Briggs: A young relative arrives at the Rostovs'. Mavra gives him money.
Pevear and Volokhonsky: Mavra Kuzminishna helps a Rostov relative.
Time: undefined, see previous chapter
Mentioned: yesterday, one little minute
Translation:
XXII.
In most of the city between that was empty. By the street was almost nobody. The gates and shops all were locked up; somewhere about the taverns was heard lonely shouting or drunk singing. No one drove by the street, and seldom was heard the steps of pedestrians. Povarskaya (Chef) was completely quiet and deserted. In the huge courtyard at the home of the Rostovs were lying around scraps of hay, dung moved out of the wagon, and was not seen one human. In the remaining with all the good house of the Rostovs were two men in the big living room. These were the janitor Ignat and the Cossack Mishka, the grandson of Vasilicha, staying in Moscow with his grandfather. Mishka, opening the clavichord, played on it by one finger. The janitor, akimbo and happily smiling, stood before the big mirror.
— Here that is clever! Ah? Uncle Ignat! — spoke the boy, suddenly beginning to smack both hands by the keys.
— I see you! — was the response of Ignat, marveling at that, as all more and more smiling at his face in the mirror.
— Shameless! Rightly shameless! — began talking back their voice the quietly entering Mavra Kuzminishna. — What a thick-skinned, teeth that grins. In this you take! There all not tidied up, Vasilich with his feet lost. Give term!
Ignat, mending his belt, stopped smiling and dutifully lowering his eyes, went out from the room.
— Aunty, I little by little, — said the boy.
— I will give those little by little. Shooter! — shouted Mavra Kuzminishna, swinging at him her hand. — Go to grandfather to place the samovar.
Mavra Kuzminishna, brushing off dust, closed the clavichord and, heavily sighing, exited from the living room and locked the entrance of the door.
Coming in the yard, Mavra Kuzminishna was deep in thought about where to go now: whether to drink tea with Vasilich in the wing or to the pantry to clean up that what was still tidied up.
On the quiet street was heard quick steps. The steps stopped at the gates; the latch began to knock under a hand, trying hard to unlock it.
Mavra Kuzminishna came up to the wicket.
— Whom is needed?
— The count, Count Ilya Andreich Rostov.
— And who are you?
— I am an officer. I would need to see him, — said the Russian’s agreeable and master's voice.
Mavra Kuzminishna unlocked the gate. And in the yard entered an eighteen year-old, chubby officer, the type of face similar to the Rostovs.
— He left, father. Yesterday at vespers he deigned to leave, — affectionately said Mavra Kuzminishna.
The young officer, standing up at the wicket, as would be in indecision to enter or not enter it, clicked his tongue.
— Ah, how annoying! — he spoke. — I would have been yesterday... Ah, a pity!..
Mavra Kuzminishna between that carefully and sympathetic looked at her acquaintance’s features of the Rostov breed in the face of a young man, the tattered overcoat, and the worn out boots that were on him.
— Would again do you need the count for? — she asked.
— Yes really... what to do! — with annoyance spoke the officer and took behind the gate, as he would be looking to leave. He again stopped in indecision.
— Whether you see? — he suddenly said. — I am a relative of the count, and he was always very nice to me. So here, see whether (he with a good and fun smile looked at his cloak and boots) I am worn out, and have no money; so I wanted to ask the count...
Mavra Kuzminishna did not give him a finish.
— You a minute would be postponed, father. One minute, — she said. And as only the officer let go his hand from the gate, Mavra Kuzminishna turned and in a quick old woman step went to the rear yard to her outhouse.
In that time as Marva Kuzminishna ran to herself, the officer, lowering his head and looking at his broken through boots, a little smiling, paced by the court. "A pity that I did not catch uncle. But a nice old lady! Where did she run? And how would I know by what street to me is nearer to catch up with the regiment, which now should approach to Rogozhskaya?" thought at this time the young officer. Mavra Kuzminishna, with a scared and together decisive face, carrying in her hands a rolled up checkered handkerchief, exited from behind the corner. Not reaching a few steps, she, unfolding the handkerchief, took out of it a white twenty five ruble banknote and hastily gave it back to the officer.
— Would their excellency be at home, you would know, they would be exactly kindred, but here you may... now... — Mavra Kuzminishna had grown mixed up. Yet the officer, not refusing and not in a hurry, took the piece of paper and thanked Mavra Kuzminishna. — Would the count at home have been, — was all the excuse of the talking Mavra Kuzminishna. — Christ with you, father. God bless you, — said Mavra Kuzminishna, bowing and seeing him off. The officer, as would be laughing above himself, smiling and shaking his head, almost trotting ran by the empty street catching up with his regiment to Yauzsky bridge.
But Mavra Kuzminishna longer with wet eyes stood before the closed wicket, thoughtfully shaking her head and feeling an unexpected flow of maternal tenderness and pity to the unknown to her officer.
Mentioned: Povarskaya Street, Russian, Rogozhskaya barrier (Rogozhsky gate in Briggs, Dunnigan, and Pevear and Volokhonsky. Rogozhski gate in Maude.), Yauza bridge
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Repetitive reminder that the city is empty and we go back to the Rostov house, where some servants including the yard porter are essentially enjoying being around the Rostov's possessions with none of them there to supervise them. An officer comes, looking for the Rostovs and is disappointed to find that they have gone. The entirety of the chapter is told from the perspective of Mavra Kuzminishna.
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 *):
Ignat (the "dvornik" and also called "old man". "Ignace" in Bell.)
Mishka (the groom and Vasilyitch's grandson. "Michka" in Bell. Called a Cossack in Wiener.)
Vasilyitch
Mavra Kuzminitchna (also called "little auntie".)
Count Ilya Andreyitch Rostof (the Rostofs are also mentioned in general. Also "illustriousness".)
Abridged Versions: No break in Bell.
Gibian: line break instead of chapter break.
Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.
Komroff: Entire chapter is cut.
Kropotkin: Chapter 10. Only the opening paragraph of the chapter is preserved, informing us that the city was deserted and that taverns were full of people singing but no pedestrians are walking. No break.
Bromfield: No apparent corresponding episode.
Simmons: Entire chapter is cut.
Additional Notes:
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