Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

Pierre never found a job in Petersburg, and was indeed deported to Moscow for drunkenness and disorder.What everyone talked about at Count Rostov's was true.Pierre takes part in a prank that binds a policeman and a bear.He had only arrived a few days ago and was staying at his father's house as usual.He went to his father's house on the day of his arrival, although he expected that news of him had already been heard in Moscow, and that the women around his father had treated him badly and would certainly take the opportunity to annoy the count.He went into the drawing room, where the princesses went about their daily activities, and greeted two women who were embroidering and one who was reading.Of the three women, the oldest was the long-bodied, neatly dressed, stern-looking old girl who had just come out to see Princess Drubetsky, and she was reading at the moment; Xiuli, who was embroidering, the only difference between them was that one of them had a mole on her lip, which made her look extra charming.They saw Pierre as if they saw a dead man or a plague.The eldest princess put down her book, looked at him in amazement, and said nothing; the little princess without a mole showed the same expression; Lest people see her and cannot help laughing at the thought of a good show about to happen.She led the wool to the embroidery stand, lowered her head, as if she was identifying the pattern, but she was actually trying to hide her smile.

"Good day, cousin," said Pierre, "do you not recognize me?" "I know you too well, know you too well." "How is the count? Can I see him?" Pierre asked clumsily as usual, but without embarrassment. "The count is suffering both physically and mentally. Do you want to increase his mental suffering?" "May I see the count?" Pierre asked again. "Hmph! . . . If you want his life, if you want him dead all at once, then go and see him. Olga, go and see if uncle's broth is ready. It's almost time." He added it to show Pierre that they were all busy taking care of his father, while he came to add to his suffering.

Olga went out.Pierre stood for a while, looked at his cousins, bowed, and said: "Then I will go to my room. Let me know when you can see him." he's gone.After he left, he heard the low and crisp laughter of the cousin with the mole. The next day Prince Vasily came and stayed at Count Bezukhov's.He called Pierre to him and said to him: "Boy, if you do what you did in Petersburg here, you won't end well. I will tell you the count is very, very ill, and you don't need to see him at all." No one bothered Pierre since then, and Pierre stayed upstairs all day alone in his room.

Pierre was pacing the room when Paulis entered, stopping now and then in a corner, posing menacingly against the wall, as if piercing an invisible enemy with a sword, and gazing sternly over his spectacles, Then he started pacing again, muttering something, shrugging his shoulders, and spreading his hands. "England is finished," Pierre said, frowning, pointing at someone. "Peter betrayed the nation and the rights of the people, and should be sentenced to..." He imagined himself as Napoleon, and had risked to cross the Pass of Calais and occupied the London.Before he could pronounce his sentence against Peter, he saw a young, handsome, well-built officer enter.He stopped.Paulis was only fourteen years old when Pierre went abroad, and he does not remember anything now.Nevertheless, he shook Paulis's hand swiftly and warmly, and smiled amicably.

"Do you remember me?" said Paulis, smiling calmly and cheerfully. "My mother and I came to see the count. He seems not well." "Yes, he must be ill. He is always disturbed," answered Pierre, trying to remember who the young man was. Paulis felt that Pierre did not recognize him, but thought it unnecessary to introduce himself, and just looked into his eyes nonchalantly. "Count Rostov invites you to dine at his house tonight," said Boris, after a long silence which Pierre found embarrassing. "Ah, Count Rostov!" said Pierre cheerfully, "then you are his son Ilya? Well, I didn't recognize you when I first saw you. Do you remember that we were driving with Madame Zhoko?" Going to Sparrow Mountain... that was a long time ago."

"You are mistaken," said Boris calmly, with a touch of sarcasm. "My name is Boris, and I am the son of Princess Drubetsky. As for the Rostovs, the father's name is Ilya. , the son's name is Nikolai. I don't know any Mrs. Rocco." Pierre waved his hand and shook his head, as if a mosquito or a bee was flying towards him. "Oh, so that's how it happened! I'm completely confused. I have so many relatives in Moscow! You're Boris . As soon as Napoleon crosses the Channel, the English will be in trouble. Do you think so? I think an expedition is quite possible. Let Villeneuve make no mistakes!"

