Chapter 6 Chapter Six

After meeting Rostov, Princess Marya went to Moscow, found her nephew and governess, and got a letter from Prince Andrei giving directions to Aunt Malyvintseva in Voronezh.Arranging for the relocation, worrying about her brother, settling in a new residence, making new acquaintances, educating her nephew—all this overwhelmed in Princess Marya the feeling that seemed to be seduced, which had been in her father's illness during her father's illness. After her father's death, and especially after her encounter with Rostov, she suffered terribly.She is very sad.The grief of bereavement and the impression of Russia's peril were felt more and more strongly in her heart today, in a peaceful life, after a month had passed.She was alarmed: the thought that her only remaining relative, her brother, was in danger at any moment tormented her.She was concerned about her nephew's education, for which she often felt powerless; but in the bottom of her heart she had compassion for herself, for she realized that she had repressed the personal fantasies and hopes aroused by Rostov's presence.

The governor's wife visited Maliwentseva the day after the evening, and discussed her plans with the aunt (with a side note, although in the current situation it is not possible to consider a formal marriage proposal, it is still possible to send the young to make them acquainted each other), and with the consent of her aunt, the governor's wife spoke of Rostov in the presence of Princess Marya, praised him, and said that he blushed at the mention of the princess, when, Princess Maria was not happy, but sad: the harmony in her heart was gone, and desire, doubt, guilt and anticipation arose again.

Before Rostov's visit, and during the two days after receiving the news, Princess Marya was constantly thinking about her attitude towards Rostov.Sometimes she decided that she should not go into the drawing-room when he came to see her aunt, as it was not proper for her to receive guests during mourning; The aunt and the governor's wife had certain expectations of her and Rostov (their glances and conversation seemed to confirm this conjecture), and sometimes they said to themselves that it was only her bad-hearted assumptions about them: they couldn't What I don't understand is that in her current situation, when the filial piety has not been taken off, mentioning marriage is a kind of blasphemy to her and to mourning her father.In assuming that she would go to the drawing-room to meet him, she imagined what he would say to her and what she would tell him; at one moment the words seemed to her inappropriately cold, at other times they carried too great a significance.What she dreaded most was being embarrassed when meeting him, which she felt was inevitable and would reveal that she wanted to see him embarrassed.

When, after Sunday's service, the servant came into the drawing-room to announce Count Rostov's visit, the princess showed no embarrassment; only a faint blush spread over her cheeks, and a new bright light shone in her eyes. "Have you seen him? Auntie?" Princess Marya asked calmly, not knowing why she appeared so calm and natural. When Rostov entered the room, the princess lowered her head for a moment, as if to give the visitor time to greet her aunt, and then, just as Nikolai turned to her, she raised her head and looked up with bright eyes. Look into his eyes.Her movements were graceful and dignified, she rose with a joyful smile, offered him her slender, soft hand, and spoke for the first time in a new, feminine chest voice, also in the living room. Mademoiselle Bourienne looked at Princess Marya in amazement.Although she was a coquettish girl, she could not have performed better when she met a person worthy of love.

"Perhaps the mourning suits her features well, and perhaps she has really grown prettier, and I don't see it. And the main thing—her manners are measured and refined!" thought Mademoiselle Bourienne. If the princess could think over and over at this time, she would be more surprised by the change in herself than Mademoiselle Bourienne.As soon as she saw that kind, loving face, a new life took possession of her, and compelled her to speak and act against her will.Her appearance changed suddenly from the moment Rostov entered the drawing-room.Like a carved and painted palace lantern suddenly lit up, this complex and exquisite artwork, which was previously rough, dark and inconspicuous, suddenly shone with brilliance on all sides, showing an unexpectedly astonishing beauty.The face of Princess Marya also changed suddenly.Before this moment, for the first time, the inner purely spiritual work of art by which she lived was revealed.The whole inner workings of her dissatisfaction with herself, her pain, her quest for the good, her obedience, her love, her self-sacrifice--all these were now shining in the bright eyes, in the elegant smile, in every part of the tender countenance. brilliant.

Rostov saw all this as clearly as he knew her whole life.He felt that the creature before him was someone else entirely, better than any human being he had encountered so far, and above all, better than himself. Conversation is the simplest and most inconsequential.They talked about the war, and like everyone else, they couldn't help exaggerating their fears in this matter, about the last encounter, and Nicholas tried to change the subject, so they talked about the good governor's wife, about Nicholas. Gula's relatives Princess Maria's relatives. Princess Marya kept her mouth shut about her brother, and when her aunt mentioned Andrey she diverted the conversation.It was evident that she could talk articulately and with an air of concern about the misfortunes of Russia, but her brother was a different matter, too intimate for her to talk about it lightly.Nicholas saw it, just as he always saw the subtle features of Princess Marya's character with that penetrating power that was not his nature.It confirmed his opinion: she was a special and extraordinary person.

Nicholas was exactly like Princess Marya, who blushed and squirmed when others mentioned her, even when he thought of her, but felt completely at ease with her in person, and said words that were not prepared in advance. , but in an instant, and always just right. During this brief visit of Nicholas, as is usually the case when children are present, during the pauses in the conversation, Nicholas appealed to Prince Andrew's youngest son, caressed him, and asked him if he would like to be Hussars.He took the little boy in his arms, twirled him briskly, and looked back at Princess Marya, who followed her beloved child in the arms of the lovely man with loving, happy and shy eyes.Nikolai caught the look, seemed to understand its meaning, blushed with joy, and kissed the child tenderly and happily.

Princess Marya did not go out during mourning, and Nicholas thought it impolite to go to their house; He told the princess what he said, and urged Rostov to show his attitude to Princess Maria. To this end, she arranged for the two young men to meet at the bishop's house before worship. Although Rostov had told the governor's wife that he had nothing to say to Princess Marya, he agreed to go. Just as in Tilsit, Rostov did not allow himself to doubt whether what was generally considered good was good, and he is now, between trying to arrange his life according to his own reason and conforming to objective circumstances. After a brief but sincere inner struggle, he chose the latter, surrendering himself to that irresistible force that was drawing him somewhere (he felt so).He knew that to confess his feelings to Princess Marya after promising Sonia was all what he regarded as baseness.At the same time he knew that he would never do mean things.But he also knew (not knowing, but feeling in his heart) that he was obeying the objective situation and the influence of his mentor, that he was not only not doing something ugly, but something very, very important. , He has never done such an important thing in his life.

After his meeting with Princess Marya, his life was superficially the same as before, but all the old pleasures had lost their charm for him, and he often thought of Princess Marya; Not like the young lady he met at the junction, nor like he longed, sometimes ecstatically, for Sonia.He thought of the ladies, as almost all honest young men do, of their future wives, and imagined all the conditions of conjugal life—the white evening gown, the wife by the samovar, the wife's carriage, The little ones, Mummy and Daddy, their relationship with her, etc., etc.; compare them to see if it fits.These visions of the future brought him pleasure, but when he thought of Princess Marya, whom he was matched with, he could never imagine a single thing in the life of a future couple.If he had tried to think that way, the result would have been jarring, false.He just felt terrible.