Chapter 2 Chapter two

Prince Andrew had to meet with the chief nobleman of the county because he was in charge of the guardianship of the Ryazan domain.The chief nobleman was Count Ilya Andreich Rostov.Prince Andrew then went to visit him in the middle of May. It is already the hot season in spring.The trees in the forest were covered with leaves, the dust on the road was flying everywhere, and the heat was overwhelming. When passing by a place with water, I couldn't help but want to take a bath. As Prince Andrew approached the Rostovs' lodgings in the village of Otradnoe along the garden avenue, he felt displeased and worried, thinking that he should ask the chief nobleman something.From the woods on the right he heard the joyful voices of the women, and saw a group of galloping girls blocking his carriage.A slender, remarkably slender, black-haired, dark-eyed girl in a yellow calico dress came running up to the carriage at the head, with a white handkerchief wrapped around her head, from under which she peeped out her smoothed-out locks. hair.The girl said something aloud, but when she recognized the stranger, she ran back laughing without looking carefully.

Prince Andrei suddenly felt uneasy for some reason.The days are so beautiful, the sun so bright, and everything around is so jubilant; and this slender and pretty girl doesn't know, and doesn't want to know, that he exists, who alone transfers his natural rights to the indentured master , the state is born.His, presumably foolish, but joyful and happy life filled her with satisfaction and happiness. "Why is she so happy? What is she thinking? She didn't think of military regulations, she didn't think of Ryazan's rent system. What is she thinking? Why is she happy?" Prince Andrew couldn't help being curious mood to ask myself.

In 1809 Count Ilya Andreitch was still living in Otradnoe as before, received guests from almost all the province, invited them to hunt, to the theater, to banquets, to listen to musicians .Prince Andrei, like every newcomer, pleased him so much that he took almost pains to keep him for lodging. Prince Andrei was received by the two elderly hosts and some distinguished guests from the town during that lonely, dull day, and the old count's house was crowded with the town's guests as the name-day approached.Bolkonski kept staring at Natasha several times, and for some reason she was smiling happily, entertaining the other half of the youth, and he kept asking himself: "What is she thinking? Why is she so happy?"

At night, he stayed alone in his new residence, unable to fall asleep for a long time.He reads for a while, blows out the candle, and lights it again.The shutters in the room were closed from the inside, and it was stuffy.He complained that the stupid old man (as he called Rostov) was rationalistic.See "Tianwen" in "Literature". , because the old man had delayed him by assuring him that the necessary documents for the city had not yet arrived, and he also complained that he should not have stayed. Prince Andrew got up, went to the window, opened it, and as soon as he opened the shutters, the moonlight burst into the room, as if it had been waiting by the window.He opens the window.The night was cold, still and bright.Immediately in front of the window was a row of pruned trees, dark black on one side and silvery on the other.Under these trees grows a succulent, moist, lush plant, some with silvery leaves and twigs.Behind the black trees farther away, there is a roof shining with dew, and on the right is a big tree with lush branches and dazzling white trunk and branches. Above, hanging in a bright, almost starless spring sky.Prince Andrew leaned on the window-sill with his elbows, and fixed his eyes on the sky.

Prince Andrei's room was on the middle floor, and there were people above him, and they were still awake.He heard the woman's voice from above. "Just one more time," said a woman's voice from above, whose voice Prince Andrew recognized immediately. "When exactly do you go to bed?" Another voice can be heard answering. "I don't sleep, I can't fall asleep, what should I do! Hey, last time..." Two women opened their voices and sang a phrase—the end of a song. "Oh, that's wonderful! Come on, now go to bed, it's over." "Go to sleep, I can't sleep." The voice of the first person near the window can be heard answering.Evidently she was leaning out of the window completely, for the rustle of her dress could be heard, and even her breathing could be heard.All was still and motionless, like the moon, its light, and its shadows.Prince Andrei did not dare to move even the slightest bit, in order not to betray his accidental presence.

"Sonya! Sonia!" The voice of the first person was heard again. "Hey, how can you sleep! Look, how charming! Oh, how charming! Sonia, wake you up." Said almost in a sobbing voice, "You know, there has never been such a charming night." Sonia answered something unwillingly. "But look, what a moonlight it is! . Better hold your knees like this, hold them tighter, hold them tighter as much as you can, and you'll have to get your strength together before you fly up. Look, that's it!" "Enough, you're going to fall." The sound of struggling and Sonya's dissatisfied voice can be heard:

"Look, it's past one o'clock." "Oh, you'll only hurt me. Come on, you go, you go." Everything was silent again, but Prince Andrei knew that she was still sitting there, and he heard now a slight movement, now a sigh. "Oh, my God! My God! What the hell is going on!" she exclaimed suddenly, "Go to sleep!" and she slammed the window shut. "Don't care about my existence!" Prince Andrew thought, listening to her, wondering why he expected and yet was afraid that she would mention something about him. "It's her again! As if on purpose!" he thought.Suddenly the unexpected jumble of youthful thoughts and hopes, which contradicted his whole life, came to him, and feeling unable to explain this state of mind to himself, he immediately fell asleep.