Anna Pavlovna's living room was gradually crowded with guests. Petersburg's prestigious dignitaries have all come to the meeting. They are different in age and temperament, but they are the same in the society in which they live. Prince Vassily's daughter, the beautiful Helen, came to the meeting. She picked up her father by the way to attend the Congress of the minister. She wore a figure medal and a ball gown. The well-known, young, short Duchess of Bolkonskaya, Lafemmelapluss duisantede Ptersbourg, also came to the meeting; she left the cabinet in the winter because she was pregnant and couldn't be in the public places of communication at the moment, but she still attended small parties. The son of the Duke of Vassily, Ippolite, accompanied Mothmar, whom he recommended, and Father Moriot and many others attended.
"I haven't seen it yet (or: you don't know Matatante?)." Anna Pavlovna told the guests that she had taken them seriously to the little old lady, who was wearing a tall bow on her head, and when the guests were approaching, she steadily stepped out of the other room; Anna Pavlovna called out the names of the guests one by one, while slowly looking from the guests. Move to matante and she walks away.
The charming woman of Petersburg.
French: My aunt.
All the guests saluted the aunt, who was unfamiliar, uninterested and unnecessary. Anna Pavlovna showed a melancholy and solemn look, listened to their greetings and silently expressed her approval. In the same words, matante talked to each guest about their situation, about her health and the Queen Mother's health, "Thank God, the Queen Mother is getting better today." All the guests who came to Xiao'an, in order to pay attention to etiquette, did not show a rush look, but left the old lady with a sense of lightness after fulfilling their arduous duties, and never came to her all night.
The young Duchess of Bolkonskaya came with a velvet bag of gold knitting with needlework in it. Her pleasant upper lip, with a slightly black fluff, turned up and showed her upper teeth. Because of this, when the upper lip opened, it looked even better. Sometimes the upper lip extended forward or put on the lower lip, the better it looked. Her shortcomings -- her lips raised and her slightly opened mouth -- seemed to constitute her special beauty. No matter who sees this strong, energetic, even pregnant, still a brisk, beautiful looking future mother, all feel extremely happy. Old people and gloomy and depressed young people, if you stay with her for a moment, chat, it seems to become like her. Who talked with her, saw her every word will show a bright smile, see her snow-white, shining teeth, will feel flattered today, floating. Everyone's mind will come up with this idea.
The little Duchess, with a bag of needles and thread in her hand, staggered around the table in quick steps, flattened her dress happily, and sat down on the long sofa beside the silver tea cooker as if she were a partiedeplaisir to herself and the people around her, whatever she did. "J'aiapport e monouvrage," she said, opening her handbag and turning her face to everyone.
"Look, Annette, nemejouezpasunmauvais'tour," she said, turning her face to the hostess. "Vousm'avez e crit, quec'e taitune to utepetitesoire; voyez commejesuisattife E."(3)
French: Happy things.
French: I brought needlework with me.
(3) French: Don't make a vicious joke with me. In your letter to me, you said that you had a small party. You see, I've got my shawl around.
She spread out her hands and showed everyone her elegant laced grey dress with a wide ribbon under her forechest.
"Soyeztranquille, Lise, voussereztoujourslaplusjolie," answered Anna Pavlovna.
"Voussavez, monmarim'abandonne." She turned her face to a general and continued in the same tone, "ilvasefairetuer. Ditesmoi, pourquoicettevilaineguerre." She said to Duke Vassily, and before he could answer, she turned to talk to the duke's daughter, beautiful Helen.
"Quelled licieusepersonnequecettepetiteprincesse!" The Duke of Vassily whispered to Anna Pavlovna.
French: Lisa, please rest assured that you are more beautiful than anyone else after all.
French: You know, my husband is going to abandon me. He's going to fight like hell. Please tell me what the purpose of this vicious war is.
(3) French: What a charming person this short Duchess is!
Following the little duchess, a large, slightly obese young man came in with short-cut hair, glasses, fashionable light trousers, a tall, stiff collar and a brown tuxedo. The slightly obese young man was the illegitimate son of Count Bezuhov, who was a well-known official when Ekaterina was in office and is now dying in Moscow. He hasn't worked anywhere yet. He just returned from his advanced studies abroad and made his first appearance in social situations. Anna Pavlovna bowed to him and welcomed him. She treated her juniors in her salon the same way. Although it was a courtesy to greet the subordinates, Anna Pavlovna's face showed alarm at the sight of Pierre entering the door, as if she saw a huge monster unfit for shelter here. Pierre was indeed bigger than the other men in the salon, but this panic could only be caused by his shrewd, timid, keen and anxious look, which was different from the eyes of others in the salon.
"C'estbienaimable vous, Monsieur Pierre, d'etrevenuvoirunepauvremalade," Anna Pavlovna said to him, taking him to his aunt and winking at her in dismay. Pierre muttered an incomprehensible remark and continued to search for something with his eyes. He smiled happily, bowed to the little Duchess like a close friend, and then went to his aunt. Anna Pavlovna's panic was not without reason, for Pierre had not yet heard her aunt's health and walked away from her. Anna Pavlovna discouraged him in a panic.
French: It's very kind of you, Mr. Pierre, to visit a poor woman patient.
"Don't you know Father Moriot? He's a very funny man..." She said.
"Yes, I have heard about his plan for permanent peace. It's really interesting, but it may not be possible...
"Do you have such an idea?..." Anna Pavlovna said that she wanted to talk casually and do some Housewives'work, but Pierre did an unusual lack of politeness. Originally, he walked away without listening to his interlocutor, but now he said some gossip to stop the interlocutor who needed to leave him. He hung his head, opened his thighs and began to prove to Anna Pavlovna why he thought the priest's plan was pure fantasy.
"Let's talk about it later." Anna Pavlovna said with a slight smile.
After she got rid of the young man who was not good at living, she turned back to work as a housewife and continued to listen attentively. She looked carefully and was ready to help those who did not talk very well. Like the owner of a spinning mill, when a worker takes his place, he paces around the mill and finds that the spindle stops turning, or that the sound is against his ear, that the rolling is loud, and that the volume is too loud, so he rushes to brake the spinning wheel or make it run smoothly. That's how Anna Pavlovna handles things. She's a guest.
The hall paced up and down, and from time to time came to the silent or talking crowds, and opened their mouths or moved their seats, thus making the conversation machine turn calmly and gently. But when she looked after her like this, she could still see that she was extremely worried about Pierre. When Pierre went to the people around Mothmar to listen to them and then to the group of people with the priest speaking, she always looked at Pierre with concern. For Pierre, who was educated abroad, Anna Pavlovna's party was the first one he saw in Russia. He knows that the intellectuals of Petersburg are gathering here. He looks like a child in a toy store. He can't see much and is dazzled.
He was always afraid of missing out on the esoteric arguments he could hear. He witnessed with his own eyes the confident and graceful expression of the people gathered here, and he was always waiting to hear particularly esoteric remarks. Finally, he went to Moriot. He thought their conversation was very interesting, so he stopped and waited for the opportunity to express his opinions. Like young people, this one liked it.
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