Briggs: He visits Princess Marya, loves her but cannot imagine her as his wife.
Translation:
VI.
Having arrived in Moscow after her meeting with Rostov, Princess Marya found there her nephew with the governor and a letter from Prince Andrey, which prescribed them their route to Voronezh, to Aunt Malvintseva. The care about the transporting, the anxiety about her brother, the arrangement of life in her new house, a new face, the upbringing of her nephew, — all this drowned out in the soul of Princess Marya that feeling as if temptation, which tormented her in the time of the disease and after the demise of her father, and in particular after the meeting with Rostov. She was sad. The impression of the loss of her father, joining in her soul with the doom of Russia, now, after the months past with those since in the conditions of deceased life, all stronger and stronger was felt by her. She was worried: the idea about dangers, which was exposed to her brother — the only one close person, stayed in her, tormenting her incessantly. She was anxious for the education of her nephew, for whom she felt herself constantly uncapable; but in the depth of her soul was the consent with mostly herself, flowed out from this consciousness that she crushed the ascending in herself, related with the emergence of Rostov, personal daydreaming and hopes.
When on the next day after her evening, the governess arrived to Malvintseva and, talking with her aunt about her plans (making the clause about how although in the present circumstances it cannot be to think about formal matchmaking, all the same can lead young people, to give them to know each other), and when, receiving the okay of her aunt, the governess at Princess Marya began talking about Rostov, praising him and telling how he was red in mentioning about the princess, Princess Marya tested a not joyful, but painful feeling: her internal consent existed no more, and again rose willingness, doubt, reproaches and hopes.
In those two days which passed to the time of this news and to the visits of Rostov, Princess Marya did not cease to think about how she must keep herself in regarding Rostov. Then she decided that she would not come to the living room, when he came to her aunt that in her deep mourning it was indecent to take guests; then she thought that this will be rough after what he did for her; that to her it came in her head that her aunt and the governess have sorted her and Rostov (their looks and words sometimes, it seemed, confirmed this assumption); then she said to herself that she only with viciousness could think this about them: they could not remember that in her position, when she still had not taken off the mourning gown, such matchmaking would be offensive to her and the memory of her father. Assuming that she would come to him, Princess Marya thought up those words which he will say to her and what she will say to him; and that these words seemed to her unfairly cold, then having too great matters. More again she only in appointment with him was afraid for embarrassment, which, she felt, must control her and give her out, as soon as she will see him.
Yet when, on Sunday after mass, a lackey reported in the living room that had arrived Count Rostov, the princess did not show embarrassment; only a light blush came forward to her cheeks, and her eyes illuminated a new, radiant light.
— You saw him, aunt? — said Princess Marya in a calm voice, herself not knowing how she could be so outwardly calm and natural.
When Rostov entered in the room, the princess lowered in an instant her head, as would be to leave while the guest greets with her aunt, and then, in that very time, as Nikolay turned to her, she raised his head and with brilliant eyes met his look. Her full virtues and graces of movement with the joyful smile raised, handed him her thin, tender hand and began talking in a voice, in which in the first time was heard new, woman, chest sounds. М-llе Bourienne, formerly in the living room, with perplexed surprise watched Princess Marya. Herself a skillful coquette, she herself could not better maneuver in meeting with a man which was needed to like.
"Or her black face, or she really became prettier, and I did not notice. And the main thing — this tact and grace!" thought m-lle Bourienne.
If Princess Marya would have been in condition to think in this moment, she still more than m-lle Bourienne would have been surprised at the change happening in her. With that minute as she saw this sweet, beloved face, some new power of life controlled her and forced her, in addition to her commitment, to speak and act. Her face, from this time, as entered Rostov, suddenly transformed. As suddenly as when ignites a light inside a painted and carved lantern, with unexpected striking beauty come forward to the walls that complex, skillful artistic work, which appeared before brute, dark and senseless: so suddenly transformed the face of Princess Marya. For the first time all that pure spiritual, internal work, which she lived to still, came forward and out. All her internal, unhappy by herself work, her misery, striving to good, humility, love, and self-sacrifice — all this shined now in these radiant eyes, in her fine smile, in each dash of her tender face.
Rostov saw all this so the same clearly, as if he knew all her life. He felt that the being, formerly before him, was really another, better than all those which he met before still, and better, the main thing, than he himself.
The conversation was the most searched and minor. They talked about war, unwittingly, as all, exaggerating their sadness about this event, talking about the last meeting, moreover Nikolay tried to reject the conversation to a different subject, talking about the good governess, about the relatives of Nikolay and Princess Marya.
