Briggs: Pierre spends long hours in the company of Marya and Natasha.
Translation:
XVII.
Pierre held in the lighted big dining room; in a few minutes was heard steps, and the princess with Natasha entered in the room. Natasha was calm, although a strict, without smile, expression now again installed on her face. Princess Marya, Natasha and Pierre equally tested that sense of awkwardness, which should usually be behind a complete, severe and sincere conversation. To continue the former conversation was impossible; to speak about nothing, — would be a shame, but to be silent was unpleasant because of how they wanted to speak, but by this silence was as if pretending. They silently came up to the table. The waiters pushed away and moved chairs. Pierre unfolded a cold napkin and, having decided to interrupt the silence, looked at Natasha and Princess Marya. Both obviously in that same time were decided in that same: in both eyes shined contentment of life and the acknowledgement of how besides grief there are joys.
— Do you drink vodka, count? — said Princess Marya, and these words suddenly dispersed the shadows past.
— Tell me again about yourself, — said Princess Marya, — about you is told such incredible miracles.
— Yes, — with his now habitual smile of meek ridicule responded Pierre. — To me most even tell about such miracles, of what kind I in a dream did not see. Marya Abramovna invited me to herself and told all to me, what happened with me or must have happened. Stepan Stepanych also taught me, as I needed telling. To all I see how it is to be an interesting human very quietly (I am now an interesting person); I am called, and I am told.
Natasha smiled and wanted to say something.
— We were told, — Princess Marya interrupted her, — that you in Moscow have lost two million. Is this really?
— But I have become three times richer, — said Pierre. Pierre despite that the debts of his wife and miserable buildings changed his business, continued telling that he had become three times richer.
— What I won undoubtedly, — he said, — is this freedom... — he started seriously; but thinking to continue, noticed that this was too egoistic for a subject of conversation.
— But you build?
— Yes, Savelich orders.
— They say you did not know still about the demise of the countess, when you stayed in Moscow? — said Princess Marya and immediately again blushed, noticing that making this question following behind his words about how he was free, she ascribed to his words such matters which they may not have had.
— No, — was the response of Pierre, not finding out that obviously awkward interpretation which was given by Princess Marya in mentioning about his freedom. — I found out this in Orel, and you may not myself imagine how this struck me. We were not exemplary spouses, — he said fast, looking at Natasha, and noticing in her face a curiosity about how he would respond about his wife. — Yet this death fearfully struck me. When two humans quarrel — always both are to blame. And one’s own fault is made suddenly fearfully heavy before a human who is now no more. And then such a death... without friends, without consolation. I extremely, extremely pity her, — he finished, and with pleasure saw the joyful okayness on the face of Natasha.
— Yes, here you again are a bachelor and fiance, — said Princess Marya.
Pierre suddenly blushed red and for long tried to not look at Natasha. When he decided to take a look at her, her face was cold, strict and even contemptuous, as to him it seemed.
— Yet you exactly saw and talked with Napoleon, as we are told? — said Princess Marya.
Pierre bursted out laughing.
— Not once, never. Always to all it seems that to be in captivity means to be a guest at Napoleon’s. I not only did not see him, but did not hear about him. I was in a much worse society.
The dinner finished, and Pierre, first refusing from the story about his captivity, little by little got involved in this story.
— Yet really, you stayed to kill Napoleon? — asked Natasha, a little smiling. — I then guessed, when we met you at Suharev towers; remember?
Pierre recognized that this was real and with this was the issue, little by little guided by the questions of Princess Marya and in particular Natasha, got involved in the detailed story about his adventures.
At first he talked with that mocking, meek look, which he had now at people and in particular at himself; but then, when he reached to the story about the horrors and misery that he saw, he, himself not noticing, was carried away and began to speak with the held excitement of a human, in recollections experiencing strong impressions.
Princess Marya, with a meek smile, watched Pierre, then Natasha. She in all this story saw only Pierre and his kindness. Natasha, leaning on his arm, with the constantly changing, together with the story, expression on his face, watching, for a moment not ripping off behind Pierre, apparently survived with him together that what he told. Not only her look, but her exclamations and short questions that she made showed Pierre that of what he told, she understood that what he wanted to deliver. It was seen that she understood not only that what he talked, but that what he would have wanted but could not express in words. About the episode of him with the kid and the woman, for the protection of which he took, Pierre told in such a way:
— This was a terrible sight, children thrown, some in the fire... I had drug out a child... The woman, from which was pulled off things, ripped out earrings...
Pierre was red and hesitated.
— Here had arrived the departure of all those that were not robbed, all men were taken away. And I.
— You are right to not tell all; you rightly have done something... — said Natasha and kept silent, — Good.
Pierre continued telling further. When he talked about the execution, he wanted to walk around the scary details; but Natasha demanded for him to miss nothing.
Pierre started telling about Karataev (he now got up from behind the desk and went, Natasha watched behind his eyes) and stopped.
— No, you may not understand, why I was taught by this illiterate human — a fool.
— No, no, speak, — said Natasha. — Where is he again?
— He was killed almost by me. — and Pierre began telling the latter time of their retreats, the disease of Karataev (his voice trembled incessantly) and his death.
