Upper-class in Petersburg hardly notices Russia’s terrible situation. High society social life was continuing just as before. Anna’s soirées continue.. But Hélène had become seriously ill after her recent remarriage.
Upper-class in Petersburg hardly notices Russia’s terrible situation. High society social life was continuing just as before. Anna’s soirées continue.. But Hélène had become seriously ill after her recent remarriage.
Book 12, Chapter 1
Upper-class in Petersburg hardly notices Russia’s terrible situation. High society social life was continuing just as before. Anna’s soirées continue.. But Hélène had become seriously ill after her recent remarriage.
Summary:
Only in certain factions of the very highest circles of Petersburg society were attempts now being made to keep in mind the difficulties of the actual Russian position. For most of the Petersburg upper-class, however, the calm, luxurious life of Petersburg, concerned only about phantoms and reflections of real life, went on in its old way, seeming almost unaware of the dangers currently facing the Russian people. For example, on the day of the battle of Borodinó, Anna Pávlovna hosted one of her famous soirées. This night, Prince Vasíli read to Anna’s guests a patriotic letter their bishop had sent the Emperor along with a gift of a religious icon. People talked a lot about Hélène’s health. She had become very ill after her second marriage. Bilíbin cleverly quipped about some Austrian banners Russia was sending back to their erstwhile ally. Hippolyte made his usual annoying jokes. And Anna Pávlovna’s guests talked for a long time of the state of the fatherland and offered various conjectures as to the result of the battle to be fought in a few days, which Anna thought would go quite well for Russia.
quote from the chapter:
The news of the day in Petersburg was the illness of Countess Bezúkhova. She had fallen ill unexpectedly a few days previously, had missed several gatherings of which she was usually the ornament, and was said to be receiving no one, and instead of the celebrated Petersburg doctors who usually attended her had entrusted herself to some Italian doctor who was treating her in some new and unusual way. They all knew very well that the enchanting countess’ illness arose from an inconvenience resulting from marrying two husbands at the same time, and that the Italian’s cure consisted in removing such inconvenience; but in Anna Pávlovna’s presence no one dared to think of this or even appear to know it. They say the poor countess is very ill. The doctor says it is angina pectoris. Angina? Oh, that’s a terrible illness! They say that the rivals are reconciled, thanks to the angina… and the word angina was repeated with great satisfaction. The count is pathetic, they say. He cried like a child when the doctor told him the case was dangerous. Oh, it would be a terrible loss, she is an enchanting woman.
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