The old Count receives last rites, as various family members look on.
Summary:
Called into the Count’s bedroom, Pierre sees the old Count, who in a wheelchair is receiving last rites from several priests who wear magnificent glittering vestments, with lighted tapers in their hands, slowly and solemnly conducting the service. Surrounding the Count’s wheelchair are the two younger princesses their eldest sister, Catiche, Anna Mikháylovna, and Prince Vasíli, the aide-de-camp, the doctors, and others. All were silently crossing themselves, and the reading of the church service, the subdued chanting of deep bass voices, and in the intervals sighs and the shuffling of feet were the only sounds that could be heard. When the priest’s ceremony is completed, several of the bystanders carefully lift the dying Count from the wheelchair and place him back in his bed. Although awake, the Count is very weak and he is unable to communicate. Pierre is very uncertain as to what he should do, but Anna uses gestures to indicate to Pierre he should first kiss his father’s hand and then to sit in a chair near the Count’s bed. When the Count dozes off, Anna and Pierre leave the sickroom.
quote from the chapter:
While the count was being turned over, one of his arms fell back helplessly and he made a fruitless effort to pull it forward. Whether he noticed the look of terror with which Pierre regarded that lifeless arm, or whether some other thought flitted across his dying brain, at any rate he glanced at the refractory arm, at Pierre’s terror-stricken face, and again at the arm, and on his face a feeble, piteous smile appeared, quite out of keeping with his features, that seemed to deride his own helplessness. At sight of this smile Pierre felt an unexpected quivering in his breast and a tickling in his nose, and tears dimmed his eyes. The sick man was turned on to his side with his face to the wall. He sighed.
Book 1, Chapter 23
The old Count receives last rites, as various family members look on.
Summary:
Called into the Count’s bedroom, Pierre sees the old Count, who in a wheelchair is receiving last rites from several priests who wear magnificent glittering vestments, with lighted tapers in their hands, slowly and solemnly conducting the service. Surrounding the Count’s wheelchair are the two younger princesses their eldest sister, Catiche, Anna Mikháylovna, and Prince Vasíli, the aide-de-camp, the doctors, and others. All were silently crossing themselves, and the reading of the church service, the subdued chanting of deep bass voices, and in the intervals sighs and the shuffling of feet were the only sounds that could be heard. When the priest’s ceremony is completed, several of the bystanders carefully lift the dying Count from the wheelchair and place him back in his bed. Although awake, the Count is very weak and he is unable to communicate. Pierre is very uncertain as to what he should do, but Anna uses gestures to indicate to Pierre he should first kiss his father’s hand and then to sit in a chair near the Count’s bed. When the Count dozes off, Anna and Pierre leave the sickroom.
quote from the chapter:
While the count was being turned over, one of his arms fell back helplessly and he made a fruitless effort to pull it forward. Whether he noticed the look of terror with which Pierre regarded that lifeless arm, or whether some other thought flitted across his dying brain, at any rate he glanced at the refractory arm, at Pierre’s terror-stricken face, and again at the arm, and on his face a feeble, piteous smile appeared, quite out of keeping with his features, that seemed to deride his own helplessness. At sight of this smile Pierre felt an unexpected quivering in his breast and a tickling in his nose, and tears dimmed his eyes. The sick man was turned on to his side with his face to the wall. He sighed.
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