Prince Andrew has not been found and is presumed dead, his father and sister are very upset, but they do not tell his wife Lise.
Prince Andrew has not been found and is presumed dead, his father and sister are very upset, but they do not tell his wife Lise.
Book 4, Chapter 7
Prince Andrew has not been found and is presumed dead, his father and sister are very upset, but they do not tell his wife Lise.
Summary:
Two months have elapsed since the news of the battle of Austerlitz and the loss of Prince Andrew had reached Bald Hills, and in spite of the letters sent through the embassy and all the searches made, his body had not been found nor was he on the list of prisoners. What was worst of all for his family was the fact that there was still a possibility of his having been picked up on the battlefield by the people of the place and that he might now be lying, recovering or dying, alone among strangers and unable to send news of himself. Kutúzov informs the old prince that Andrew was not found either among the dead or the wounded after the battle. The old prince assumes the worst. He makes up his mind that Prince Andrew is dead. The old prince is crushed, and his health begins to decline. He walks less, eats less, sleeps less, and becomes weaker every day. Princess Mary still has hope. She prays for her brother and awaits news of his return. They don’t tell Lise the bad news, not wanting to upset her as the baby was due in a few days.
quote from the chapter:
Has anything come from Andrew? she asked.
No, you know it’s too soon for news. But my father is anxious and I feel afraid.
So there’s nothing?
Nothing, answered Princess Mary, looking firmly with her radiant eyes at her sister-in-law.
She had determined not to tell her and persuaded her father to hide the terrible news from her till after her confinement, which was expected within a few days. Princess Mary and the old prince each bore and hid their grief in their own way. The old prince would not cherish any hope: he made up his mind that Prince Andrew had been killed, and though he sent an official to Austria to seek for traces of his son, he ordered a monument from Moscow which he intended to erect in his own garden to his memory, and he told everybody that his son had been killed. He tried not to change his former way of life, but his strength failed him. He walked less, ate less, slept less, and became weaker every day. Princess Mary hoped. She prayed for her brother as living and was always awaiting news of his return.
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