Chapter 5 chapter Five

Natasha's marriage to Pierre Bezukhov in 1813 was the last happy event in the old Rostov family.In this year, Count Ilya Rostov died.With his death, as usually happens, the old family was dissolved. The events of the past year: the fire of Moscow, the flight from Moscow, the death of Prince Andrei, the despair of Natasha, the death of Petya, and the grief of the old countess—all these things happened one after another. Give the old earl a hard blow.He seemed not to understand and could not comprehend the meaning of these events, and he hung his old man's head, mentally paralyzed, as if expecting and begging for a new blow to end his own life, and he was sometimes alarmed and bewildered, Sometimes high-spirited and ambitious.

He was superficially busy with Natasha's wedding.He booked lunches and dinners, evidently trying to feign joy; but his joy, less contagious than it had been, pitied those who knew him and loved him. After Pierre left with his wife, he became silent and complained that he was lonely and bored.A few days later, he fell ill in bed.From the time of his illness, Shi Mo pointed out in the Spring and Autumn Period: "There are two, three, and five creatures. There are companions and punishments, so God has them. Although the doctor has repeatedly comforted him, he already knows that he will never get up again. The countess and Yi sat in an easy chair and stayed by his bedside for two weeks. Every time his wife gave him medicine, he would sob and silently kiss her hand. On the day of his death, he cried bitterly and begged his wife and the absent The son pardoned his chief sin - squandering the family property. After taking communion and anointing, he died peacefully. The next day, in the rented house of the Rostov family, a crowd of Friends and relatives, bid farewell to the body of the deceased. All these people who used to eat, dance, and laugh at him at his house, now say with regret and guilt, as if to explain themselves to someone: "Anyway , he is a wonderful person.Now I can't meet such a person anymore... Besides, in this world, who can live without some shortcomings? ..."

The count died at this time when his financial situation had reached the bottom of the mountain, and it was impossible to imagine whether he could survive another year.It was under such circumstances that he died suddenly. Nicholas was stationed in Paris with the Russian army when he received the news of his father's death.He immediately offered to resign, and without waiting for approval, he asked for leave to return to Moscow.A month after the count's death the financial situation of the family became clear.Although everyone knew that the earl was heavily in debt, the magnitude of these odd debts was astonishing.The total amount of liabilities is twice as large as the family property.

Relatives and friends persuaded Nicholas not to accept the inheritance.But Nicholas believed that refusing to accept the inheritance was a filial son's desecration of the sacred memory of his deceased father, so he did not listen to the advice and resolutely assumed the obligation to repay the debt. When the earl was alive, due to his kind nature and good popularity, the creditors were frightened by his elusive and powerful influence, and they had been reluctant to open their mouths before, but now they flocked to ask for debts.As is often the case, the creditors scrambled to get their debts first, and holders of promissory notes, like Mitenka, were now among the most eager to collect.Those who had pitied the old count (as if he had done them harm) (even if he had suffered) now refused to relax Nicholas' debt, nor to give him a chance to breathe, and now mercilessly offered to the apparently Young people who don't owe them money but voluntarily assume debts are pressed for debts.

None of the workarounds Nikolai envisioned worked out, the property was sold for half the price, but half the debt remained unpaid.Nikolay accepted thirty thousand rubles lent to him by his brother-in-law Bezukhov to pay what he believed to be a real debt in cash, and in order not to go to prison for the remainder of the debt (threatened by creditors), He had no choice but to return to public office. Although returning to the army can fill the vacancy of the commander, he can't go because the mother now regards her son as the only support in her life and holds on to him.So, despite his reluctance to remain among his Moscow acquaintances, despite his distaste for civilian work, he took a civil service in Moscow.So he took off his favorite military uniform and moved with his mother and Sonia to a small house in the Sivtsev Vlarok district.

Natasha and Pierre were living in Petersburg at this time and did not know much about Nikolay's plight.Nikolay borrowed money from his brother-in-law, but tried to hide his predicament, which was especially difficult for Nikolai, who had to support himself, Sonia, and his mother on twelve hundred rubles without letting her know that the family had died. Very poor.The countess simply could not imagine how to live without the luxuries she had been used to since she was a child. She did not know how difficult it was for her son, and he kept making various demands: sometimes a carriage was needed to pick up acquaintances (there were no carriages in the family at this time), Sometimes I want delicious food for myself or fine wine for my son, and sometimes I want money to buy an unexpected high-end gift for Natasha, Sonia and Nikolai.

Sonia took care of the housework, served her aunt, read to her, endured her willfulness and inner dislike for her, and helped Nicholas hide their financial difficulties from the old princess.Nikolai was grateful to Sonia for all the care she had taken to take care of her mother.He appreciates her patience and loyalty, but does his best to alienate her. He blamed her inwardly, as if she were so perfect that she could hardly be blamed, that she had everything that men value, but that she lacked what made him love.He felt that the more he admired her character and character, the more he couldn't love her.She had written in her letters her promise of freedom to him, and now he treated her as if all the past had been forgotten long ago and could never be brought back.

Things went from bad to worse for Nikolai.Saving some money from your salary is obviously an unrealistic fantasy.Not only could he not save money, but he also borrowed several small debts in order to meet his mother's request.He couldn't find a way out of his predicament.Relatives advised him to marry a rich girl, and he resented it.Another way out of the predicament--mother's death, he never thought of it, he had no desires, no hopes, no whining, no complaints in adversity, but in his heart he enjoyed a melancholy and austere joy.He tries to avoid his past acquaintances, their sympathy and humiliating help.He abstained from all amusements, and even did nothing at home except play cards with his mother, pace the room in silence, and smoke bag after bag.He seemed to be trying to maintain a melancholy mood, as if that was the only way to bear his situation.