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〃No； Monsieur Dessalles； I will ask my aunt to let me stay；〃 replied
Nicholas Bolkonski also in a whisper。
〃Ma tante； please let me stay；〃 said he； going up to his aunt。
His face expressed entreaty； agitation； and ecstasy。 Countess Mary
glanced at him and turned to Pierre。
〃When you are here he can't tear himself away；〃 she said。
〃I will bring him to you directly； Monsieur Dessalles。 Good
night！〃 said Pierre； giving his hand to the Swiss tutor； and he turned
to young Nicholas with a smile。 〃You and I haven't seen anything of
one another yet。。。 How like he is growing； Mary！〃 he added； addressing
Countess Mary。
〃Like my father？〃 asked the boy； flushing crimson and looking up
at Pierre with bright； ecstatic eyes。
Pierre nodded； and went on with what he had been saying when the
children had interrupted。 Countess Mary sat down doing woolwork；
Natasha did not take her eyes off her husband。 Nicholas and Denisov
rose； asked for their pipes； smoked； went to fetch more tea from
Sonya… who sat weary but resolute at the samovar… and questioned
Pierre。 The curly…headed； delicate boy sat with shining eyes unnoticed
in a corner； starting every now and then and muttering something to
himself； and evidently experiencing a new and powerful emotion as he
turned his curly head； with his thin neck exposed by his turn…down
collar； toward the place where Pierre sat。
The conversation turned on the contemporary gossip about those in
power； in which most people see the chief interest of home politics。
Denisov； dissatisfied with the government on account of his own
disappointments in the service； heard with pleasure of the things done
in Petersburg which seemed to him stupid； and made forcible and
sharp comments on what Pierre told them。
〃One used to have to be a German… now one must dance with Tatawinova
and Madame Kwudener； and wead Ecka'tshausen and the bwethwen。 Oh； they
should let that fine fellow Bonaparte lose… he'd knock all this
nonsense out of them！ Fancy giving the command of the Semenov wegiment
to a fellow like that Schwa'tz！〃 he cried。
Nicholas； though free from Denisov's readiness to find fault with
everything； also thought that discussion of the government was a
very serious and weighty matter； and the fact that A had been
appointed Minister of This and B Governor General of That； and that
the Emperor had said so…and…so and this minister so…and…so； seemed
to him very important。 And so he thought it necessary to take an
interest in these things and to question Pierre。 The questions put
by these two kept the conversation from changing its ordinary
character of gossip about the higher government circles。
But Natasha； knowing all her husband's ways and ideas； saw that he
had long been wishing but had been unable to divert the conversation
to another channel and express his own deeply felt idea for the sake
of which he had gone to Petersburg to consult with his new friend
Prince Theodore； and she helped him by asking how his affairs with
Prince Theodore had gone。
〃What was it about？〃 asked Nicholas。
〃Always the same thing；〃 said Pierre； looking round at his
listeners。 〃Everybody sees that things are going so badly that they
cannot be allowed to go on so and that it is the duty of all decent
men to counteract it as far as they can。〃
〃What can decent men do？〃 Nicholas inquired； frowning slightly。
〃What can be done？〃
〃Why； this。。。〃
〃Come into my study；〃 said Nicholas。
Natasha； who had long expected to be fetched to nurse her baby；
now heard the nurse calling her and went to the nursery。 Countess Mary
followed her。 The men went into the study and little Nicholas
Bolkonski followed them unnoticed by his uncle and sat down at the
writing table in a shady corner by the window。
〃Well； what would you do？〃 asked Denisov。
〃Always some fantastic schemes；〃 said Nicholas。
〃Why this；〃 began Pierre； not sitting down but pacing the room；
sometimes stopping short； gesticulating； and lisping： 〃the position in
Petersburg is this： the Emperor does not look into anything。 He has
abandoned himself altogether to this mysticism〃 （Pierre could not
tolerate mysticism in anyone now）。 〃He seeks only for peace； and
only these people sans foi ni loi* can give it him… people who
recklessly hack at and strangle everything… Magnitski； Arakcheev；
and tutti quanti。。。。 You will agree that if you did not look after
