Chapter 5 chapter Five

The day after Pierre joined the Masonic chapter, he sat at home reading a book, trying to figure out the meaning of the square, one side of which depicted God, the other side symbolized the spirit, the third side the flesh, and the fourth side Mark the mixture.Sometimes he put down his books and squares and made plans for a new life in his mind.It had been said to him yesterday at the Freemasonry that it would have been wiser for Pierre to leave Petersburg in time when the King learned of the duel.Pierre intends to go to the southern territory to take care of the farmers' affairs.Prince Vasily was happily considering the blueprints for this new life when he suddenly entered the room.

"My darling, what have you done in Moscow? Why did you quarrel with Helen, moncher? You have gone astray," said Prince Vasily, entering the room. "I know everything, and I can tell you the truth , Helen did not offend you, just as Christ did not offend the Jews." -------- ①French: My dear. Pierre wanted to answer, but the prince interrupted him. "Why don't you just talk to me straight up, as you would a friend? I know everything, I understand everything," he said. I'm getting impatient, but we won't comment on this matter. Please remember what position you place her and me in the eyes of the whole society and even the court," he added, lowering his voice.

"She lives in Moscow, and you are here. My dear, please remember." He took his hand and pressed it. "It is only a misunderstanding: I think you have experienced it yourself. You and I will write to her at once, and she'll come here and explain everything, or, my dear, I tell you, you'll be in for a hard time." Prince Vasili glanced dignifiedly at Pierre. "I learned from reliable sources that the widowed empress dowager is very concerned about this matter. You know, she loves Helen very much." Pierre was several times ready to speak, but, on the one hand, Prince Vasili would not allow him to speak, and on the other hand, Pierre himself was afraid to answer his father-in-law decisively in the tone of refusal and disapproval.In addition, he recalled the phrase "Let every man be amiable" in the constitution of the Freemasonry.Frowning and flushed, he stood up and sat down again, wrestling with the hardest problem of his life—saying disgusting things in front of someone, whoever he was, saying Say something unexpected for this person.He was so used to listening to Prince Vasili's casually confident tone that he now felt that he could not object to it, but he also felt that his whole future fate depended on what he was about to say: whether he would follow the old path. either by going the old way, or by a new and charming one which the Masons showed him, in which he firmly believed that he would be reborn.

"Hey, my dear," said Prince Vasili jokingly, "please say 'yes' and I will write to her, and then we will slaughter a fat calf." At the end, Pierre looked furious like his father, and without looking into the eyes of his interlocutor, he whispered: "Duke, I didn't call you here, please go, you go!" He jumped up and opened the door for him. "Go away," he repeated, not believing that he had become like this, and at the same time pleased with the embarrassment and terror on Prince Vasily's face. "What's the matter with you? Are you sick?"

"Let's go!" The trembling voice was heard again.Prince Vasili had no choice but to go as he had not received any explanatory reply from Pierre. After a week, Pierre bid farewell to his new friends, the Masons, left them a large sum of money, and then set off for his territory.His new senior brother gave him several letters to the local Freemasons in Kyiv and Odessa, and promised to write to him and guide him in new activities.