Prince Vasily did not think carefully about his plans, and even less did he think of self-interest and harm to others.He was merely a man of the upper classes, accomplished in the world, and accustomed to such accomplishments.His constant consideration of the situation, his plans and his own opinions in the intimacy of his relations with people, which, although he himself did not know them well, constituted a flavor of his life.Not one or two, but dozens of such plans and ideas were often carried out, some of which were beginning to form in his mind, others were being carried out, and still others were about to be abolished.For example, he didn't say something like this to himself: "At present, this person is powerful and powerful. I should gain his trust, establish a friendship with him, and use him to get a stipend;" I said something like this: "Pierre is very rich, I should seduce him to marry my young daughter, and borrow the 40,000 rubles I need." Hinting to him that this man might be of great use, Prince Vasili approached him, and he did not need to be mentally prepared for this, but he instinctively flattered and flattered him whenever he had the opportunity. Very affectionate attitude, open your mouth to say a few words that should be said.

In Moscow, Pierre was very close to Prince Vasili, and he got Pierre a post as a junior squire, which at that time was equivalent to a civil servant of the fifth class, and he insisted on insisting that Pierre go with him to Petersburg. , living in his home.Prince Vasili did everything that was necessary to get Pierre to marry his daughter, acting as if he were hesitant, but at the same time he appeared confident.If Prince Vasili had thought out his plans carefully in advance, he would not have been so natural in his manner, would not have been so generous and friendly with those who were higher or lower than himself.There was something that often attracted him to those who were more powerful and richer than himself; he had a remarkable knack for taking advantage of others when he had to and when he could.

Not so long ago, after Pierre had lived a life of carefree solitude, he unexpectedly became a rich man and Count Bezukhov, after which he felt himself entangled in chores and too busy to do anything but lie down. Only when you are in bed can you be alone and enjoy leisure.He has to sign various documents, deal with offices he is not familiar with, ask certain things from the head steward, travel around the estates near Moscow, and meet many people who before did not even want to know about his life, if now he does not want to Meet them and they feel humiliated and heartbroken.All sorts of people: industrialists, relatives, acquaintances, treated the young heir with kindness and tenderness, and won his favor, obviously believing in Pierre's noble character.From time to time he heard the words: "By your exceptional kindness," or: "By your kindness," or, "Count, you yourself are so pure..." Or: "If he Smart" and all that, so he really believed in his extra-kindness, in his own unique wisdom, and in the depths of his soul he often felt that he was very kind indeed, very wise.Even those who had been fierce and apparently hostile were kind and loving toward him.The angry grand princess, with a slender waist and her hair tucked back together, looks like a doll.After burying Bezukhov, she went into Pierre's room.She lowered her eyes, flushed, and told him that she regretted the past misunderstanding between them, and that she now saw no reason to ask for anything but permission to stay in the house for a few weeks after her shock, Because she loved this house deeply and made many contributions here.She burst into tears as she said this.Pierre was so moved by the transformation of the sculpted princess that he seized her hand and begged her forgiveness, without knowing why.From that day on, the princess knitted a striped scarf for Pierre, and her attitude towards him changed completely.

"Moncher (my dear), do this for her, she has suffered a lot for the dead, after all," said Prince Vasily to him, asking him to sign a paper in favor of the princess. signature. Prince Vasili had made up his mind that this bone—a promissory note for thirty thousand rubles—was better to be thrown to the poor princess, so that she would not talk about Prince Vasili's involvement in the intarsia purse scandal. .Pierre signed the promissory note, and from that moment the princess became more kind.Several of her younger sisters also became affectionate to him, especially the youngest one with a mole on her face.The pretty princess, who had a smile on her face, was ashamed to see him, which often embarrassed Pierre.

Pierre felt that it was only natural that people liked him, and that he would feel strange if someone did not love him, so he could not but believe in the sincerity of those around him.And he didn't have time to ask himself if these people really had no second thoughts.He was constantly busy, and often felt himself in an intoxication of tenderness and pleasure.He felt himself at the center of some important public activity, he felt that there was always something expected of him, that if something was not done well, many people would be distressed and disappointed, and if something was done well If there is one thing, then everything is going well, so if you ask him, he will do his best, but this "smoothness" is always just an afterthought.

