Briggs: Pierre is worried about growing repression in the capital.
Translation:
XIII.
When Pierre with his wife came in the living room, the countess was found out in the familiar condition of needing to take herself in the mental work of solitaire and because of it, despite that she by habit said words, she always spoke by the return of Pierre or her son: "it is time, it is time, my sweet; we have been waiting. Well, thank God." And at the delivery of her gifts— she said other habitual words: "Not a dear present, my friend, thanks that I as an old woman am given a present..." Apparently it was that the coming of Pierre was to her unpleasant in that moment because of how it distracted her from the understated solitaire. She graduated the solitaire and then only began for the gifts. The gifts took the place of the beautiful work of the case for the cards, a sevres brightly blue cup with a lid and with the image of shepherds, and from the golden snuff boxes with a portrait of the count, which Pierre ordered from a Petersburg miniaturist. (The countess for a long time wanted this.) She now did not want to cry, and because of it she indifferently looked at the portrait and occupied another case.
— Give thanks, my friend, you comforted me, — she said, as she always said. — Yet better only that yourself brought it. But that this was or in what you do not appear; though would you have scolded your wife. What is this? How she is crazy without you. She sees nothing, remembers nothing, — she said in habitual words. — Look, Anna Timofeevna, — she added, — what a case my son brought us.
Belova praised the gifts and delighted in its matter.
Although Pierre, Natasha, Nikolay, Countess Marya and Denisov were needed to talk much of such that was not spoken to the countess, not because so that to hide something from her, but because of how she was so behind from the lot, that, beginning to speak about something to her, it would be needed to respond to her questions, inappropriately inserted, and to repeat again the now a few times repeated to her: telling how one died, then married, what she could not again to remember; but they by custom were sitting behind tea in the living room at the samovar and Pierre was responding to the questions of the countess, her most unnecessary and interesting nobody, about how Prince Vasiliy was aged and that Countess Marya Alekseevna ordered a bow and remembering and etc...
Such a conversation, to anyone uninteresting, but necessary, was conducted in all the time of tea. Behind tea around the round desk at the samovar, at which sat Sonya, were going to all the grownup members of the family. The children, governors and governesses now drank tea and their voices were heard at the neighboring sofa. Behind tea all were sitting in ordinary places; Nikolay sat down at the stove behind the little table, to which he was served tea. Old with a completely gray face, from which still sharper rolled out the large, black eyed, greyhound Milka, the daughter of the first Milka, lying on the armchair beside him. Denisov with grayish half curly hair, mustache and whiskers, in an unfastened general's frock coat sat beside Countess Marya. Pierre sat between his wife and the old countess. He talked that what — he knew, — could interest the old and be understandable to her. He spoke about external, social events and about those people that at some time formed the club of peers of the old countess, which at sometime were a valid, alive separate circle, but that now, for the most part scattered by the world, so the same as she, surviving their century, collecting the rest of the ears that they sowed in life. Yet they, these peers, seemed to the old countess exclusively severe and in the world. By the revitalization of Pierre Natasha saw that the trip to him was interesting, that he wanted to say much, but he did not dare to speak to the countess. Denisov, not being a member of the family, therefore not understanding the care of Pierre, besides how he was displeased, was quite interested by that what was done in Petersburg, and incessantly called Pierre to stories about that what happened to the history of Semenovsky regiment, then about Arakcheev, then about the Biblical Society. Pierre sometimes was fond of them and started telling, but Nikolay and Natasha at any time returned him to the health of Prince Ivan and Countess Marya Antonovna.
— Well what again, all this is madness, and Gosner and Tatarinova, — asked Denisov, — is it really all continuing?
— How continuing? — cried out Pierre, stronger than at some time. — The Biblical Society, this is now all the government.
— This is what again, kind friend?1018 — asked the countess, drinking her tea and apparently wishing to find a pretext so that to get angry after food. — How again do you speak this: the government; I do not understand this.
— Yes, you know, maman (mama), — intervened Nikolay, knowing how it was needed to translate to the tongue of his mother, — this is Prince Aleksandr Nikolaevich Golitsyn arranging a society, so he is in big strength, they say.
— Arakcheev and Golitsyn, — carelessly said Pierre, — this is now all the government. And what! In all they see conspiracies, only fear.
