Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

The balls at Iogel's house were the happiest in Moscow.That's what women say when they see their adolescentes dancing their just-learned steps; Come to the ball for some soul-wrenching fun.That year, two marriages were held at the ball.Two handsome princesses of the Gorchakov family had found fiancés and were married, and the ball was famous for it.The absence of the hostess and hostess is a characteristic of the ball: the kind-hearted Jogel, fluttering like a flying feather, is very expert in saluting feet together, and he collects fees from all the guests for his lectures.And only people who want to dance and have fun come to balls, as girls of thirteen or fourteen feel this way about wearing a long dress for the first time, and the other.With a few exceptions, all of them were beautiful, or looked to be beautiful, and they all smiled cheerfully and had bright gleams in their eyes.The fine girls sometimes even danced the pas de cha Ble, and here the curvaceous Natasha stood out; at this last ball they danced only Scotch, English, and the just-fashioned Mazurka.Iogel occupied the hall at Bezukhov's house, and the ball, as they say, was a great success.There were many pretty girls at the ball, and the Rostovs were the best of the bunch.Both of them were very happy and cheerful.That evening, Sonya seemed proud that Dolokhov had proposed to her, she had refused, and she had professed love to Nikolay, and she was dancing around the house so that the maid could not finish her grooming. braids, while her face glowed with excitement and joy.

-------- ①French: juvenile. Natasha was equally proud that for the first time she wore a long dress to a real ball, and she felt happier.They all wore white gauze dresses with rose-coloured ribbons. From the moment Natasha walked in to the ball she was in love.She wasn't in love with anyone in particular, but she was in love with everyone.Whenever she looked at anyone, she fell in love with him when she looked at him. "Oh, wonderful!" she said when she ran up to Sonia. Nikolai and Denisov wandered about the halls, looking around at the dancing people with gentle and protective expressions.

"How lovely she is, she will be a beauty," said Denisov. "who is it?" "Countess Natasha," Denisov replied. -------- ① French: shawl dance. "She dances so well, so gracefully!" he added after a moment's silence. "Who are you talking about?" "It's your sister," cried Denisov angrily. Rostov smiled coldly. "Monchercomte, vousetesl'undemesmeilleurscoliers, ilfautquevousdanisiez," the little Jogel approached Nicholas, and said, "Voyezcombiendejoliesdemoiselles." He likewise invited Denisov, who had been his former pupil.

"Non, moncher, jeferaitapisserie," said Denisov, -------- ① French: Dear Earl, you are one of my top students.You should dance. ② French: You see, there are many beautiful girls. ③French: No, my dear, I'd better sit down and watch for a while. "Don't you remember now that I don't know how to apply this lesson you teach? . . . " "Oh, no!" Jogel quickly comforted him, "You just don't pay much attention, but you are talented, yes, you are talented." They played the popular Mazurka again.Nikolai failed to refuse Iogel and invited Sonia to dance.Denisov sat down beside the old women, leaned his elbows on his saber, stamped his feet in time, made the old women laugh by talking cheerfully, and looked now and then at the dancing youths.Jogel and his proud top student Natasha formed the first couple to dance.Jogel calmly and softly moved his little feet in short boots and leather shoes, followed by Natasha, who was timid but tried her best to dance all kinds of dance steps, first danced in the ballroom.Denisov, looking intently at her and beating time with his saber, showed that he himself did not dance because he did not want to dance, and not because he could not.In the middle of the dance he called to Rostov, who was passing by him.

"That's not the case at all," he said. "Is it the Polish Mazurka? But she dances beautifully." Knowing that Denisov was famous even in Poland for his skill in dancing the Polish mazurka, Nikolai ran up to Natasha and said: "Choose Denisov. He dances well! Wonderful!" he said. When it was Natasha's turn again, she stood up, moved quickly her little feet in bow boots, and ran shyly alone across the ballroom to the corner where Denisov was sitting. .She saw that everyone was looking at her, waiting.Nikolai saw Denisov and Natasha smiling and arguing about something. Denisov refused, but he smiled happily.

He ran forward. "Vassily Dmitritch, please," said Natasha, "let's dance together, please." "Why, countess, please excuse me, don't trouble me," said Denisov. "That's enough, Vasya," said Nikolai. "It's like trying to persuade a tomcat, Vasika," Denisov said jokingly. "I'll sing to you all night from now on," said Natasha. "Do whatever you want with me, Sorceress!" said Denisov, taking off his saber.Denisov stepped out from behind some chairs, firmly held the hand of his partner, raised his head a little, stretched out one leg, and waited for the beat of the music.Denisov's diminutive figure could not be seen clearly only when riding a horse and dancing the mazurka, so he pretended to be a handsome young man who even felt himself, and he waited for the beat of the music. At the beginning of the festival, he looked at his partner from the side triumphantly and humorously. Suddenly, he tapped one foot lightly, and it was as elastic as a small ball. He jumped up from the floor and led his female partner along the Looking at the circular dance floor, it spun like flying.He ran across half the ballroom on one foot without making a sound, as if he didn't see the chairs before him, and he rushed forward with all his strength, but suddenly his spurs clashed. With a sound, he spread his legs apart, landed on his heels, and stood still for a second.In the sound of the spurs hitting, his feet stomped on the spot. While turning rapidly, he tapped his right foot lightly with his left foot, and swirled quickly along the circular dance floor.Natasha was guessing what he was going to do, but she didn't know how she let him dictate and walked behind him, sometimes he turned her around, sometimes with her right hand, sometimes with her left hand, sometimes bent Bending his knees, guiding her to turn around him, he stood up abruptly, and rushed forward, as if he was going to run through the rooms without panting, and then suddenly stopped and jumped out unexpectedly. A new trick.As he turned his partner briskly in front of her seat, he bumped his spurs and bowed to her.Natasha did not even curtsy to him.She fixed her eyes on him in bewilderment and smiled as if she didn't recognize him.

"What the hell is going on here?" she said. Although Jogel didn't think it was a real mazurka, everyone admired Denisov's skills and started picking him out as a partner, and the old man smiled and started talking about Poland and the good old days .Denisov, flushed with exhaustion from dancing the mazurka, wiped his face with his handkerchief.Sitting down next to Natasha, no one at the ball left her.