At first Prince Vasily had more control over Pierre himself and his affairs than anyone else.Since the death of Count Bezukhov, he has been in charge of Pierre without letting up.Prince Vasily acted like someone who was overburdened and exhausted, but out of pity he could not leave the helpless boy at the mercy of fate and crooks, after all Pierre The son of his friend, aprestout, he possessed such a large fortune.After the death of Count Bezukhov, he stayed in Moscow for a few days. During these few days, he often called Pierre to him, and he went to Pierre himself and asked him what to do. There is weariness and self-confidence in it, as if he said this line every time:

"Voussavez, quejesuisacabled'affairesetquecen'estqueparpurecharite, quejem'occupedevous, etpuisvoussavezbien, quecequejevousproposeestlaseul chosefaisable."② -------- ① French: In the final analysis. ②French: You know, I am overburdened with work, but it would be callous to leave you alone.You also know that what I say to you is the only thing that works. "Well, my friend, we're leaving tomorrow at last," he said to him once, closing his eyes, and running his fingers over his arms, one by one, as if what he was saying was a long, long time ago between them. previously decided what to say, and it was impossible to decide otherwise.

"We are leaving to-morrow, and I will put you in my carriage. I am very glad. Our important business here is done. I should have gone long ago. You see, I have a letter from the Minister. I am for you Pleading with him, you have been incorporated into the diplomatic mission and hired as a low-level attendant. Now you have a broad road to diplomacy in front of you." For all the force of Pierre's words, his weary and self-confident tone, he had thought long and hard about his fame and fortune, and was tempted to protest.But Prince Vasily interrupted him in that low, muttering tone which precluded the possibility of being interrupted, and which he usually employed in the context of persuasion.

"mais, moncher①I did this for myself, for my own conscience, so you don't need to thank me. No one has ever complained that someone spoiled him, and you will be fine in the future, even if you don't do it tomorrow. You will see everything clearly in Petersburg. You must get rid of these terrible memories a long time ago," Prince Vasili sighed. Let's go with the car. Oh, yes, I forgot," Prince Vasili added, "moncher," ②You know, I have an old debt with the deceased, a sum of money sent by Ryazan, I Got it, keep it, you don't need money right now, we'll settle the accounts later. "

-------- ① French: But, my dear. ②French: my friend. The "money sent by Ryazan" that Prince Vasili mentioned was a few thousand rubles for the rent of the agent, and Prince Vasily kept this money with him. In Petersburg, as in Moscow, Pierre was surrounded by an atmosphere of mild-natured people who loved him.He could not refuse an errand, or rather a position (since he had nothing to do), that Prince Vasili offered him, and there were so many acquaintances, invitations, and social activities that Pierre felt more of a mystery than in Moscow. A vague feeling of busyness, a sense of imminent and unfulfilled happiness.