— What, but, Prince Aleksandr Nikolatvich again is to blame? He is a very venerable person. I met him then at Marya Antonovna’s, — offended said the countess, and still more offended by that how all fell silent, continued: — now all become judges. An Evangelical Society, well what is evil? — and she got up (all got up too) and with a strict look swam from the sofa to her table.
Among the established sad silence from the neighboring room was heard children's laughter and voices. Obviously, between the children was happening some joyful excitement.
— Ready, ready! — was heard from behind all the joyous cry of little Natasha. Pierre exchanged glances with Countess Marya and Nikolay (Natasha he always saw) and happily smiled.
— Here that music is wonderful! — he said.
— This is Anna Makarovna’s finished stocking, — said Countess Marya.
— Oh, I will go to look, — jumping up said Pierre. — You know, — he said, stopping at the door: — from what I especially love this music — they were the first to let me know that everything is okay. Now I went: the nearer to home, by that the more I feared. As I entered in the hall, I heard the flooded Andryusha about something, well, it meant all was okay...
— I know, I know this feeling, — confirmed Nikolay. — I cannot go because of the tights — a surprise to me.
Pierre entered to the children, and the laughter and shouting still more intensified. — Well, Anna Makarovna, — was heard the voice of Pierre; — Here you are in the middle and by command — one, two, and when I say three, you stand here. You are at hand. Well, one, two... — spoke the voice of Pierre; there was a silence. — Three! — and an enthusiastic moan of the children’s voices rose in the room.
— Two, two! — shouted children.
These were two stockings, which by one of her famous secrets Anna Makarovna right away knitted in needles, and which she always solemnly to the children took out one from another, when the stocking was tied.
1018 mon cher ami? (my dear friend?)
Mentioned: Sevres, St. Petersburg
Locations: see previous chapter
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Most of the early chapter builds off the end of the last chapter with the focus on the relationship everyone has with the countess, that is, avoidance.
Denisov and Pierre talk about how the biblical society is now the whole government.
"Arakcheev and Golitsyn," Pierre said imprudently, "that's now the whole government. And what a government! They see conspiracies everywhere, the're afraid of everything."
The countess mentions how she used to always see Golitsyn in society and there is nothing wrong with an evangelical society. Tolstoy peppers this conversation with children laughing in the background. This breaks up the conversation and changes the focus to the children.
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 ("his wife")
Countess Rostova ("countess", "maman", "mother", and "old countess")
Nikolai (also "son")
Anna Timofeyevna Byelova ("....Timofeevna" in Maude, Mandelker, and Wiener. "...Timofyevna" in Garnett. "...Timofeyevna" in Dunnigan and Edmonds.)
Countess Mariya
Denisof
Prince Vasili
Countess Marya Alekseyevna (as in Dole and Dunnigan. "...Alexeyevna" in Briggs, Garnett, and Edmonds (though she uses "Maria").)
Sonya
Borzaya Milka ("Milka the swift". "Old greyhound Milka" in Wiener. "the old grey borzoi bitch" in Mandelker and Maude (Dunnigan just drops "grey").)
Milka ("Milka I")
Arakcheyef
Countess Marya Antonovna
Hosner ("Gossner" in Wiener, Mandelker, and Maude.)
Tatarinof ("Madame Tatarinov" in Garnett. Briggs and Mandelker use "Madame Tatawinova", but the endnotes makes it clear that it is "Tatarinova" and the w is because of Densiof's speech impediment. Dunnigan does have a note that corrects it. "Madame Tatawinov" in Edmonds.)
Prince Aleksandr Nikolayevitch Golitsuin (the Dole footnote spells it "Galitzin". "Prince Alexander Golitsin" in Maude. "Prince Alexander Nikolaevitch Golitsin" in Garnett. "Prince Aleksandr Nikolayevich Golitsyn" in Dunnigan. "Prince Alexander Golitsyn" in Edmonds, Mandelker, and Briggs.)
little Natasha
Anna Makarovna (since she knitted the stockings, I think it is likely that Tolstoy had already forgotten the second name for Byelova.)
little Andryusha
Abridged Versions: Bell seems out of order.
Gibian: Line break instead of chapter break.
Komroff: Chapter appears preserved and followed by a line break.
Kropotkin: The focus on the countess is almost completely removed. The ending of the chapter that focuses on the children is removed. End of chapter 7.
Simmons: The bit about the countess's gift is removed. The mentions of Gossner and Tatawinova are removed. Nicholas's explanation to his mom is also removed. The dancing at the end is also removed. Line break instead of chapter break.
Additional Notes:
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