Princess Marya did not talk about her brother, distracting the conversation to another subject, as only her aunt began talking about Andrey. It was seen that about the misfortunes of Russia she could speak feignedly, but her brother was a subject too close to her heart and she did not want to and could not speak a little about him. Nikolay saw this, as he at all with his unusual shrewd observation noticed all the shades of the character of Princess Marya, which all only confirmed his conviction that she was really a special and extraordinary being. Nikolay, exactly so the same as Princess Marya, blushed and was embarrassed, when he talked about the princess and even when he thought about her, but in her presence felt himself completely free and spoke really not that what he was preparing, but that what instantly and always by the way came in his head.
In the time of the short visit of Nikolay, as always, where are children, in a moment of silence Nikolay resorted to the little son of Prince Andrey, caressing him and asking whether he wanted to be a hussar. He took the hand of the boy, funnily began to twirl him and turned back to Princess Marya. A touching, happy and timid look watched for her beloved boy in the hands of her favorite human. Nikolay saw this look and, as would be realizing his matters, red from pleasure and good-naturedly funnily began to kiss the boy.
Princess Marya did not leave by the occasion of mourning, but Nikolay did not count it decent to visit them; but the governess all the same continued her business of matchmaking and delivering to Nikolay that flattering what was said about him by Princess Marya, and back, insisting so that Rostov explains with Princess Marya. For these explanations she arranged rendezvous between the young people at the bishop’s before mass.
Although Rostov told the governess that he will not have any explanations with Princess Marya, but he promised to come.
As in Tilsit Rostov did not allow himself to doubt whether it was okay that all recognized good, exactly so the same and now, after a short but sincere fight between an attempt to arrange their life by his mind and humble subordination of circumstances, he chose the latter and left to himself those authorities, which (he felt this) irresistible attracted him somewhere. He knew that, promising Sonya, to express his feelings for Princess Marya, would be that what he called meanness. And he knew that villainy would never do. Yet he knew too (and not that what he knew, but in the depth of his soul felt), that, giving back now in the power of circumstances and people, leading them, he not only did nothing evil, but did something very, very major, so major that he still never did in his life.
After his goodbye with Princess Marya, although the form of his life outwardly stayed that same, all the former pleasure was lost for him of its beauty and he often thought about Princess Marya; but he never thought about her so, as he without exceptions he thought about all young ladies, meeting him in the world, not so, as he long and with some delight thought about Sonya. About all young ladies, as almost any honest young person, he thought as about a future wife, tried on in his imagination to him all conditions of conjugal life — white hood, a wife behind samovar, a wife in the coach, kids, maman (mama) and papa, their relationship with her and etc. and etc.; and this presentation of the future delivered him pleasure; but when he thought about Princess Marya, to which he was wooed, he never could represent anything to himself from future conjugal life. If he tried to, then all came out awkwardly and false. It only became creepy.
Locations: Moscow, Voronezh
Mentioned: Russia, Tilsit
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: We flip to Marya, who is feeling sad after arriving in Moscow due to her ever changing situation. The mentioning of Nikolai to her causes her to feel doubt and pain. When Nikolai calls her on her, she gets over her embarrassment. There is focus on the change that Marya has undergone, making her more beautiful than she has been before, mainly because it reflected on what was going on inside her.
The matchmaking continues and the aunt tells Nikolai to declare himself to her, which leads to this important passage: "Just as in Tilsit Rostov had not allowed himself to doubt that what everyone recognized as good was indeed good, so also now, after a brief but sincere struggle between his effort to arrange his life according to his own reason and a humble submission to circumstances, he chose the latter and gave himself up to the power which (he felt) was irresistibly drawing him somewhere." He cannot actually picture Marya as his wife like he had other women, instead "everything came out incoherent and false. It only made him feel eerie."
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 Rostof
Nikolushka ("nephew" and "little son")
Dessalles ("tutor")
Prince Andrei (also "brother")
Malvintseva (also "auntie".)
Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky ("father")
the governor's wife
Mlle. Bourienne
Sonya
Abridged Versions: Line break in Dole after "began to kiss the little fellow."
End of Chapter 1 in Bell.
Gibian: line break instead of chapter break
Fuller: The section where Nikolay and Marya talk about Borodino and Andrei is removed, as well as the section where Nikolay thinks about Sonya and what Marya would be like as a wife. Followed by a line break.
Komroff: We skip to where the governor's wife has called on Malvintsev, cutting out the introduction of the chapter which helps us understand Marya's situation. The part where Marya says "You have seen him, auntie" is removed. The Bourriene section is shortened. The section where Nikolai speaks to Nikolushka is also removed. Chapter is followed by a line break.
Kropotkin: Chapter 4: We skip to where the governor's wife has called on Malvintsev, cutting out the introduction of the chapter which helps us understand Marya's situation. The information about the awkward little silences and Nikolai speaking with Nikolushka is removed. We also skip some of the self-reflection of both of them, skipping to where he thinks about how his life has been changed by Maria.
Bromfield: No corresponding chapter.
Simmons: some of Mary's thoughts are removed, as are Nicholas' at the end of the chapter. Line break instead of chapter break.
Additional Notes:
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