Chapter 6 Chapter Six

After Helen returned to Petersburg from Vilna with the royal family, she was in trouble. While in Petersburg, Helen was favored by an important person in a high position in the empire.In Vilna, she became intimate with a young foreign prince.When she returned to Petersburg, the prince and dignitaries were in Petersburg again, and both sides declared their right to protection, which made Helen a new task in her career: to maintain a close relationship with both parties, and to do no harm to either party. . This seemed difficult, even impossible, to other women, and Countess Bezuhova, who deservedly had the reputation of the most intelligent woman, never bothered.Had she begun to cover up her actions, and cunningly extricate herself from embarrassment, she would have conceded guilt, and would have done worse; but Helen, on the contrary, immediately, like a truly great man, could do whatever she wanted to do. , putting herself in what she believed to be right, and putting others in a position of guilt.

When the man with the young foreign face first dared to reproach her, she raised her beautiful head proudly, turned sideways towards him and said firmly: "Voilal'egoisme et lacruautedeshommes! Jenem'atten-daispasaautrechose. Lafemmesesacrifiepourvous, ellesouuffre, et voilaserecompense. Queldroitavezvous, monBseigneur, demedemandercomptedesamities, demesaffections? C'estunhommequiaeteplusqu'unperepourmoi." Someone with that face wants to say something.Helen interrupted him, "EhbiBen, oui,"—she said, "peut-etrequ'ilapourmoid'autresssentimentsqueceuxd'unpere, maiscen'estpasuneraisonpourquejeluifermemaporte. Covering her beautiful tall chest slightly with one hand, she looked at the sky.

"Maisecoutezmoi, aumonde Dieu." "Epousezmoi, et jese raivo trees clave." "Maisc'est impossible." "Vousnedaignezpasdescendrejusqu'amoi, vous..." Helen cried. The man began to comfort her; Helene sobbed, (as if lost in thought), that nothing could have prevented her from marrying, it had precedent (there were few such examples at the time, but she cites Napoleon and other dignitaries) she was never her -------- ①French: Well, men are selfish and cruel!I didn't expect much.A woman sacrifices herself for you; she suffers, and that is the reward, what right do you have to question my love and friendship, my lord?This is someone closer than my father.

②Well, even if the affection he poured into me was not entirely paternal, I couldn't refuse him to come to my house just because of that.I'm not like a man who repays virtue with hatred.Please understand, Your Highness, that I only tell God and my conscience what I cherish. ③French: "But listen to me, for God's sake." The husband's wife, she was made a sacrifice. "But the law, the religion..." said the man despondently. "Law, religion... what's the use of it, if it can't be done!" Helen said. The dignitary was surprised that such a simple truth had never occurred to him, so he asked the Jesuits who were closely related to him for advice.

A few days later, Helen held a fascinating banquet at her villa on the stone island. At the banquet, people introduced her to a charming girl who was no longer young, with hair as white as snow and eyes that were black and bright. m-r de Jobert, unjesuite arobecourte, talked for a long time with Helen under the lights in the garden, to the sound of music, about love for God, love for Christ, love for the Sacred Heart of Mary, and the only true love Catholicism offers consolation to people in this world and in the next life.Helen was greatly moved, and, several times with tears in her and m—rJobert's eyes, their voices trembled, "Marry me, and I'll be your slave."

"But it's impossible." "You can't condescend to marry me, you..." shake.A man came to ask Helen to dance, interrupting her relationship with the future diB recteurdeconscience② talk; but m-rJobert came to see Helen alone the next day, and came often after that. -------- ①French: Mr. Djobert, a Jesuit in a tunic. ②French: Conscience guide. One day he took the countess to the cathedral and led her to the altar where she knelt down.The charming Frenchman, no longer young, put his hand on her head, and, as she said afterward, a breath of fresh air fell to her soul, she was told that it was lagra Ace.

She was then taken to an elder arobelongue, who heard her confession and forgave her sins.The next day a communion box was brought to her and left at her house for her use.After a few days, Helen learned with satisfaction that she had joined the sincere Catholic Church, and that the Pope would personally approve her and issue her a certificate within a few days. -------- ①French: grace. ② French: Wearing a robe. Everything that happened around her and was a part of her during this period; the attention paid to her by so many intelligent people in a pleasant and delicate way; the dove-like purity of her dress (which she wore throughout the period) white dress, with white ribbon); all this gave her satisfaction, but she was not for a single moment negligent of her purpose because of it.As it always does, fools outsmart wise men with cunning, and Helen sees that the purpose of all this hustle and bustle is, for the most part, to admit her into Catholicism and to get donations from her to Jesuit institutions (she is implied However), she insisted on going through the religious formalities of separation from her husband before donating money.In her view, the meaning of all religions is to satisfy people's desires while observing certain etiquette.With this aim in mind, in one of her conversations with the confessor she insisted on his answer to the question: to what extent was her marriage bound her.

They sat by the window in the living room. It was almost dusk, and the fragrance of flowers wafted from the window.Helen was wearing a white dress, showing her chest and shoulders. The elder was sitting next to Helen. He was well maintained, with a plump and clean-shaven chin, a pleasant and strong mouth, and his white hands were peacefully folded on his knees. .With a graceful smile on his lips, and with hidden admiration for her beauty, he glanced now and then at her face to express his opinion on the subject of their conversation.Helen smiled uneasily, watching her curly hair and plump, blue-shaven cheeks, and waited impatiently for a change of subject.The elder, obviously admiring the interlocutor's beauty, was engrossed in his work.

The argument of the director of conscience unfolds as follows.Without understanding the meaning of what you are doing, you make a marriage vow to a person who also marries without believing in the religious meaning of the marriage contract, and you commit blasphemy.This marriage lacks the double meaning it should have.But no matter what, your vows bind you.And you broke your oath.What crime have you committed in doing this?Is it Pecheveniel or pechemortel? ①It is pecheveniel, because you did not act with evil intentions.If you remarry now to have children, your sins will be forgiven.But this problem is divided into two aspects: first...

"But I think,"—said the bored Helen suddenly, with a charming smile—"that I believe in a true religion, so that I am not bound by a false one." Directeurdeconscience2 was amazed at how easily the question of Columbus and the egg was put to him.He was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected rapid progress of his female disciples, but he couldn't give up the theoretical edifice he had racked his brains to build. -------- ①French: pardonable crime, or capital crime. ②French: Conscience guide. "Entendons-nous, comtesse."* he smiled, and began to contradict his goddaughter.

-------- ①French: Let us analyze, Countess.