Pierre talked of his adventures so, as he never still remembered them. He saw now as if new matters in all that he survived. Now, when he told all this to Natasha, he felt that rare enjoyment which is given by a woman, listening to a man, — not a smart woman that listens, trying to remember what they speak, so to enrich their mind and, in a case, say that same or adjust the story of his and to report soon their smart speech, worked out in their small, mental household; but that enjoyment, which is given by a real woman, gifted in the ability of picking and sucking in themselves only better, what only is in the manifestations of men. Natasha, herself not knowing this, was all attention: she did not miss words, or a hesitation of voice, or sight, or flinches in the muscles of the face, or the gestures of Pierre. She on the fly caught still unspoken words and all brought in them to her uncovered heart, guessing the secret meaning throughout the working soul of Pierre.
Princess Marya understood the story, sympathized with him, but she now saw another, what absorbed all her attention; she saw the opportunity of love and happiness between Natasha and Pierre. And this for the first time coming to her idea filled her soul with joy.
It was the third hour of the night. The waiters with sad, strict faces came to change candles, but no one noticed them.
Pierre finished his story. Natasha with brilliant, busy eyes continued to stubbornly and carefully look at Pierre, as if wishing to understand still the rest that he had not expressed, maybe. Pierre in an ashamed and happy confusion occasionally looked at her and thought up what to say now, so that to transfer the conversation to a different subject. Princess Marya kept silent. In not one head did it come, that at the third hour of the night, that it was time to sleep.
— They say: misfortunes, misery, — said Pierre, — and if you would now, at this moment have said to me: want to stay as you were before captivity, or from the beginning survive all this? For God, more time in captivity and horse meat. We think that as we are thrown out from the habitual track, all is disappeared: but here only begins the new and good. While there is life, there is happiness. Ahead is much, much. This I say to you, — he said, turning to Natasha.
— Yes, yes, — she said, answering to really another, — and I would want nothing, as only to survive everything first.
Pierre carefully looked at her.
— Yes, and nothing more, — confirmed Natasha.
— Not true, not true, — shouted Pierre. — I am not to blame that I am alive and want to live; and you too.
Suddenly Natasha lowered her head in her hands and cried.
— What is with you, Natasha? — said Princess Marya.
— Nothing, nothing. — she smiled through tears to Pierre. — Farewell, time to sleep.
Pierre got up and forgave them.
—————
Princess Marya and Natasha, as always, agreed in the bedroom. They talked about what Pierre talked about. Princess Marya did not say her opinions about Pierre. Natasha also did not talk about him.
— Well goodbye, Marie, — said Natasha. — You know, I often am afraid that we do not talk about him (Prince Andrey), as if we are afraid to humiliate our feelings, and forget.
Princess Marya heavily sighed and by this sigh recognized the justice of the words of Natasha; but her words did not agree with her.
— It can’t be to forget? — she said.
— It was so okay now to say all; heavy, hurtful, and okay. Very okay, — said Natasha; — I am sure that he was exactly as I loved him. From this I told him... nothing, what did I tell him? — suddenly blushing, she asked.
— Pierre? Oh no! That he is beautiful, — said Princess Marya.
— You know, Marie, — suddenly said Natasha, with a playful smile, which for a long time Princess Marya had not seen on her face. — He was made something clean, plain, fresh; exactly from the bathhouses; you understand? — Morally from the bathhouses. Really?
— Yes, — said Princess Marya, — he won much.
— A short frock coat and shorn hair; exactly, well exactly from the bathhouses... to Papa it happened...
— I understand that he (prince Andrey) loved nobody as him, — said Princess Marya.
— Yes, and he is special for him. They say that friendly men are now really special. It must be this is real. Really, he really does not look like anything?
— Yes, and wonderful.
— Well, goodbye, — answered Natasha. And that same playful smile, as would be forgotten, long stayed on her face.
Locations: see previous chapter
Mentioned: Moscow, Orel, Sukharev Tower
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Just as Natasha recapped Andrei's death and her feelings to Pierre in the previous chapter, Pierre recaps his situation and his new feeling in this chapter. Pierre claims he is very sorry over Helene's death and that contrary to rumor, he did not see Napoleon. Pierre ends up recounting his entire story to Natasha and Marya. Natasha listens very closely and Marya sees the possibility of love between the two. Line break between "Pierre got up and took his leave".
Marya and Natasha discuss Andrei and his love for Pierre and the way that Pierre now sees to be morally clean, like "from a bathhouse".
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
Natasha
Princess Mariya (also "Marie")
Marya Avramovna (both this and the following name are dropped in Bell. "...Abramovna" in Briggs, Edmonds (who uses "Maria" for the first name), and Maude (who uses "Mary" for the first name).
Stepan Stepanuitch (see chapter 186. "...Stepanych" in Wiener, Edmonds, and Maude. "...Stepanovich" in Briggs.)
Ellen ("countess" and "wife")
Savelyitch
Napoleon
Karatayef (also "illiterate man--half an idiot!")
Prince Andrei
Abridged Versions: Line break after "Pierre got up and took his departure" in Dole. Line break in the same spot in Wiener, Dunnigan, Edmonds, Briggs, and Mandelker.
No break in Bell.
Gibian: line break after "took his leave." Line break instead of chapter break.
Fuller: Entire chapter is cut.
Komroff: Entire chapter is cut.
Kropotkin: Chapter 9: Chapter is preserved.
Simmons: The section where Pierre talks about the gossip about him is removed. The section where he talks about Napoleon is also removed. The discussion of listening women is also removed. Mary and Natasha's conversation is shortened.
Additional Notes:
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