your estates yourself but only wanted a quiet life； the harsher your
steward was the more readily your object might be attained；〃 he said
to Nicholas。
*Without faith or law。
〃Well； what does that lead up to？〃 said Nicholas。
〃Well； everything is going to ruin！ Robbery in the law courts； in
the army nothing but flogging； drilling； and Military Settlements； the
people are tortured； enlightenment is suppressed。 All that is young
and honest is crushed！ Everyone sees that this cannot go on。
Everything is strained to such a degree that it will certainly break；〃
said Pierre （as those who examine the actions of any government have
always said since governments began）。 〃I told them just one thing in
Petersburg。〃
〃Told whom？〃
〃Well； you know whom；〃 said Pierre； with a meaning glance from under
his brows。 〃Prince Theodore and all those。 To encourage culture and
philanthropy is all very well of course。 The aim is excellent but in
the present circumstances something else is needed。〃
At that moment Nicholas noticed the presence of his nephew。 His face
darkened and he went up to the boy。
〃Why are you here？〃
〃Why？ Let him be；〃 said Pierre； taking Nicholas by the arm and
continuing。 〃That is not enough； I told them。 Something else is
needed。 When you stand expecting the overstrained string to snap at
any moment； when everyone is expecting the inevitable catastrophe；
as many as possible must join hands as closely as they can to
withstand the general calamity。 Everything that is young and strong is
being enticed away and depraved。 One is lured by women； another by
honors； a third by ambition or money； and they go over to that camp。
No independent men； such as you or I； are left。 What I say is widen
the scope of our society； let the mot d'ordre be not virtue alone
but independence and action as well！〃
Nicholas； who had left his nephew； irritably pushed up an
armchair； sat down in it； and listened to Pierre； coughing
discontentedly and frowning more and more。
〃But action with what aim？〃 he cried。 〃And what position will you
adopt toward the government？〃
〃Why； the position of assistants。 The society need not be secret
if the government allows it。 Not merely is it not hostile to
government； but it is a society of true conservatives… a society of
gentlemen in the full meaning of that word。 It is only to prevent some
Pugachev or other from killing my children and yours； and Arakcheev
from sending me off to some Military Settlement。 We join hands only
for the public welfare and the general safety。〃
〃Yes； but it's a secret society and therefore a hostile and
harmful one which can only cause harm。〃
〃Why？ Did the Tugendbund which saved Europe〃 （they did not then
venture to suggest that Russia had saved Europe） 〃do any harm？ The
Tugendbund is an alliance of virtue： it is love； mutual help。。。 it
is what Christ preached on the Cross。〃
Natasha； who had come in during the conversation； looked joyfully at
her husband。 It was not what he was saying that pleased her… that
did not even interest her； for it seemed to her that was all extremely
simple and that she had known it a long time （it seemed so to her
because she knew that it sprang from Pierre's whole soul）； but it
was his animated and enthusiastic appearance that made her glad。
The boy with the thin neck stretching out from the turn…down collar…
whom everyone had forgotten… gazed at Pierre with even greater and
more rapturous joy。 Every word of Pierre's burned into his heart；
and with a nervous movement of his fingers he unconsciously broke
the sealing wax and quill pens his hands came upon on his uncle's
table。
〃It is not at all what you suppose； but that is what the German
Tugendbund was； and what I am proposing。〃
〃No； my fwiend！ The Tugendbund is all vewy well for the sausage
eaters； but I don't understand it and can't even pwonounce it；〃
interposed Denisov in a loud and resolute voice。 〃I agwee that
evewything here is wotten and howwible； but the Tugendbund I don't
understand。 If we're not satisfied； let us have a bunt of our own。
That's all wight。 Je suis vot'e homme！〃*
*〃I'm your man。〃
Pierre smiled； Natasha began to laugh； but Nicholas knitted his
brows still more and began proving to Pierre that there was no
prospect of any great change and that all the danger he spoke of
existed only in his imagination。 Pierre maintained the contrary； and
as his mental faculties were greater and more resourceful； Nicholas
felt himself c