Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

"The ball at Jogail is the happiest ball in Moscow," said mothers, watching their half-grown children take the steps they had just learned; The high-spirited girls and boys who participated also said the same, and they were full of interest.The dance has led to two marriages this year.Two beautiful princesses of the Kolchakov family received suitors there and got married, which added to the prestige of this ball.The characteristic of this kind of ball is that there is no host. Jogail abides by the rules of the ball, flutters back and forth as lightly as a feather, and collects tickets from the guests.Those who come to the ball are people who really love to dance and have fun, just like thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls are as excited as they are wearing long dance skirts for the first time.The girls, with a few exceptions, were all pretty, or at least looked pretty: all radiant, with happy faces and sparkling eyes.Sometimes excellent schoolgirls danced the shawl dance, and the most beautiful of them was Natasha; but at this ball only Scotch dances, English dances and the newly fashionable mazurka were danced.Jogail held a ball in the hall of Pierre's house, which was considered a success.Many beautiful girls came, and the two Rostovs were the best of them all.Both Natasha and Sonja felt particularly happy and happy that night.Sonja, elated by Dolokhov's proposal, her own refusal, and her conversation with Nicholas, wandered around the room, preventing the maid from braiding her hair, and at the moment she was even more ecstatic and unable to restrain herself.

It was the first time for Natasha to wear a ball gown to attend a formal ball. She was as happy as Sonia, even happier than Sonia.Both wore white gauze dresses with pink ribbons. As soon as Natasha entered the dance hall, she was intoxicated with love.She does not love one person, but loves all people.She fell in love with whoever she saw. "Oh, what a pleasure!" she said, running towards Sonia. Nikolai walked up and down the hall with Denisov, looking around at the dancing people with amiable and condescending expressions. "She's lovely, and she's sure to be a great beauty!" said Denisov.

"Who?" "Countess Natasha," Denisov answered. "She dances so well, and her posture is so graceful!" he said after a pause. "Who are you talking about?" "About your sister," cried Denisov angrily.Nicholas sneered. "Dear count, you are one of my best students. You should dance." Little Jogel went up to Nikolay and said, "Look how many beautiful girls there are here!" He said to Denisov Said the same thing.Denisov also took dance lessons from him. "No, sir, let me sit by and watch!" said Denisov. "Don't you remember that I was a bad dancer with you? . . . "

"Oh, no!" Jogail quickly comforted him, "You're just not paying attention, but you are actually very talented, very talented." The band played the newly popular mazurka.Nicholas was embarrassed to refuse Jogail, so he asked Sonia to dance together.Denisov sat down beside the old ladies, resting his elbows on his saber, tapped the time with his foot, looked at the young dancers, and said something with great interest, which made the old ladies laugh.Yogel danced first with his protégé Natasha.Yogel, wearing pumps and moving lightly, led Natasha, who was dancing timidly and earnestly, first to float lightly around the ballroom.Denisov, keeping his eyes on her, was beating time with his saber, with the air that he did not dance because he could not dance, but because he did not want to dance.Halfway through the jump, he called to Nikolai who was passing by.

"That's not the case at all!" said Denisov. "Can it be called a Polish mazurka? But she dances beautifully." Nicholas knew that Denisov was famous for dancing the mazurka even in Poland, so he ran up to Natasha. "Go and ask Denisov to dance. He dances brilliantly! He is very beautiful!" said Nikolai. When it was Natasha's turn again, she stood up and walked timidly alone through the ballroom with her little feet in bow-knot leather shoes, to the corner where Denisov was sitting.She saw everyone looking at her, waiting for her to dance again.Nikolay saw Denisov and Natasha laughing and arguing, Denisov refused to dance, but smiled happily.Nikolay ran over.

"Come on, Denisov," said Natasha, "let's dance around." "Oh, sorry, countess," said Denisov. "Don't refuse, Denisov," said Nikolai. "It's like persuading a kitten," Denisov joked. "I'll sing for you one evening," said Natasha. "Little fairy, there's really nothing you can do about her!" Denisov said as he untied his saber.He came out from behind a row of chairs, held his partner's hand tightly, raised his head slightly, stretched out one foot, and waited for the music to beat.Only on horseback and dancing the mazurka did Denisov not appear short.He thought himself as handsome as a knight.He waited for the beat, looked at his partner proudly and mischievously from the side, and suddenly tapped with one foot, jumped up from the floor like a rubber ball, and danced briskly in circles with his partner.He slid soundlessly halfway across the ballroom with one foot, rushing straight across the chair as if he hadn't seen the chair in front of him; He turned around in a circle, touched his left foot to his right foot, and flew around the circle again.Natasha knew intuitively what he was about to do, and she could not help being at his mercy.Now he turned her around with his right hand, now with his left hand, now he knelt down on one knee and pulled her around him, then jumped up again and rushed forward, as if he wanted to pass through all the rooms in one breath; Suddenly stopped, and put on a new and beautiful dance.Natasha did not even curtsy to Denisov when Denisov sent his partner to his place, clicked his spurs, and bowed to her.She stared at him in bewilderment, smiling as if she didn't know him.

"What's the matter?" Natasha asked. Although Jogail thought it was not a real mazurka, everyone was amazed by Denisov's dancing skills and kept asking him to dance.The old people talked about Poland with a smile, and talked about the good old days.Denisov, blushing from the mazurka, wiped his face with a handkerchief, sat down beside Natasha, and did not leave her until the end of the ball.