War And Peace Page #5

if I'd done that.

Did you notice

he almost never smiles?

While I was singing,

I caught him looking at me.

He was smiling then.

And I felt...

It's almost impossible to describe.

I felt as if someone had given me

the most enormous, beautiful present.

- Come to bed, Natasha.

- You try to spoil everything!

On a night like this, I feel like

hugging myself tight and flying away!

- Take care, you'll fall.

- All right.

But it's a shame to go in

on such a night.

It's like hearing wonderful music,

and you know it's going to be

the most beautiful you've ever heard.

And being pulled away

and missing it for ever.

- For ever.

- Natasha!

All right.

- Nicholas, the expression on my face.

- What about it?

- Do I look disdainful?

- No!

- I'm sure I look disdainful.

- What for?

If I look disdainful, nobody will

notice this is my first ever ball.

- How's this? Better?

- That's much better.

Good.

You must promise

not to dance with me.

- No!

- No matter if no one says a word to me.

- Promise not to dance with me.

- Why?

Because it would be humiliating

if only my brother asks me to dance...

...out of pity.

- Promise?

- I promise.

- Nicholas, is everybody looking at me?

- Can't you see for yourself?

Not without changing the expression

on my face.

- There's one awful thing about you.

- Tell me! The whole truth!

No girl I'll ever meet

will be able to amuse me like you.

Don't talk like that.

Go and leave us to our fate.

- Nicholas, look after your mother.

- Comfortable, Mother?

Yes, my darling.

What a horrible mistake.

I shouldn't have come.

Nothing is going to happen.

The night is going to be one horrible,

black, degrading zero.

Count Denilov, meet my family.

Madame Maria Peronskaya.

You know my wife.

My niece, Sonya,

and my daughter, Natasha.

May I have the pleasure?

Oh, dear.

Perhaps I shall be more fortunate

later on. I shall try again.

- "Adieu."

- "Au revoir."

Denilov is our hostess' first cousin,

worth millions!

Second cousin, dear.

Ah, there's the French ambassador!

He looks as if he were a king.

You're rather late, you know?

Most of my dances are gone.

Why must I keep thinking

of Prince Andrei?

Am I so much in love with him

that all others seem ridiculous?

We saw so little of each other,

and yet I remember every moment.

If only he could have

brought me here tonight.

Why doesn't he like the city?

It isn't right for a man

to shut himself off as he does.

I am so delighted to see you again.

Will you honour me with this dance?

- Pierre, nice to see you.

- Pierre, my boy.

Will you honour me with this dance?

- Don't you just love dances?

- Not ordinarily.

- This is my first in two years.

- I'm so glad you did come.

I mean... Mama and Papa said it was

nice for you to visit after the hunt...

Tell them I intend to come and visit often.

- Very often, if they'll permit me.

- I shall tell them.

On moonlit nights, do you still want

to fly off to the moon?

- Where did you hear?

- My window was just below yours.

What a disaster! You heard everything.

No. You disappeared too soon.

- You must think I'm an utter idiot.

- No.

I don't think you're an idiot. I think...

Permit me. May I have

the pleasure of this dance?

Thank you.

What a joy it is to dance with her.

Like holding springtime in your arms.

Like holding a branch of lilac,

or a kitten.

Look at her now.

If she looks back at me

and smiles on the next turn,

she'll be my wife.

Guide us with thine infinite wisdom...

...teach us to abide in thy mercy,

and if it be thy will,

let this bed be my grave.

- I must talk to you just once more.

- Well, well...

It's about Prince Andrei, I suppose?

Thursday, Friday,

Saturday, Sunday, Monday...

Five days he hasn't been heard from.

First, he comes to see me every day

and quite turns my head,

then nothing happens.

Now, I'll tell you about myself

when I was young.

I had a cousin,

a handsome young man.

Yes, really handsome.

I know. Cyril Matveich.

- Must everything end up in nothing?

- You're being impulsive.

You must be patient. Very patient.

Wait till a proper proposal has been

made to you. He'll show up.

The last time, his proposal was

on the tip of his tongue.

He seemed so in love.

I'm always a little afraid

in his presence. What does it mean?

Does it mean that it's real love?

- Are you asleep?

- No, my pet.

I'm a little frightened myself.

- Now go.

- All the same, I shan't sleep.

Such a thing has never happened

to me before.

Could we ever

have thought it last spring

that we should meet at the ball?

It must be fate.

Clearly, it must be fate,

if everything led up to this.

Need one be ashamed of a widower?

No, darling, pray to God.

Marriages are made in heaven.

Mama, how I love you. I'm so happy!

Little Countess, are you asleep?

Yes, dear, I'm asleep. Goodnight.

Marry? Marry?

As though life were not

complicated enough as it is!

In such a hurry! You thought you

knew what you were doing last time!

- This is completely different.

- It always is!

Before I met her, life was sad,

meaningless, hopeless.

When you're over thirty, a man's life

should be sad and hopeless!

- Father...

- All right, all right.

Let's be reasonable.

Her family is nothing.

Nothing, compared to the Bolkonskys.

Her father was known

to chase every woman in Moscow.

Without success!

Now that he's grown older,

he's known to play

in every card game in Moscow.

Equally without success!

They're a happy family.

That's a success, too.

Perhaps the greatest success.

But you think

you're being fair to the girl?

You're much older than she.

You have a son to bring up.

Who'll take the responsibility?

A little chit of a girl?

I beg of you, put it off for just one year

and go abroad.

There's a peace mission to Prussia

for the signing of a treaty.

I know you wanted to go

on the mission.

After a year, if you still have this love

or obstinacy, you marry her.

That is my last word on the subject.

It's my last word!

Is it possible that I, Natasha, will be

the wife of this strange, dear man,

whom even my father looks up to?

Can it be true that there can be

no more playing with life?

That on me now lies the responsibility

of my every word and deed?

I have loved you

from the first moment I saw you.

- Do you love me?

- Yes, yes!

What is it? What's the matter?

I'm so happy.

- Did your mother explain?

- There's nothing to explain.

She told you it can't be for a year?

You're young, I want you to be sure.

- I am sure.

- One year's not long and you'll be free.

Lf, within that year,

you find you don't love me...

Don't say anything like that again!

- A year? I'm not going to see you?

- Of course.

- I must go to Poland for a few months.

- Is there nothing that can be done?

It's awful, I'll die waiting a year!

It's impossible, it's...!

No. I'll do anything, whatever you say.

We have the rest of our lives!

At Tilsit in Prussia,

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