Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

On the third day after Christmas, Nicholas had lunch at home, which was a rare thing for him these days.It was a formal farewell lunch, as he and Denisov were leaving for the regiment after the Epiphany.About twenty people attended the luncheon, including Dolokhov and Denisov. Never in the Rostovs' house was the atmosphere of love, of infatuation, so strongly felt as during the holidays. "Seize the moment of happiness, force yourself to be in love with another, let yourself be intoxicated with love! Only this is the real life on earth, all the rest is nonsense. We are busy here This is exactly what happened." The atmosphere seemed to speak.

As usual, Nikolai had exhausted his four horses, and had not had time to visit the places where he was going and where he had been invited, and he returned home just in time for lunch.No sooner had he entered than he noticed and felt that there was an air of intense love in the house, and that, moreover, he noticed a strange panic in full play among the few society persons.Sonia, Dolokhov, and the old countess were particularly anxious, and Natasha was also a little uneasy.Nikolai understood that something must have happened between Sonya and Dolokhov before lunch, during which he treated them both very tenderly and carefully, with all the tenderness inherent in him.On the third night of the festive season, a dance party must be held at the home of Yogel (the teacher who teaches dancing). He must hold a dance party for male and female students every festive season.

"Nikolenka, are you going to Igor's? Please go," Natasha said to him. "He invited you specially, Vasily Dmitrich (he is Denisov )also go." "At the countess's orders, I dare not go anywhere!" said Denisov, who at the Rostov's had humorously disguised himself as Natasha's knight, "I'm going to dance the pas de cha Ble." -------- ① French: shawl dance. "As long as there is time! I promised Alharov that they will hold a party there," Nikolai said. "And you? . . . " he said, turning to Dolokhov.As soon as he asked about it, he realized that there was no need to ask about it.

"Yes, maybe that's the case..." Dolokhov looked at Sonia, and answered angrily and indifferently, frowning, as if looking at Pierre at a club banquet, he He glanced at Nicholas again with that look. "What a trick," Nikolay thought for a moment.Dolokhov left immediately after lunch.This made Nicholas more convinced of his speculation.He called Natasha and asked her what was the matter. "I've been looking for you," said Natasha, running up to him. "I've said so many times that you don't want to believe it," she said triumphantly. "He proposed to Sonia."

No matter how little Nicholas cared about Sonia these days, when he heard this, he seemed to lose something.Dolokhov was a respectable, and in some respects an excellent, match for the dowry and lonely Sonya.From the point of view of the old countess and the people of high society, it would not do to refuse him.Therefore, when he heard about it, his first feeling was resentment towards Sonia.He was mentally preparing to say these words: "Of course, it's best to forget the childhood promise and accept the marriage proposal." But he didn't have time to finish the sentence...

"You can imagine! She refused, completely rejected!" Natasha said, "She said that she loved someone else." She was silent for a while, and added a word. "My Sonia wouldn't do otherwise!" Nikolay thought for a moment. "No matter what mother begged her, she still refused, so I know that if she said something, she would never change it..." "Did mother beg her?" said Nikolay reproachfully. "Yes," said Natasha, "Nikolenka, you know, don't be angry, but I know you won't marry her. I know, God knows why, I do know, you won't married her."

"Come, you'll never know that," said Nicholas, "but I should talk to her. How beautiful this Sonia is!" he added, smiling. "She's very pretty! I'll bring her to you," and Natasha kissed her brother, and ran away. A minute later, Sonia walked in, panicked, bewildered, and confessed.Nikolay went up to her and kissed her hand.It was the first time since he had come home that the two of them had expressed their love alone. "Sophie (Sonia as she is called in French)," he said, timid at first, then more and more courageous, "since you are rejecting him as a spouse who is not only excellent but useful to you, he is a perfect, Noble man . . . he is my friend . . . "

Sonia interrupted him. "I have already refused." She said quickly. "If you refuse for me, then I'm afraid I..." Sonia interrupted him again.She looked at him with pleading, terrified eyes. "Nicholas, don't mention this to me," she said. "No, I should. Maybe it's my suffiance, but it's better to tell the whole story. If you refuse for me, then I should tell you the whole truth. I love you, I think, I I love you the most..." -------- ① French: The performance of overconfidence. "I'm satisfied," Sonia said, flushing.

"No, I have been in love a thousand times, and I will be in love again, though I am not as friendly to anyone as I am to you. And I am too young for my mother to wish me to. I don't promise anything. I want you to consider Dolokhov's proposal." He said this, trying to name his friend. "Please don't talk to me about it. I don't want anything. I love you like a brother and always will, and I don't need anything else." "You are an angel, and I am not worthy of you, but I am only afraid of deceiving you." Nikolai kissed her hand again.