Chapter 18 Chapter Eighteen

Pierre had been living for two days in the empty courtyard of the dead Bazdeyevs since he disappeared from the house.The beginning and the end of the matter are like this. Pierre returned to Moscow, woke up the day after his meeting with Count Rastoptchin, and for a long time did not know where he was or what he was wanted.It was reported to him that in the reception room, among the long line of famous persons waiting for him, including a Frenchman, had brought letters from Helene Vasilyevna, and a confused despondency (he susceptible to such feelings) suddenly took hold of him.He suddenly felt that everything was over now, everything was messed up, everything was ruined, there was no right or wrong, the future was hopeless, and there was no way out of the current situation.He giggled unnaturally, muttered something in a low voice, sometimes sat down helplessly on the sofa, sometimes got up and walked towards the door, looked into the reception room through the crack of the door, and sometimes waved his hands and walked back to grab a book to read.The steward came in again to report to Pierre that the Frenchman who brought the countess' letter wanted to see him very much, even for a minute, and at the same time, Bazdeyev's widow asked him to accept the books, because Madame Bazdeyeva wanted to see him. Went to the country.

"Ah, yes, right now, wait a minute... No, no, you go and I'll come." Pierre said to the butler. But as soon as the butler left the room, Pierre took up his hat from the table and went out of the study by the back door, and there was no one in the corridor.He walked through the long corridor to the stairs, frowned, wiped his forehead with both hands, and went down to the first landing.A gatekeeper stands guard at the gate.The same steps on which Pierre had come had another rung leading to the back door.Pierre went down the stairs into the courtyard.No one saw him.But when he came out the back door into the street, the coachman and the watchman standing by the carriage saw the master, and took off their hats to him.Feeling the eyes of the crowd, Pierre, like an ostrich hiding its head in a bush so as not to be seen, lowered his head and quickened his pace, walking along the avenue.

Among Pierre's tasks this morning, the arrangement of Joseph Alexievich's books and papers was the most important for him. He hired the first carriage he came across, and told the driver to drive to the Archbishop's Lake, where the widow of Bazdeyev lived. He kept looking around for the vehicles leaving Moscow coming from all directions, shifting his heavy body so as not to slip down from the rattling old carriage, feeling the joy of a truant child, and chatting with the driver. The coachman told him that today weapons were distributed in the Kremlin, and tomorrow all the people rushed to the three mountains outside the city, where a big battle was going to be fought.

Arriving at Archbishop Lake, Pierre found Bazdeyev's house, which he had not been to for a long time.He approached the wicket of the house.Gerasim, the little yellow-faced, beardless old man whom he had seen five years before in Torzhok with Joseph Alexievich, answered the door. "Do you have a home?" Pierre asked. "Because of the current situation, Sophia Danilovna is going to the Torzhok country with the child, my lord." "I have to come in, I want to sort out the books," said Pierre. "Please, welcome, Lord of the Dead—may he go to heaven—his brother Makar Alexievich remains, but, to tell you the truth, he is weak," said the old servant. .

Makar Alexievich, as Pierre knew, was an insane alcoholic, the younger brother of Joseph Alexievich. "Yes, yes, I know. Let's go in, let's go in..." said Pierre, entering the room.A tall, bald, red-nosed old man in a coat and bare feet and overshoes stood in the hall.Seeing Pierre, he muttered something dissatisfied and went out into the corridor. "Wise before, but now, you see, feeble," said Gerasim. "Do you want to go to the study?" Pierre nodded. "The study is sealed and untouched. Sophia Danilovna ordered that if someone comes from your place, books will be distributed here."

Pierre entered this darkest study.He had come here with trepidation in the days of the philanthropist.The dusty study, untouched since Joseph Alexievich's death, was even darker than ever. Gerasim opened a shutter and tiptoed out of the study.Pierre walked around the study, walked to the bookcase where the manuscripts were placed, and took out a relic that was once very important to the Freemasonry.This is the authentic copy of the Scotch Law with philanthropist's commentary.He sat down in front of the dusty desk, opened the manuscript in front of him, flipped through it for a while, closed it for a while, and finally pushed the manuscript away from his face, rested his head on his elbow, and meditated.

Gerasim secretly looked into the study several times and saw Pierre sitting in the same state for more than two hours.Gerasim made a bold noise at the door to attract Pierre's attention.Pierre couldn't hear it. "Would you like to send the coachman away?" "Oh, yes," said Pierre, recovering himself, getting up hastily. "Listen," said Pierre, grasping the button of Gerasim's coat, and looking the little old man from head to toe, With moist and excited eyes, "Listen to me, do you know there will be a war tomorrow? "They're talking," Gerasim replied...

"I ask you not to tell anyone who I am. And to do as I say..." "Yes," said Gerasim, "would you like something to eat?" "No, but I want something else. I want a peasant's suit and a pistol," said Pierre, flushing suddenly. "Of order." Gerasim said after a moment's thought. Pierre passed the rest of the day alone in the philanthropist's study, walking restlessly from one end to the other, Gerasim could hear him talking to himself, and ended up sleeping in the study. He spent the night on the bed arranged for him. Gerasim, who had always had the habit of servants serving people, and who had seen many strange things in his life, was not surprised that Pierre moved in for a while, and he seemed satisfied to have someone to serve him.That night, without even thinking about the usefulness of these things, he got Pierre a driver's coat and a felt hat, and promised to get him the pistol the next day.Makar Alexievich, who came twice that evening to the door with his galoshes on, stopped and looked flatteringly at Pierre.But when Pierre turned to look at him, he shyly and angrily wrapped his coat tightly and hurried away.Just as Pierre, wearing the steamed driver's coat that Gerasim had obtained and steamed, went with him to buy a pistol at the Sukharev Tower, he met the Rostovs.