Chapter 51 chapter Five

Everyone got separated, and that night, except for Anatole, who fell asleep, no one could sleep for a long time. "Could this strange, beautiful, kind man really be my husband? His main feature is kindness," thought Princess Marya, feeling a terror she had never felt before.She was afraid to look back, she felt a person standing in a dark corner behind the screen.The man was a devil, that is, a handsome man with a white forehead, black eyebrows, and bright red lips. Princess Marya rang for the maid and told her to come to bed. Miss Brienne walked up and down the conservatory for a long time that evening, waiting for someone, but in vain.Now she smiled at someone, and now imagined that the poor mother blamed her for her depravity and made her weep with grief.

The little princess complained that the maid's bed was not made well, so that she could not sleep on her side or her stomach, and felt uncomfortable all over.Her stomach prevents her from sleeping.Today she felt particularly distressed, because Anatole's presence reminded her of the lighthearted and happy times when she was not pregnant.She was wearing a jacket and a nightcap and was sitting in an easy chair.With loose braids and sleepy eyes, Katya slapped and turned the heavy down mattress for the third time, muttering. "As I told you, the beds are made with holes," repeated the little princess. "I really want to sleep, so I can't blame me." Her voice trembled like a child about to cry.

The old prince was not asleep either.Ji Hong heard him pacing back and forth angrily in his sleep, snorting.The old prince felt that he had been insulted for his daughter.He felt particularly bad, because it was not he who was insulted, but his daughter, and he loved her more than himself.He told himself that he was going to mull over the matter and find a reasonable solution, but he couldn't find it, and he was all the more annoyed. "The first time I met a man, I forgot my father, forgot everything, shook my head and went upstairs to dress up, making me look like a man! Willingly abandon my father! She knows I can see it. Bah... ...Bah...Bah...Can't I see that idiot is only looking at Brienne (have to get rid of her)? Maria has no self-respect and doesn't even understand that! Even if you have no self-respect, at least you have Gotta save my face. Gotta point out to her that the bastard doesn't have her in his mind, just keeps looking at Brian. She has no self-respect, but I gotta show her..."

The old prince knew that all he had to say to his daughter was that she was mistaken, that Anatole only wanted to flirt with Brienne, and that his daughter's self-esteem would be aroused, and his object of not wanting to be separated from her would be achieved, so he Also feel at ease.He called Ji Hong over and began to take off his clothes. "The ghosts brought them here!" thought Ji Hong as he pulled his pajamas over his thin old body with gray hair on his chest. "I didn't ask them. They came to disturb my sleep." life, and my days are numbered." "Damn it!" he cursed as his head was covered by pajamas.

Ji Hong knew that the old duke had a habit of talking to himself, so he didn't change his face when he saw his angry and puzzled eyes shot from under his pajamas. "Are they asleep?" asked the old prince. Like all good servants, Ji Hong can keenly understand his master's thinking.He knew that the master was asking about Prince Vasily and his son. "They are all asleep, and the lights are out, sir." "Nothing, nothing..." said the prince hastily, putting his feet into his slippers and his hands into his nightgown, and walked towards the couch where he slept.

Although Anatole and Miss Brienne hadn't said a word, before the poor mother appeared, they had already understood a little bit about things like cheating, and they had a lot to talk about in secret, so early in the morning Find an opportunity to meet alone.Mademoiselle Brienne was having a tryst with Anatole in the conservatory when the princess went to her father's room at the appointed hour. Princess Marya was very nervous when she walked to the door of the study that day.She felt that everyone knew not only that her fate was to be decided that day, but that she was thinking about it.She could see this from Ji Hong's face, and also from the face of Prince Vasili's servant.The footman met Princess Marya in the corridor carrying hot water, and bowed deeply to her.

The old prince was especially kind and courteous to his daughter that morning.This expression was very familiar to Princess Marya.Whenever Princess Marya couldn't solve an arithmetic problem, and the old prince clenched his thin hands into fists with annoyance, stood up and walked away from her, muttering the same sentence over and over again, his face would appear. Such an expression. The old prince cut to the chase, got to the point right away, and addressed his daughter as "you." "I've been proposed," said the old prince, smiling unnaturally. "I think you must have noticed that Prince Vasili came here with his junior (Prince Bolkonsky somehow put the Anatole is called a junior), not because I have good eyes. They came to propose marriage to me yesterday. You know my rules, so I will tell you."

"Father, how should I understand you?" said the princess, blushing and then turning pale. "How do you understand it!" the father yelled angrily, "Prince Vasili took a fancy to you as his daughter-in-law and came to propose to you on behalf of his junior. That's the whole thing. Hmph, how do you understand it?!... I just to ask you." "I don't know, father, what do you think..." murmured the princess. "Me? Me? What does it matter to me? Leave me alone. I'm not married. What do you think? That's what I want to know." The princess knew that her father disapproved of the matter, but at the same time it occurred to her that her future would never be settled if it was not settled now.She lowered her eyes, avoiding her father's gaze.She felt that under her father's gaze she could not think, but as a rule could only obey, and she said:

"I have only one wish, to obey your will," said Princess Marya, "but if I were to state my wish..." Before she had finished speaking, the old prince interrupted her. "Excellent!" he exclaimed. "He wants a dowry to marry you, which is to take Miss Brienne away. Miss Brienne is his wife, and you..." The Duke stopped talking.He saw that these two sentences were too irritating to his daughter.Princess Marya hung her head and was about to cry. "Well, well, I'm joking, I'm joking," said the old prince. "Remember, princess, my principle is that a girl has the full right to choose her husband. I give you that right. You remember : Your decision will affect your life's happiness, you don't have to worry about me."

