Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen

On December 31st, the eve of New Year's Day in 1810, lereveillon, a high official of Catherine II's time, held a ball.Officials from the diplomatic corps and the king were to come to the ball. -------- ① French: Eve (New Year's Eve). On the English Coastal Street, the buildings of famous high officials are brilliantly illuminated by countless colored lights.The police stood on the brightly illuminated red velvet-carpeted steps, where not only the gendarme but the chief of police and dozens of officers stood guard.Many light carriages drove out, and many more drove to the door." "Husband Yi, open things into business, risk the way of the world, that's all." There are some people wearing red uniforms or wearing red clothes on the light carriage. Servant with plumed hat.Men in livery, with stars and ribbons, stepped out of the carriages, and ladies in satin dresses and ermine coats stepped cautiously down the pedals which had been let down with a clatter, and then Walked quickly and silently along the red baize carpet on the steps.

Almost every time a hansom drove up to the door, there was a murmur among the crowd, and people took off their hats. "King?...No, Minister...Prince...Minister...Can't you see the plume?..." Voices could be heard from the crowd.One of the best-dressed men in the crowd seemed to know everyone, calling out the names of the most famous dignitaries of the day. One-third of the guests have come to the ball, but the Rostov family, who must attend the ball, are busy getting ready to go. The Rostovs talked a lot about the ball, made a lot of preparations, and they were too much worried about it, that they would not get invitations, that the costumes would not be complete, and that everything that had to be arranged would not be arranged.

The Rostov family was accompanied by Maria Ignatievna Peronskaya, a friend and relative of the Countess, a emaciated court lady of the old dynasty, and a provincial Rose The Tove House was the guide of Petersburg high society. At ten o'clock in the evening the Rostovs were going to the Daulida Gardens to look for the ladies of the court, but it was only five minutes before ten o'clock, and the ladies were not yet dressed. For the first time in her life Natasha attended a big ball.She got up at eight o'clock that morning and was in a state of agitation and fuss all day long.From early in the morning she concentrated all her energies on one thing, making them: herself, her mother, Sonia - all well dressed.Sonia and the Countess depended entirely on her care.The Countess was to wear a fuchsia velvet dress, and they both wore rose-coloured silk petticoats over white tulle dresses with roses at their stiff belts.The hairstyle should be made alagreeque①.

-------- ①French: Greek style. The most important things have been done: the hands, feet, neck and ears have been washed with special care, perfumed, powdered, fit for a ball, silk stockings and belts have been put on. White satin shoes with a bow, and the hairstyle is almost done.Sonya was about to get dressed, and the countess was about to be dressed, but Natasha was lagging behind, because she was taking care of everyone.She also sat in front of the mirror and draped a baggy smock over her emaciated shoulders.After getting dressed, Sonia stood in the middle of the room, pinned the pin on the last sash creakingly, and hurt her slender fingers as a result.

"That's not how it was done, that's not how it was done, Sonia!" After Natasha finished speaking, she turned her head around and grabbed the maid's hair before she could relax. "Come here, flower knots are not made like that." Sonia squatted down.Natasha retied the bow in another way. "No, madam, that's not how it is done," said the maid who was holding Natasha's hair. "Oh, my God, come, we'll talk later! That's all, Sonia." "Are you almost ready?" the countess could be heard saying, "it is already ten o'clock."

"Soon to be done, soon to be done, mother, are you done?" "Just nail the straight hat on." "I'll do it, don't nail it blindly," Natasha shouted, "You're not good at it!" "It's already ten o'clock." They decided to go to the ball at ten-thirty, but Natasha was still getting dressed and they had to go to the Daurida Gardens. Natasha had her hair done, put on a short skirt with dancing shoes visible under it, and a mother's jacket, and ran up to Sonya, looked her over, and ran away. to the mother.She asked her mother to turn her head, fastened her straight hat, kissed her grizzled hair with difficulty, and ran to the maids who gave her the hems of skirts.

There was a delay for Natasha's dress, which was really long; two maids were hastily nibbling off the ends of the thread as they hemmed it up.A third ran from the countess to Sonia with pins in her mouth; the fourth held a tulle dress aloft with her hands. "Mavrusha, hurry up, honey!" "Please pass me the thimble, madam." "It's almost ready, what's the matter?" said the count, coming in from the door. "Here's your perfume. Peronskaya has waited too long." "Miss, it's done." The maid said, holding up a tulle dress with two fingers on the edge, blowing and shaking it a few times. The stuff is gauzy and clean.

Natasha started wearing dresses. "Dad, don't come in, make it right now, make it right now." She called from under the tulle skirt that covered her whole face to her father who opened the door.Sonia slammed the door shut.A minute later they let the count in.He wore a blue tailcoat, long socks and low leather shoes, and he was perfumed and his hair smoothed with pomade. "Oh, Papa, how pretty you are, how pretty!" said Natasha, standing in the middle of the room, smoothing out the folds of the tulle. "Wait a minute, miss, a moment," said the maid, on her knees, straightening her dress and moving the pin from one corner of her mouth to the other with her tongue.

"Just listen!" Sonia looked at Natasha's dress and shouted in that disappointing tone, "whatever you want, it's still too long!" Natasha stepped back and looked in the mirror in the window. The dress is too long. "Really, ma'am, not at all," said Mavrusha, crawling on the floor after the young lady. "Well, it's too long, let's do a few stitches, and it will be done in a moment." Dunyasha said decisively, she took out a needle from the handkerchief on her chest, and knelt on the floor again Do her job. At this time, the countess walked in shyly, wearing a tall millinery hat and a velvet dress, with slow steps.

"Hey, my beauty!" cried the count. "She's prettier than all of you! . . . " He tried to hug her, but she blushed and stepped aside so as not to wrinkle her dress. "Mother, put your straight hat on one side," said Natasha. "I'll use a needle to fasten it for you." She ran forward suddenly, and the maids who were fringing the skirt didn't have time to follow her and tore off a small piece of tulle. "My God! What's going on! I really haven't made a mistake..." "It's okay, I'll give you a few stitches, and it won't be obvious." Dunyasha said.

"Beauties, my beauties!" said the nurse who came in from the door, "Sonia, ah, these beauties! . . . " At a quarter past ten they finally got into the carriage and set off.But we still have to stop by the Daolida Gardens. Peronskaya was already dressed.Although she was old and ugly, she behaved like the Rostov House; Her body, however, was perfumed and powdered, washed very clean, and behind her ears as spotless as possible, just as in the Rostovs' house, when she came into the living room in a yellow dress embroidered with flowers. Even the old lady-in-waiting took pleasure in admiring her lady's attire.Peronskaya praised the Rostov House for its appearance. The Rostovs praised her taste and dress, and, besides, they took care of their hair and dresses, and at eleven o'clock they all sat down in the carriage and set off.