Many of his former maiden companions were not in Petersburg.The Guards went on an expedition.Dolokhov had been demoted, Anatole was serving in the provincial army, and Prince Andrew was abroad, so that Pierre could neither enjoy spending time as he used to, nor be respected with an older man. Friends of my friends relieved their depression in the chat.He spent all his time at lunches, at balls, and above all at Prince Vasily's house—in the small company of the fat princess, his wife, and the beautiful Helen. Anna Pavlovna Scherier, like everyone else, had a change in her attitude toward Pierre, a change which had taken place in the society's opinion of him. Before, Pierre had often felt in Anna Pavlovna's presence that what he said was impolite, inappropriate, and that he said things that were inappropriate to say.He always felt that what he was going to say was sensible when he was preparing his speech in his head, but when he said it out loud, it became stupid.Hippolyte, on the other hand, said the most stupid things, but they were regarded as wise and beautiful.Today, whatever he says is considered charmant.Even if Anna Pavlovna had remained silent, he would have noticed that she wanted to say it, and out of respect for his modesty she had refrained from saying it. From the beginning of the winter of 1805 to 1806 Pierre received from Anna Pavlovna a plain rose-colored invitation with the addition: " Voustrouverezchezmoilabelle Helene, qu'onneselassejamaisvoir."② -------- ①French: very pleasant to hear. ②French: "There is a very beautiful Helen who will never get tired of seeing and coming to me." When Pierre read this passage, he felt for the first time that a certain relationship, recognized by others, was growing between him and Helene.The thought frightened him, as if he were taking on an obligation which he could not fulfill, and at the same time it cheered him up as an amusing idea. The evening held by Anna Pavlovna was the same as the first one, only a new dish that Anna Pavlovna used to entertain her guests, and now it was not Mortmar, but a diplomat from Berlin. Sir, he brought detailed news—the stay of the Emperor Alexander at Potsdam, where two most noble friends swore an eternal and unbreakable alliance for a just cause against the enemies of mankind.Pierre was received by Anna Pavlovna, who showed a little melancholy, evidently because the young man had lost his father not long ago—the death of Count Bezukhov had touched Anna's heart (it is always believed that convincing Pierre that it was their own duty to make him mourn the death of a father whom he barely knew), and she expressed a little melancholy as if she had mentioned the Empress Dowager Maria Fyodorovna The same grief that was expressed at the time.This honored Pierre deeply.Anna Pavlovna organized the guests in her drawing-room into groups in her usual way.The large group of Prince Vasili and several generals used a diplomat.Another group was seated at the coffee table, and Pierre wanted to join the first group, but Anna Pavlovna was in a state of agitation, like a general on the battlefield with thousands of best strategies in his mind at this moment. , but it seems that it has not been realized one by one.When she saw Pierre, she ran her fingers over his sleeve. "Attendezjaidesvuessurvouspourcesoir." ① She looked at Helen and smiled at her. -------- ①French: Wait a minute, I plan to talk to you tonight. "Mabonne Helene, ilfaut, quevoussoyezcharitablepourmapauvretante, quiauneadorationpourvous, Allezluitenircompagniepour10minutes. ①In order not to make you feel lonely, here is a lovely Count, who is happy to take care of you." The pretty girl went up to her aunt, but Anna Pavlovna kept Pierre by her side, and pretended that she was about to make one last necessary order. "How charming she is, isn't she?" she said to Pierre, pointing to the wonderful girl who walked away slowly and solemnly, "Etquelletenue! Such a young girl is good at keeping a proper manner! It is An expression from the heart! Whoever possesses her will be happiest. An unsocial husband will occupy a very prominent position in high society with her. Isn't it? I just want to know you opinion." And Anna Pavlovna made Pierre go away. -------- ①French: My dear Helen, please be kind to my poor aunt, who loves you.You stay with her for ten minutes or so. ②French: How elegant is her manner! Pierre answered Anna Pavlovna's questions about Helene's manner with great sincerity and certainty.If he ever thought of Helen, it was her beauty, her quiet, quiet self-respect in society, that he thought of. The aunt received the two young men in a corner, but she seemed to want to conceal her affection for Helene, and to show more of her fright in the presence of Anna Pavlovna.She looked at her niece as if wondering how she should deal with these people.Anna Pavlovna, as she was leaving them, touched Pierre's sleeve again with her finger, and said: "J'espere, quevousnedirez plus qu'ons'ennuiechezmoi." ① She glanced at Helen. -------- ①French: I hope you will stop talking next time, I feel lonely and boring here. Helen smiled sweetly, that way she didn't allow anyone to see her without being seduced.The aunt coughed a few times, cleared her throat, swallowed, and spoke in French. She was very happy to see Helen, and then turned to Pierre, using the same words to ask how he was, and showing the same expression.In the midst of the dull, uncontinuable conversation, Helene looked back at Pierre and smiled at him, a smile that was safe and charming, as she smiled in everyone's presence.Pierre was used to this kind of smile, he thought it meant so little, and he didn't pay attention to it.At this moment the aunt was talking about Pierre's late father, Count Bezukhov's collection of snuff bottles, and showed everyone his own.Princess