"I don't know... Dad." "You don't mind me! His father made him do it, he can marry you, or any other woman; but you are free to choose... You go back and think about it, come to my room in an hour, and when Look him in the face and say, Will you or won't you. I know you're going to pray. Well, go ahead and pray. But think it over. Go." "Will you or won't you, will you or you won't, will you or won't you?" The old prince was still yelling when the princess walked out of the study in a daze. Her fate was decided, and happily so.But what my father had said of Miss Brienne was a terrible allusion.It's not likely that such a thing will happen, but it's terrible after all, and she can't ignore it.She walked straight on through the conservatory, seeing nothing and hearing nothing.Suddenly Miss Brienne's familiar whispers startled her.She raised her eyes and saw Anatole, two steps away, with his arms around the Frenchwoman, whispering to her.Anatole looked back at Princess Marya, with a look of surprise on her pretty face, but she didn't let go of Miss Brienne's waist immediately, and Miss Brienne hadn't seen her yet.

"Who is that? What are you here for? Wait a minute!" Anatole seemed to say so.Princess Marya watched them silently.She couldn't figure out what was going on.At last Miss Brienne gave a cry and ran away.Anatole bowed to Princess Marya with a playful smile, as if to make her laugh at the incomprehensible scene, and shrugged his shoulders and went towards the door leading to his lodgings. An hour later, Ji Hong came to invite Princess Maria.He asked her to go to the old prince, and said that Prince Vasili was also there.When Tihong came in, Princess Marya was sitting on the sofa in the bedroom with her arms around the weeping Miss Brienne.Princess Maria gently stroked her hair.The princess's beautiful eyes, with their usual calm light, looked tenderly and sympathetically at Mademoiselle Brienne's beautiful face. "Oh, princess, you will never like me again!" said Mademoiselle Brienne. "Why? I love you more than ever," said Princess Marya, "and I will do my best to make you happy." "But you will despise me: you are so pure, you will despise me. You will never understand the impulse of this feeling. Oh, my poor mother..." "I fully understand," said Princess Marya, smiling sadly. "Don't worry, my friend. I'm going to my father," she said, and went out. When Princess Marya entered, Prince Vasili was sitting there, one leg crossed over the other, holding a snuff bottle, smiling deeply, as if for his own emotional sensitivity. Apologizes.He hastily squeezed a pinch of snuff into his nose. "Oh, my dear, my dear," said Prince Vasily, getting up, and taking Princess Marya's hands.Then he added with a sigh: "My son's fate is in your hands. You decide, my good Maria, my dear Maria, I have always regarded you as my daughter." Prince Vasili stepped aside.Tears really welled up in his eyes. "Hum... hum..." Prince Bolkonsky hummed. "The prince proposes to you on behalf of his junior ... on behalf of his son. Would you like to be Prince Anatole's wife? Tell me: yes or no!" cried the old prince. "I reserve the right to express my opinion." Right. Of course, my opinion is only mine," added Prince Bolkonsky, turning to Prince Vasili, answering his beseeching gaze, "willing or not?" "Father, my wish is never to leave you, never to be parted from you. I don't want to get married," Princess Marya said decisively, looking at Prince Vasily and his father with her beautiful eyes. "Absurd, absurd! Absurd, absurd, absurd!" cried Prince Bolkonsky, frowning, and taking his daughter's hand, he did not kiss her, but bent his forehead to hers and touched it tightly again. He shook her hand tightly, causing her to frown and cry out. Prince Vasili stood up. "My dear girl, I can tell you that I will never forget this moment, but, dearest girl, can't you leave us with a glimmer of hope that one day you will be able to touch your good heart? Say: It’s possible... the future will last forever. Just say: It’s possible.” "Duke, I speak from my heart. I thank you for the honor, but I will never be your son's wife." "Then, so be it, my friend. I am glad, very glad, of your coming. Go to your rooms, princess," said the old prince. "I am very, very glad of your coming!" Putting his arms around Prince Vasili and repeating. "My vocation is different," thought Princess Marya to herself, "my vocation is to be happy in the happiness of others, to be happy in love and self-sacrifice. Millie is happy. How she loves him. How much she confesses. I will do what I can to bring them together. If he has no money, I will give her money. I will ask my father, I will ask André for money. I'd be happy if she could be his wife. She's all alone in a foreign country with no one to depend on. Poor! My God, she's so desperate to show how much she loves him. Instead of me, say Maybe it will do the same! . . . ” thought Princess Marya.