United States or Aruba ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
I always wonder at the way rumors fly from Petersburg to Moscow, especially such false ones as that you write about I mean the report of my brother's betrothal to the little Rostova.
"Well, dear heart," said he, "I wanted to tell you about it yesterday and I have come to do so today. I never experienced anything like it before. I am in love, my friend!" Suddenly Pierre heaved a deep sigh and dumped his heavy person down on the sofa beside Prince Andrew. "With Natasha Rostova, yes?" said he. "Yes, yes! Who else should it be?
In the middle of the summer Princess Mary received an unexpected letter from Prince Andrew in Switzerland in which he gave her strange and surprising news. He informed her of his engagement to Natasha Rostova. The whole letter breathed loving rapture for his betrothed and tender and confiding affection for his sister.
"Madam, Countess... Countess Rostova, if I am not mistaken... I beg you to excuse me, to excuse me... I did not know, madam. God is my witness, I did not know you had honored us with a visit, and I came in such a costume only to see my daughter.
As Natasha, at her mother's side, passed through the crowd behind a liveried footman who cleared the way for them, she heard a young man speaking about her in too loud a whisper. "That's Rostova, the one who..." "She's much thinner, but all the same she's pretty!" She heard, or thought she heard, the names of Kuragin and Bolkonski. But she was always imagining that.
It would be a very good thing for the Rostovs, they are said to be utterly ruined." "No; I mean do you know Natasha Rostova?" "I heard about that affair of hers at the time. It was a great pity." "No, she either doesn't understand or is pretending," thought Pierre. "Better not say anything to her either." The princess too had prepared provisions for Pierre's journey.
Pierre dined at the club that day and heard on all sides gossip about the attempted abduction of Rostova. He resolutely denied these rumors, assuring everyone that nothing had happened except that his brother-in-law had proposed to her and been refused. It seemed to Pierre that it was his duty to conceal the whole affair and re-establish Natasha's reputation.
He recognized her, guessed her feelings, saw that it was her debut, remembered her conversation at the window, and with an expression of pleasure on his face approached Countess Rostova. "Allow me to introduce you to my daughter," said the countess, with heightened color.
"And where is your brother-in-law now, if I may ask?" he said. "He has gone to Peters... But I don't know," said Pierre. "Well, it doesn't matter," said Prince Andrew. "Tell Countess Rostova that she was and is perfectly free and that I wish her all that is good." Pierre took the packet.
Having entered his study Pierre closed the door and addressed Anatole without looking at him. "You promised Countess Rostova to marry her and were about to elope with her, is that so?" Pierre's face, already pale, became distorted by fury. He seized Anatole by the collar of his uniform with his big hand and shook him from side to side till Anatole's face showed a sufficient degree of terror.
Word Of The Day