Helen would like to see the portrait of her uncle inlaid in this snuff box. "It must have been created by Vignes," said Pierre, mentioning the name of the famous miniaturist, and leaning over the table, taking up his snuffbox, he continued to listen to the chatter at the other table. . He bowed and wanted to go around, but his aunt was passing the smoking bottle from behind Helen.Helen bent forward to get out of the way, and looked back with a smile on her face.She wore, as she usually does at parties, a fashionable open-chested dress, and Pierre, who had always thought her breasts white and smooth as marble, was now so close to his eyes that he could not help using them. His short-sighted eyes saw her very charming shoulders and neck, and they were so close to her lips that he had only to bend down a little to touch her.He smelled the heat and perfume of her body, and heard the rustling sound of her corset when her upper body moved.What he saw was not the marble beauty that merged with her dress, what he saw and felt was the charming beauty of her body, which was only scattered at the armpits, and seeing this layer, he could not go to see it. Look no further, it's like the scam has been identified and we can't fall for it anymore. "Haven't you realized how beautiful I am?" Helen seemed to be talking. "Didn't you see that I am a woman? Yes, I am a woman, and I can belong to anyone, and I can belong to you," said her glance.At that very moment, Pierre felt in his heart that Helen not only could, but should become his wife, and there was no other possibility. At this moment, he knew it with certainty, as if he and she were being married in a church.How should this matter be handled?When will it be done?He didn't know, he didn't even know, whether it was advisable (he even felt that it was somehow not advisable), but he knew that it had to be done. Pierre lowered his eyes and raised them again, trying again to see her as a distant beauty who was alien to him, as he had seen her every day before, but he could no longer do so.It is like someone who once looked at a grass in the wild wormwood in the mist and regarded it as a tree. After he saw the grass clearly, he could no longer regard it as a tree.She was too close to him.She was already dominating him.There was no barrier between him and her, save the barrier of his own will. "Bon, jevouslaissedansvotrepetitcoin. Jevois, quevousyetestresbien." Anna Pavlovna's voice could be heard. -------- ①French: Okay, I'll leave you in your corner.I see that you feel fine there. Pierre, horrified to recall whether he had done something unseemly, blushed and looked around.It seemed to him that everyone, like him, knew what had happened to him. Then, as he approached the large party, Anna Pavlovna said to him: "Onditque vousembellissezvotre maison de Petersbourg."① (It's true: the architect says he's about to do it, and even Pierre himself doesn't know why he's furnishing his tall Petersburg house.) "Cestbien, maisnedemenagezpasdechezleprinceBasile.Ilestbond'avoirunamicommeleprince," she said to Prince Vasily, smiling. "J'ensaisquelque chose N'est-cepas? But you are so young. What you need is advice. Don't be angry with me and say that I have abused the rights of an old woman." She was silent, as women usually talk After reaching my own age, as if I wanted to wait for something, I didn't want to speak. "If you're married, that's another matter." And she connected their eyes.Pierre did not look at Helene, nor did she look at him.But she was still very close to him.He mooed and blushed. -------- ①French: It is said that you are decorating your Petersburg residence. ②French: This is very good.But you don't want to move from Prince Vasily's house.It is good to have such a friend.I know a thing or two about this.Tell me about it, can't you? When Pierre came home, he could not sleep for a long time, wondering what had happened to him.What happened to him?Nothing happened.All he understood was that he knew a woman when he was a child, and about this woman, he casually said, "Yes, very iconic." When someone told him that Helen was a wonderful girl, he knew in his heart that this woman might belongs to him. "But she's stupid, and I said she was stupid myself," he thought to himself, "and there's something vile and outlawed in one of the emotions she arouses in me. I've been told that her Her brother Anatole was in love with her, she was in love with him, there was a whole history of love between them, Anatole was kicked out of the house because of it, Hippolyte was her brother... Vasily The duke is her father...too bad..." he thought, and as he made these remarks (these were not over), he found himself smiling and realizing that, from the previous series of remarks, He thought of her insignificance at the same time, fantasized that she would be his wife, that she would love him, that she would be a very different woman, and that what he thought and heard about her might be different. lie.He did not see her as Prince Vasily's daughter, but all he saw was her body covered in a gray dress. "No, why didn't I have such a thought before?" he said to himself again. It was impossible, and it seemed to him that there was something base, unnatural, unnatural in this marriage. Upright stuff.He thought back to what she had said, what she had said, what those who had seen them when they were together had said and thought.He recalled what Anna Pavlovna had said to him about the house, what she had said about the house, and the thousands of such hints made by Prince Vasili and others, and he was terrified, whether he would By what to bind himself to do something so obviously vile that he should not have done it.But while he was professing this determination to himself, from the other side of her soul was emerging the image of her whole femininity.