Paulis didn't read the newspapers, didn't know about the Brun's expedition, and it was the first time he heard the name of Villeneuve. "Here in Moscow we are more interested in dinners and gossip than in politics," said Boris, calmly and mockingly. Gossip," he went on, "everyone is talking about you and your father now." Pierre smiled honestly, as if worried for the other party, lest he say something he would regret.But Paulis looked into Pierre's eyes and spoke clearly and without emotion. "In Moscow, people have nothing to do but gossip," Boris went on, "and everyone is concerned about whom the count will leave his fortune to, but he may outlive us all, and I hope so with all my heart..."

"Yes, all this is disgusting, disgusting," began Pierre.He was still worried lest the officer say something that would embarrass himself. "You probably think," said Paulis, blushing a little, but without changing his tone or posture, "you probably think that everyone wants something from the rich man." "That's what it is," thought Pierre. "In order to avoid misunderstanding, I want to tell you that if you think of me and my mother as such people, you are very wrong. We are very poor, but I can at least say for myself: because your father If I have money, I don’t want to have a relationship with him, neither I nor my mother will ask him for anything, nor will I accept anything from him.”

For a while Pierre did not understand what he said, but when he did, he jumped up from the sofa, seized Paulis's hand with his characteristic flustered and clumsy gesture, blushed even redder than Paulis, and was ashamed and embarrassed. said angrily: "What kind of talk is this! Could it be that I... who would think about it... I know very well..." But Paulis interrupted him again: "I am glad to have said all I had to say. I beg you to forgive me, if this may have offended you." Instead of waiting for Pierre to comfort him, he comforted Pierre, "I hope I I don't offend you. I'm just outspoken... How should I answer? Are you going to dinner at Rostov's?"

Paulis was relieved, relieved, to be out of an embarrassing situation, but to put someone else in it. "No, listen to me," said Pierre calmly, "you are a wonderful man. What you just said is very good, very good. Of course, you don't know me. We haven't seen each other for so long . . . Still a child...you think I'd...I know what you mean, I do. I wouldn't be able to do it, I don't have the guts, but it's all right. I'm glad to know you. It's strange, He pondered for a moment, smiled, and added, "That's what you think of me! Well, that's all right, we'll get to know each other better later on. That's it." Pierre shook Paulis. "To tell you the truth, I have never been in the earl's room once. He didn't ask me to go... I feel sorry for him... But what can I do?"

"Do you think Napoleon's army can cross the strait?" Paulis asked with a smile. Pierre saw that Paulis wanted to change the subject, so he followed his lead and analyzed the pros and cons of Brun's expedition. The servant came to ask Paulis to go to his mother.Princess Drubetsky was leaving.Pierre agreed to dine at Count Rostov's, as this would bring him closer to Paulis.He squeezed Paulis's hand tightly, and looked at him kindly over his glasses... After Paulis left, Pierre walked around the room for a long time, no longer stabbing the invisible enemy with his sword, but Smiling and thinking back to this smart, strong and lovely young man. Pierre couldn't tell how much he liked Paulis, but he secretly made up his mind to be friends with him.This kind of mood is easy to arise in youth, especially when you are alone. Prince Vasili sent Princess Drubetsky out.The Duchess covered her eyes with a handkerchief, and her face was stained with tears. "It's terrible! It's terrible!" said Princess Drubetsky. "Whatever the cost, I will do my duty. I will keep watch at night. He cannot be left like this. Every minute now Precious. I don't understand how the princess and the others are dawdling like this. Maybe God will help me to take care of him... Goodbye, duke, God bless you..." "Good-bye, dear friend," answered Prince Vasili, turning away from her. "Well, he's very ill," said the mother to her son, as they got into the carriage. "He hardly knows anybody." "Mother, I don't know what his attitude is towards Pierre?" asked the son. "The will will tell, my darling; our fate depends on the will..." "Why do you think he will leave us anything?" "Oh, my dear! He is so rich, and we are so poor!" "Oh, mother, that's not enough reason!" "Oh, dear, dear! How sick he is!" sighed the mother.