Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen

The pilgrim fell silent and took part in the conversation again, and she spoke for a long time about Father Amfilosi, who lived a holy life and whose hand smelled of divine incense, and who spoke Some monks she knew had given her a key to the cave during her latest wanderings in Kyiv, and she took rusks with her in the cave for two days and nights with a few pilgrims. "I prayed to a holy corpse, said the prayer, and walked to another holy corpse. I took a nap, and kissed the holy thing with respect, and God, how quiet it was, how comfortable it was. It makes people not want to go back to the outside world.”

Pierre listened to her very carefully and attentively.Prince Andrey left the room, and after he had gone, Princess Marya left the priests to drink tea slowly, and she led Pierre into the drawing room. "You are charitable," she said to him. "Well, I really don't want to insult her. I understand and cherish this feeling very much." Princess Marya glanced at him silently and smiled softly. "I know I've known you for a long time, and I love you like a brother," she said. "What do you think of Andre?" "He disturbed me very much. His health improved over the winter, but last spring he had a relapse of an old injury and the doctor said he should be treated. So I was very worried about him mentally. His His temperament is different from that of our women. He is not good at suffering in sorrow, and vents his pain by crying. He is suffering in his heart. Today his spirit is uplifted and his mood is very happy. This is what your presence has brought to him Influence, he is rarely like that. If you could persuade him to go abroad! What he needs is work, and this quiet life will ruin him. Others do not see this, but I see figured it out."

A little after nine o'clock, when the bells of the old prince's chaise jingled, the waiters hurried up to the steps.Prince Andrew and Pierre also mounted the steps. "Who is this?" asked the old prince, getting out of the carriage and seeing Pierre. "Ah! I'm so glad! Come and kiss," he said when he knew who the unknown young man was. The old prince was in a good mood, and treated Pierre affectionately. Returning to his father's study just before supper, Prince Andrew found the old prince and Pierre arguing passionately.Pierre proved that the time must come when there will be no more wars.The old prince joked a bit, without losing his temper, and took issue with what he said.

"Let the blood out of the veins, pour some water, and then there will be no war. Women's ravings, women's ravings." He said, but still patted Pierre on the shoulder kindly, and he walked to the table , Prince Andrew, it seemed, did not want to take part in the conversation, and was at the table looking through the papers his father had brought from the city.The old prince came up to him and began to talk about something. "Count Rostov, the chief nobleman, did not send half of his troops. He arrived in the city and suddenly wanted to invite me to a luncheon. I held a luncheon for him... Please read this document... Hello, my own people ’ said Prince Nikolai Andreitch, patting Pierre on the shoulder, and turning to his son, ‘you have a good friend, I like him! He excites me. Others will too. Whispers, but I don't want to hear them, and he'd be lying and it'd excite me, an old man. Say, go, go," he said, "I'm going to come to your dinner, I suppose. I'm going to argue. You love my silly girl, Princess Maria," he called to Pierre through the door.

Only now at Bald Mountain did Pierre appreciate the full charm and usefulness of his friendship with Prince Andrew.This charm is not so much expressed in his relationship with himself, but rather in his relationship with his relatives and family members.When Pierre was with the stern old prince and the docile and timid princess Maria, although he was hardly acquainted with their situation, he immediately felt that he was their old friend.They all adore him.His gentle attitude towards the female pilgrim won the favor of Princess Maria, who looked at him with piercing eyes; the one-year-old little prince Nicholas (as his grandfather called him) smiled at Pierre and looked at him. Go and let him hug him.Mihail Ivanitch and Mademoiselle Bourienne looked at him with pleasant smiles while he was talking to the old prince.

The old prince came out to supper, apparently on Pierre's account.During the two days he stayed in Bald Mountain, the old prince was very kind to Pierre, and asked him to come to him often in the future. After Pierre's departure, the whole family gathered to judge him, as is often the case when newcomers leave.And it was rare for the whole family to speak well of him.