Pierre happens to meet Natásha at Mary’s house. Pierre does not recognize Natásha at first. She is much changed, the room is dim, and Pierre was not expecting to see her there. He becomes aware of how very much he loves her.
Pierre happens to meet Natásha at Mary’s house. Pierre does not recognize Natásha at first. She is much changed, the room is dim, and Pierre was not expecting to see her there. He becomes aware of how very much he loves her.
Book 15, Chapter 15
Pierre happens to meet Natásha at Mary’s house. Pierre does not recognize Natásha at first. She is much changed, the room is dim, and Pierre was not expecting to see her there. He becomes aware of how very much he loves her.
Summary:
Pierre is in Moscow for a few days, paying a few social calls. The city is alive and bustling, and people are celebrating Russia’s victory. He hears that Princess Mary is in town and goes to visit her. On his way to see Mary, the death, sufferings, and last days of her brother Andrew were much on Pierre’s mind. He hopes Andrew did not die in the bitter mood he was in when Pierre last saw him at Borodinó, that Andrew somehow discovered the meaning of life before he died. When Pierre arrives at Mary’s house, there is another woman with Mary who Pierre takes to be her companion. Pierre and Mary talk briefly about Prince Andrew and all they have been through. Pierre mentions the strange coincidence that Andrew fell in with the Rostóvs. At that point, Mary has to point out to Pierre that the woman who is in the room with them is Natásha. Pierre hadn’t recognized her because her appearance has changed, the room is dim, and he was not expecting to find her there. Pierre had not been thinking much of Natásha lately. He had heard that the Rostóvs were at Kostromá but the thought of Natásha seldom occurred to him. If it did it was only as a pleasant memory of the distant past. But, once he sees her and realizes who she is, he knows he loves her. Up until then, Pierre had been denying this even to himself, but now all three could plainly see it.
quote from the chapter:
Do you really not recognize her?
Pierre looked again at the companion’s pale, delicate face with its black eyes and peculiar mouth, and something near to him, long forgotten and more than sweet, looked at him from those attentive eyes.
But no, it can’t be! he thought. This stern, thin, pale face that looks so much older! It cannot be she. It merely reminds me of her. But at that moment Princess Mary said, Natásha! And with difficulty, effort, and stress, like the opening of a door grown rusty on its hinges, a smile appeared on the face with the attentive eyes, and from that opening door came a breath of fragrance which suffused Pierre with a happiness he had long forgotten and of which he had not even been thinking-especially at that moment. It suffused him, seized him, and enveloped him completely. When she smiled doubt was no longer possible, it was Natásha and he loved her.
Click here to read full text of this chapter.
Please help improve this shared document by posting your suggested corrections, clarifications, and changes below. Thank you!