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first epilogue-第9章

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day; her husband returned home; or a sick child was convalescent; or

when she and Countess Mary spoke of Prince Andrew (she never mentioned

him to her husband; who she imagined was jealous of Prince Andrew's

memory); or on the rare occasions when something happened to induce

her to sing; a practice she had quite abandoned since her marriage。 At

the rare moments when the old fire did kindle in her handsome; fully

developed body she was even more attractive than in former days。

  Since their marriage Natasha and her husband had lived in Moscow; in

Petersburg; on their estate near Moscow; or with her mother; that is

to say; in Nicholas' house。 The young Countess Bezukhova was not often

seen in society; and those who met her there were not pleased with her

and found her neither attractive nor amiable。 Not that Natasha liked

solitude… she did not know whether she liked it or not; she even

thought that she did not… but with her pregnancies; her

confinements; the nursing of her children; and sharing every moment of

her husband's life; she had demands on her time which could be

satisfied only by renouncing society。 All who had known Natasha before

her marriage wondered at the change in her as at something

extraordinary。 Only the old countess with her maternal instinct had

realized that all Natasha's outbursts had been due to her need of

children and a husband… as she herself had once exclaimed at

Otradnoe not so much in fun as in earnest… and her mother was now

surprised at the surprise expressed by those who had never

understood Natasha; and she kept saying that she had always known that

Natasha would make an exemplary wife and mother。

  〃Only she lets her love of her husband and children overflow all

bounds;〃 said the countess; 〃so that it even becomes absurd。〃

  Natasha did not follow the golden rule advocated by clever folk;

especially by the French; which says that a girl should not let

herself go when she marries; should not neglect her accomplishments;

should be even more careful of her appearance than when she was

unmarried; and should fascinate her husband as much as she did

before he became her husband。 Natasha on the contrary had at once

abandoned all her witchery; of which her singing had been an unusually

powerful part。 She gave it up just because it was so powerfully

seductive。 She took no pains with her manners or with of speech; or

with her toilet; or to show herself to her husband in her most

becoming attitudes; or to avoid inconveniencing him by being too

exacting。 She acted in contradiction to all those rules。 She felt that

the allurements instinct had formerly taught her to use would now be

merely ridiculous in the eyes of her husband; to whom she had from the

first moment given herself up entirely… that is; with her whole

soul; leaving no corner of it hidden from him。 She felt that her unity

with her husband was not maintained by the poetic feelings that had

attracted him to her; but by something else… indefinite but firm as

the bond between her own body and soul。

  To fluff out her curls; put on fashionable dresses; and sing

romantic songs to fascinate her husband would have seemed as strange

as to adorn herself to attract herself。 To adorn herself for others

might perhaps have been agreeable… she did not know… but she had no

time at all for it。 The chief reason for devoting no time either to

singing; to dress; or to choosing her words was that she really had no

time to spare for these things。

  We know that man has the faculty of becoming completely absorbed

in a subject however trivial it may be; and that there is no subject

so trivial that it will not grow to infinite proportions if one's

entire attention is devoted to it。

  The subject which wholly engrossed Natasha's attention was her

family: that is; her husband whom she had to keep so that he should

belong entirely to her and to the home; and the children whom she

had to bear; bring into the world; nurse; and bring up。

  And the deeper she penetrated; not with her mind only but with her

whole soul; her whole being; into the subject that absorbed her; the

larger did that subject grow and the weaker and more inadequate did

her powers appear; so that she concentrated them wholly on that one

thing and yet was unable to accomplish all that she considered

necessary。

  There were then as now conversations and discussions about women's

rights; the relations of husband and wife and their freedom and

rights; though these themes were not yet termed questions as they

are now; but these topics were not merely uninteresting to Natasha;

she positively did not understand them。

  These questions; then as now; existed only for those who see nothing

in marriage but the pleasure married people get from one another; that

is; only the beginnings of marriage and not its whole significance;

which lies in the family。

  Discussions and questions of that kind; which are like the

question of how to get the greatest gratification from one's dinner;

did not then and do not now exist for those for whom the purpose of

a dinner is the nourishment it affords; and the purpose of marriage is

the family。

  If the purpose of dinner is to nourish the body; a man who eats

two dinners at once may perhaps get more enjoyment but will not attain

his purpose; for his stomach will not digest the two dinners。

  If the purpose of marriage is the family; the person who wishes to

have many wives or husbands may perhaps obtain much pleasure; but in

that case will not have a family。

  If the purpose of food is nourishment and the purpose of marriage is

the family; the whole question resolves itself into not eating more

than one can digest; and not having more wives or husbands than are

needed for the family… that is; one wife or one husband。 Natasha

needed a husband。 A husband was given her and he gave her a family。

And she not only saw no need of any other or better husband; but as

all the powers of her soul were intent on serving that husband and

family; she could not imagine and saw no interest in imagining how

it would be if things were different。

  Natasha did not care for society in general; but prized the more the

society of her relatives… Countess Mary; and her brother; her

mother; and Sonya。 She valued the company of those to whom she could

come striding disheveled from the nursery in her dressing gown; and

with joyful face show a yellow instead of a green stain on baby's

napkin; and from whom she could hear reassuring words to the effect

that baby was much better。

  To such an extent had Natasha let herself go that the way she

dressed and did her hair; her ill…chosen words; and her jealousy…

she was jealous of Sonya; of the governess; and of every woman; pretty

or plain… were habitual subjects of jest to those about her。 The

general opinion was that Pierre was under his wife's thumb; which

was really true。 From the very first days of their married life

Natasha had announced her demands。 Pierre was greatly surprised by his

wife's view; to him a perfectly novel one; that every moment of his

life belonged to her and to the family。 His wife's demands

astonished him; but they also flattered him; and he submitted to them。

  Pierre's subjection consisted in the fact that he not only dared not

flirt with; but dared not even speak smilingly to; any other woman;

did not dare dine at the Club as a pastime; did not dare spend money a

whim; and did not dare absent himself for any length of time; except

on business… in which his wife included his intellectual pursuits;

which she did not in the least understand but to which she

attributed great importance。 To make up for this; at home Pierre had

the right to regulate his life and that of the whole family exactly as

he chose。 At home Natasha placed herself in the position of a slave to

her husband; and the whole household went on tiptoe when he was

occupied… that is; was reading or writing in his study。 Pierre had but

to show a partiality for anything to get just what he liked done

always。 He had only to express a wish and Natasha would jump up and

run to fulfill it。

  The entire household was governed according to Pierre's supposed

orders; that is; by his wishes which Natasha tried to guess。 Their way

of life and place of residence; their acquaintances and ties;

Natasha's occupations; the children's upbringing; were all selected

not merely with regard to Pierre's expressed wishes; but to what

Natasha from the thoughts he expressed in conversation supposed his

wishes to be。 And she deduced the essentials of his wishes quite

correctly; and having once arrived at them clung to them

tenaciously。 When Pierre himself wanted to change his mind she would

fight him with his own weapons。

  Thus in a time of trouble ever memorable to him after the birth of

their first child who was delicate; when they had to change the wet

nurse three times and Natasha fell ill from despair
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