Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

Since early that morning Natasha had not had a moment free, not once had she thought about what was going to happen to her. For the first time in the damp cold air, in the closeness and half-light of the bumping carriage, she imagined vividly what awaited her at the ball, in the brightly lit hall. : music, flowers, dances, kings, brilliant youth of all Petersburg.The prospect that awaited her was so beautiful that she did not even believe it could be possible: for it was so out of character with the cold, crowded and dim impression of the carriage.It was only when she walked across the red baize carpet on the steps, entered the outer room, took off her fur coat, and climbed up the brightly lit staircase with flowers in between, in front of her mother, that she understood what was waiting for her. everything of.It was only then that she remembered how she should behave in a ballroom, and tried to adopt the dignity she thought a girl must have at a ball.But fortunately she felt that she was on the verge of being dazzled, that everything was blurry, her pulse was beating a hundred times a minute, and the blood was rushing into her heart.She could not assume the attitude that made her ridiculous, so she walked on, frozen with excitement, doing all she could to conceal it.It was a gesture that suited her best.Guests came in behind them, talking in the same soft voice, and also in ball gowns.Wall mirrors on the stairs reflected the figures of ladies in white, sky-blue and rose dresses, with diamonds and pearls adorning their bare arms and necks.

Natasha looked in the mirror and could not distinguish herself from others in the reflection.All this mixed into a colorful queue.At the entrance to the first hall Natasha was deafened by the unhurried voices, the clatter of footsteps, and the cheers of the people, and her eyes were still more dazzled by the bright lights and flashes of dresses.The hostess and hostess stood by the entrance door for half an hour, saying the same words to all the visitors: "chanrmedevous voir", and welcoming the Rostovs and Peronskaya in the same way. The two little girls, in white dresses and with the same rose in their jet-black hair, made the same curtsy, but the mistress could not help keeping her eyes on the slender Natasha for a longer time.She glanced at her, and bestowed on her the "Jia Yi" in "Mistress's Smile Learning". In addition, she bestowed a special smile. The hostess looked at her, probably thinking of her lost gold. Girlhood and her first ball. The master also followed Natasha with his eyes and asked the count which one was his daughter?

"Charmante!" he said after kissing his fingertips. -------- ① French: We are very, very happy to see you. ②French: very cute! Some of the guests stood in the hall, sometimes crowding the entrance door, waiting for the king to come.The countess sat down in the front row of the group.Natasha heard and felt that several people asked her and looked at her.She knew that those who paid attention to her loved her in their hearts, and this observation comforted her a little. "There are some people like us, and some people are not as good as us." She thought for a while. Peronskaya spoke to the countess the names of the most prestigious persons who had attended the ball.

"This is the Dutch ambassador, do you see? The white-haired old man," said Peronskaya, pointing to the little old man with silvery curly hair surrounded by a group of ladies whom he somehow amused All laugh. "She is the Empress of Petersburg, Countess Bezukhova." She pointed to Helen who came in. "How beautiful! She is not inferior to Marya Anovna, you see, young and old are all begging for her. She is beautiful and clever. It is said that the prince ... fell in love with her. And the two Although they are not pretty, there are more people pestering them."

-------- ①The mistress of Alexander I, known for her beauty and charm. She pointed to the lady who was walking down the hall with her ugly daughter. "It's a young girl with a dowry of millions of rubles," said Peronskaya. "You see, these are suitors." "He is Bezukhova's brother, Anatoly Kuragin," she said, pointing to a handsome man, an officer of the heavy cavalry regiment, who passed them with his head held high, Look past the ladies and look somewhere. "How beautiful he is, isn't he? It is said that he was asked to marry this rich woman. And your cousin Drubetskoy is also begging for her. They say that there are millions of rubles in the dowry." " "No, this is the French minister himself." When the countess asked who Colincourt was, she replied. "You see, he's like a tsar. After all, the French are lovely, very lovely. There's no one cuter than them in company. That's her! But our Maria Antonovna is the prettiest of all! How plainly she is dressed. She is very pretty!"

"And this fat man with glasses is a World Freemason," said Peronskaya, pointing to Bezukhov, "and he looks like a clown next to his wife!" Pierre moved his fat body, walked staggeringly, pushed through the crowd, nodded gently to the left and right, casually and gently, as if pushing through the crowd at a fair.He walked forward through the crowd, it seemed that he was looking for someone. Natasha looked with joy at the familiar face of Pierre, whom Peronskaya called a buffoon.She knew that Pierre was looking for them in the crowd, especially for her.Pierre promises her to come to the ball and introduces her to a partner.

But Bezukhov hadn't come up to them when he stopped beside a handsome, dark-haired man of short stature in a white uniform, who was standing at the window with a burly man wearing medals and Men with ribbons talk.Natasha recognized at once this short young man in a white uniform. It was Bolkonski who seemed to her to be very young, cheerful, and beautiful. "Look, there's another acquaintance, Bolkonsky, do you see? Mamma," said Natasha, pointing to Prince Andrew, "you remember that he was at our house in Otradnoe." Stay overnight." "Ah, do we know him?" said Peronskaya, "I can't bear him. Ilfaitapresentlapluieetlebeautemps, too proud! He followed in his father's footsteps, got involved with Speransky, Drawing up some scheme. Look how he treats the ladies! She speaks to him, but he turns away," she said, pointing to him. "If he treats me the way he treats these wives, I'll call him bloody."

-------- ① French: Now everyone is fascinated by him.