Natásha continued caring for her mother. For Natásha, this begins a healing process which would eventually reach completion. But the Countess will never be the same. Natásha and Princess Mary developed a deep personal bond.
Natásha continued caring for her mother. For Natásha, this begins a healing process which would eventually reach completion. But the Countess will never be the same. Natásha and Princess Mary developed a deep personal bond.
Book 15, Chapter 3
Natásha continued caring for her mother. For Natásha, this begins a healing process which would eventually reach completion. But the Countess will never be the same. Natásha and Princess Mary developed a deep personal bond.
Summary:
For three weeks Natásha remained constantly at her mother’s side. No one else’s presence helped her mother nearly so much as Natásha’s. But Countess Rostóv’s wounded spirit was beyond healing. Pétya’s death had ripped half her life away, and she could never recover from that. On the other hand, caring for her mother helped heal Natásha. Before, she had thought her life was over, but her love for her mother unexpectedly awoke love inside Natásha, which restored her to life. Besides all this, Pétya’s death brought Princess Mary and Natásha even closer together than had the recent loss of Prince Andrew. It caused a feeling stronger than friendship to spring up between them; an exclusive feeling of life being possible only in each other’s presence. Natásha’s emotional wounds had started to heal from within. But physically, she had grown thin and pale and so weak that they all worried about her health. So, at the end of January, when Princess Mary finally left for Moscow, Count Rostóv insisted on Natásha’s going along with her to consult the doctors.
quote from the chapter:
Mary, she said timidly, drawing Princess Mary’s hand to herself, Mary, you mustn’t think me wicked. No? Mary darling, how I love you! Let us be quite, quite friends.
And Natásha, embracing her, began kissing her face and hands, making Princess Mary feel shy but happy by this demonstration of her feelings.
From that day a tender and passionate friendship such as exists only between women was established between Princess Mary and Natásha. They were continually kissing and saying tender things to one another and spent most of their time together. When one went out the other became restless and hastened to rejoin her. Together they felt more in harmony with one another than either of them felt with herself when alone. A feeling stronger than friendship sprang up between them; an exclusive feeling of life being possible only in each other’s presence.
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!