Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

There was no engagement, and the engagement of Bolkonski and Natasha was not announced to anyone, as Prince Andrew insisted.He said that it was his fault that the postponement of the marriage was his fault, and that the whole burden of the delay should rest on him.He said that he would always bind himself with promises, but he did not want to bind Natasha and gave her full freedom.If she feels that she doesn't love him after half a year, she has the right to get rid of him, as long as she refuses him.It was self-evident that neither the parents nor Natasha wanted to hear about it, but Prince Andrey was obstinate.Prince Andrey went to the Rostovs' house every day, but he did not see Natasha as her fiancé.He calls her "you" and just kisses her hand.After the day of the proposal, a completely different, intimate and simple relationship developed between Prince Andrew and Natasha.It was as if they had never known each other until now.Both he and she liked to think back to how they had thought of each other when they had nothing, and now they both felt they were very different people, false then, simple and honest now.At first the whole family felt awkward in their association with Prince Andrey, as if he were a creature of a strange world, but Natasha gradually made the family and Prince Andrey acquainted, and she was very proud to convince everyone that, He was just like a special person, but in fact he was the same person as everyone else, and she convinced everyone that she was not afraid of him, and no one should be afraid of him.After a few days, the family got to know him well and didn't feel restrained, so they adopted the old way of life in front of him, and he also participated in the life of their family.He was good at talking about estates with the count, clothes with the countess and Natasha, and albums and crosscloths with Sonia.Sometimes the Rostovs wondered among themselves, and in Prince Andrew's presence, how the marriage had been arranged and how the signs could have been so obvious: Prince Andrew's arrival at Otto Radnoye, their arrival in Petersburg, the resemblance between Natasha and Prince Andrew (the nanny noticed it during Prince Andrew's first visit), Andrei and Nicholas in 1805 Conflict between the family members and many other symptoms of events that have occurred have been noted by the family.

There is often an air of poetic anguish and silence in the presence of unmarried couples.They all sat together, often in silence.Sometimes everyone stood up and walked away, leaving only the unmarried couple, and they also remained silent.They rarely talked about their future life.Prince Andrew was frightened and ashamed when he spoke of this.Natasha felt the same way, she often guessed all Prince Andrew's feelings.Once Natasha asked about his son.Prince Andrew, blushing, as he often did now, which Natasha liked so much, said that his son would not live with them. "Why?" said Natasha in surprise.

"I can't take him away from Grandpa, and..." "How I love him!" said Natasha, reading his mind at once, "but I know that you wish to avoid the excuse of blaming you and me." Sometimes the old count would go up to Prince Andrew, kiss him, and ask him for advice on Petya's education and Nicholas's duties.The old countess sighed as she watched them.Sonia was constantly terrified of being superfluous, and she was trying to find an excuse to go away, an excuse to leave them alone, and they didn't need her at this moment.Natasha listened proudly when Prince Andrew spoke (and he spoke very well), and when she spoke she was surprised and delighted to see that he was looking at her with scrutiny.She asked herself in bewilderment: "What is he looking for in me? What is he looking for? What if there is nothing in me that he can look for?" She sometimes falls into the extremes inherent in her If she was in a happy mood, she was especially fond of listening and watching Prince Andrew laugh.He seldom laughed, but when he did he laughed so hard that she felt herself closer to him after each laugh.Natasha would be very happy if the thought of her impending parting did not frighten her.

On the eve of Andrew's departure from Petersburg he brought Pierre, who had not visited the Rostovs' house once since the last ball.Pierre looked lost and ashamed.He talks to the mother of the family.Natasha and Sonya sat down at the chess table and invited Prince Andrew to a game.He walked up to them. "Didn't you know Bezukhov a long time ago?" he asked. "Do you like him?" "Yeah, he's a nice guy, but it's ridiculous." As she had always said of Pierre, she told casual anecdotes about him, even anecdotes made up of him. "You know, I told him our secret," said Prince Andrew, "I have known him since childhood. He has a heart that is invaluable. I beg you, Natalie, He said suddenly gravely, "I'm going, God knows what will happen. You can stop loving me... Well, I know, I shouldn't bring it up. Just want to say that when I'm not around , no matter what happens to you..."

"What's going to happen? . . . " "Whatever the grief," continued Prince Andrew, "I beg you, Mademoiselle Sophie, to ask him alone for advice and help whatever happens. He is a very careless and ridiculous man." , but he has a kind heart that is invaluable." Neither father nor mother, nor Sonya, nor Prince Andrew himself could have foreseen the effect on Natasha's parting from her betrothed.That day, her face was flushed and she was very excited, and there were no tears in her eyes. She walked up and down the room, doing extremely trivial things, as if she didn't understand what was waiting for her.When he said goodbye and kissed her hand one last time, she didn't cry.

"You don't go!" was all she said to him, in a voice that made him consider whether he really wanted to stay, and he remembered it long afterward.After he left, she didn't cry, she didn't cry for several days, she just stayed in her room blankly.She's not interested in anything, and sometimes she just says things like, "Oh, why did he leave!" But two weeks after he left, to the surprise of those around her, she suddenly woke up from that mental illness and became what she used to be, but her mental outlook changed, just like a child who has been in a long time. Another face appeared after the illness and stood up from the bed.