Prince Andrew arrives at the reception. Andrew is a friend of Pierre and the husband of Lise. Princess Drubetskáya asks Vasíli for help with Borís’ transfer to the Guards.
Prince Andrew arrives at the reception. Andrew is a friend of Pierre and the husband of Lise. Princess Drubetskáya asks Vasíli for help with Borís’ transfer to the Guards.
Book 1, Chapter 4
Prince Andrew arrives at the reception. Andrew is a friend of Pierre and the husband of Lise. Princess Drubetskáya asks Vasíli for help with Borís’ transfer to the Guards.
Summary:
Prince Andrew arrives at the party. Andrew seems to find all the people at the party tiresome, especially his wife Lise. Anna asks Andrew about his plans to go join the army. We learn that Prince Andrew and Pierre are friends. They make plans to dine together later that evening. An elderly lady, a Princess Drubetskáya, sees Prince Vasíli and pesters him about finding a job with the Russian Guard for her son Borís. She reminds Vasíli he owes her a favor. Prince Vasíli and his daughter Hélène rise to go to their next engagement. Vasíli knows this lady will not leave him alone until she gets what she wants. He agrees to secure the transfer for her son Borís to the Guard. The elderly princess then ask Prince Vasíli to get her son onto Kutúzov’s staff, but he says that’s something he just can’t do.
quote from the chapter:
Influence in society, however, is a capital which has to be economized if it is to last. Prince Vasíli knew this, and having once realized that if he asked on behalf of all who begged of him, he would soon be unable to ask for himself, he became chary of using his influence. But in Princess Drubetskáya’s case he felt, after her second appeal, something like qualms of conscience. She had reminded him of what was quite true; he had been indebted to her father for the first steps in his career. Moreover, he could see by her manners that she was one of those women—mostly mothers—who, having once made up their minds, will not rest until they have gained their end, and are prepared if necessary to go on insisting day after day and hour after hour, and even to make scenes. This last consideration moved him.
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