturbed face of Natasha and firmly and loudly joked behind the table with the count and other guests.

Time: the next day, five minutes, half an hour
Mentioned: fifteen minutes (quarter of an hour in Pevear and Volkhonsky, Mandelker, and Maude),

Locations: Prince Bolkonsky's house on the Vzdvizhenka (Vozdvizhenka in Maude, Dunnigan, and Briggs). It is implied that the end of the chapter takes place at the Rostovs' since Natasha is in her room.
Mentioned: Dog Square (Dogs' Square in Garnett, Briggs, and Mandelker. Cut in Dole. immediate neighborhood in Bell.), Moscow, Frenchwoman

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Count Rostov goes to see Prince Bolkonsky. He is of course scared to see him, not least of why because of his previous failure to provide troops. However, the meeting that really happens is between Princess Marya and Natasha. "Princess Marya disliked Natasha at first sight. She seemed to her too well dressed, flightily merry, and vain."

Prince Bolkonsky is clearly hiding because he doesn't want to see them.

Natasha "did not like Princess Marya. She found her very plain, affected, and dry."

The prince comes in wearing his dressing gown and pretends to not know they are there. Line break after "as soon as she left the room."

Chapter ends with Natasha and Sonya's reaction at dinner, when they are already back, to how they were treated by the Bolkonskys.

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 *):

Marya Dmitrievna

Count Ilya Andreyitch (also “father”)

Natasha (also “future sister-in-law”, “Countess Rostova”, “Nathalie”, and “little songstress”)

Prince Nikolai (“Prince Bolkonsky”, “father”, and “old prince”)

Mademoiselle Bourienne (also “Frenchwoman”)

Princess Mariya (also “sister”)

Anna Semyonovna (as in Dole, Garnett, and Dunnigan. “...Semeonovna” in Edmonds. “...Semenovna” in Maude and Weiner. Bell drops the name.)

Prince Andrei (also “brother”)

Sonya

(also footmen and a chambermaid)

Abridged Versions: End of Chapter 18 for Bell.
Gibian: Chapter 7.

Fuller: Chapter is preserved and followed by a break.

Komroff: Chapter breaks off before the last paragraph, with a line break, before Natasha acts joyfully at the dinner.

Kropotkin: Chapter is preserved and end of chapter 4.

Bromfield: Count Rostov’s nervousness at seeing the old prince is not here. More importantly, despite the old prince’s interruption, Marya and Natasha actually bond and promise to see each other again. End of chapter 11.
Simmons: Chapter 7: The act of them pulling up to the Bolkonsky house, as well as the very end when Natasha actually goes to dinner, is removed.

Edmundson: Act Three Scene Six: Natasha tells Mlle B in the conversation that she is visiting the opera that night. The rest of the scene plays basically as it does in the book.

Additional Notes: Especially for a modern reader, the embarrassing entrance of the Old Prince will seem bizarre and perhaps in a way too tame to get the reaction that it receives from the characters in the novel (for

instance, it is not that he is naked). What it does do is it meshes with the tone of the entire chapter as nothing about the early visit goes the way it is supposed to (they are not greeted at the door, Natasha is not left

alone with Marya, the tone is cold and formal unlike the gatherings at the Rostovs, etc). In War and Peace (unlike really any of his other works), Tolstoy often uses societal norms being broken (such as servants

not behaving the way they should, unnecessary rudeness, etc) to show that things are not right (one could argue that this goes with his later arguments of "the spirit of the troops", i.e, when the "lower" people act

as if something is off, that is because something is off). This idea is subverted in Resurrection and Ivan Ilyich as Nekhlyudov's early emphasis on societal norms is shown to be a flaw in his character and even

though Ivan Ilyich dies, societal norms continue.

Marya and Natasha never fully get over their disagreement that happens here, even though they become best friends in Book 4. This is especially shown in the epilogue as their two different ways of looking

at the world is contrasted in their conversations with their husbands. Even though Natasha changes drastically in the epilogue, this tension between he two (probably partly driven by the way Marya's self-

consciousness about her looks), the two seem to inevitably clash against each other without any outright arguments.

Massie: Page 309: 1700...Civil landowners were required to send the Tsar one serf recruit for every fifty serf households in their possession....The new soldiers were uniformed on the German model."