to　conceal　her　delight。　〃She　is　so　kind　and　Mamma　is　so　fond　of　her！〃
  Nicholas　did　not　reply　and　tried　to　avoid　speaking　of　the　princess
  any　more。　But　after　her　visit　the　old　countess　spoke　of　her　several
  times　a　day。
  She　sang　her　praises；　insisted　that　her　son　must　call　on　her；
  expressed　a　wish　to　see　her　often；　but　yet　always　became　ill…humored
  when　she　began　to　talk　about　her。
  Nicholas　tried　to　keep　silence　when　his　mother　spoke　of　the
  princess；　but　his　silence　irritated　her。
  〃She　is　a　very　admirable　and　excellent　young　woman；〃　said　she；
  〃and　you　must　go　and　call　on　her。　You　would　at　least　be　seeing
  somebody；　and　I　think　it　must　be　dull　for　you　only　seeing　us。〃
  〃But　I　don't　in　the　least　want　to；　Mamma。〃
  〃You　used　to　want　to；　and　now　you　don't。　Really　I　don't　understand
  you；　my　dear。　One　day　you　are　dull；　and　the　next　you　refuse　to　see
  anyone。〃
  〃But　I　never　said　I　was　dull。〃
  〃Why；　you　said　yourself　you　don't　want　even　to　see　her。　She　is　a
  very　admirable　young　woman　and　you　always　liked　her；　but　now
  suddenly　you　have　got　some　notion　or　other　in　your　head。　You　hide
  everything　from　me。〃
  〃Not　at　all；　Mamma。〃
  〃If　I　were　asking　you　to　do　something　disagreeable　now…　but　I　only
  ask　you　to　return　a　call。　One　would　think　mere　politeness　required
  it。。。。　Well；　I　have　asked　you；　and　now　I　won't　interfere　any　more
  since　you　have　secrets　from　your　mother。〃
  〃Well；　then；　I'll　go　if　you　wish　it。〃
  〃It　doesn't　matter　to　me。　I　only　wish　it　for　your　sake。〃
  Nicholas　sighed；　bit　his　mustache；　and　laid　out　the　cards　for　a
  patience；　trying　to　divert　his　mother's　attention　to　another　topic。
  The　same　conversation　was　repeated　next　day　and　the　day　after；　and
  the　day　after　that。
  After　her　visit　to　the　Rostovs　and　her　unexpectedly　chilly　reception
  by　Nicholas；　Princess　Mary　confessed　to　herself　that　she　had　been
  right　in　not　wishing　to　be　the　first　to　call。
  〃I　expected　nothing　else；〃　she　told　herself；　calling　her　pride　to
  her　aid。　〃I　have　nothing　to　do　with　him　and　I　only　wanted　to　see　the
  old　lady；　who　was　always　kind　to　me　and　to　whom　I　am　under　many
  obligations。〃
  But　she　could　not　pacify　herself　with　these　reflections；　a　feeling
  akin　to　remorse　troubled　her　when　she　thought　of　her　visit。　Though　she
  had　firmly　resolved　not　to　call　on　the　Rostovs　again　and　to　forget　the
  whole　matter；　she　felt　herself　all　the　time　in　an　awkward　position。
  And　when　she　asked　herself　what　distressed　her；　she　had　to　admit
  that　it　was　her　relation　to　Rostov。　His　cold；　polite　manner　did　not
  express　his　feeling　for　her　（she　knew　that）　but　it　concealed
  something；　and　until　she　could　discover　what　that　something　was；　she
  felt　that　she　could　not　be　at　ease。
  One　day　in　midwinter　when　sitting　in　the　schoolroom　attending　to　her
  nephew's　lessons；　she　was　informed　that　Rostov　had　called。　With　a　firm
  resolution　not　to　betray　herself　and　not　show　her　agitation；　she
  sent　for　Mademoiselle　Bourienne　and　went　with　her　to　the　drawing　room。
  Her　first　glance　at　Nicholas'　face　told　her　that　he　had　only　come　to
  fulfill　the　demands　of　politeness；　and　she　firmly　resolved　to　maintain
  the　tone　in　which　he　addressed　her。
  They　spoke　of　the　countess'　health；　of　their　mutual　friends；　of
  the　latest　war　news；　and　when　the　ten　minutes　required　by　propriety
  had　elapsed　after　which　a　visitor　may　rise；　Nicholas　got　up　to　say
  good…by。
  With　Mademoiselle　Bourienne's　help　the　princess　had　maintained　the
  conversation　very　well；　but　at　the　very　last　moment；　just　when　he
  rose；　she　was　so　tired　of　talking　of　what　did　not　interest　her；　and
  her　mind　was　so　full　of　the　question　why　she　alone　was　granted　so
  little　happiness　in　life；　that　in　a　fit　of　absent…mindedness　she　sat
  still；　her　luminous　eyes　gazing　fixedly　before　her；　not　noticing
  that　he　had　risen。
  Nicholas　glanced　at　her　and；　wishing　to　appear　not　to　notice　her
  abstraction；　made　some　remark　to　Mademoiselle　Bourienne　and　then　again
  looked　at　the　princess。　She　still　sat　motionless　with　a　look　of
  suffering　on　her　gentle　face。　He　suddenly　felt　sorry　for　her　and　was
  vaguely　conscious　that　he　might　be　the　cause　of　the　sadness　her　face
  expressed。　He　wished　to　help　her　and　say　something　pleasant；　but　could
  think　of　nothing　to　say。
  〃Good…by；　Princess！〃　said　he。
  She　started；　flushed；　and　sighed　deeply。
  〃Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon；〃　she　said　as　if　waking　up。　〃Are　you　going
  already；　Count？　Well　then；　good…by！　Oh；　but　the　cushion　for　the
  countess！〃
  〃Wait　a　moment；　I'll　fetch　it；〃　said　Mademoiselle　Bourienne；　and　she
  left　the　room。
  They　both　sat　silent；　with　an　occasional　glance　at　one　another。
  〃Yes；　Princess；〃　said　Nicholas　at　last　with　a　sad　smile；　〃it　doesn't
  seem　long　ago　since　we　first　met　at　Bogucharovo；　but　how　much　water
  has　flowed　since　then！　In　what　distress　we　all　seemed　to　be　then；
  yet　I　would　give　much　to　bring　back　that　time。。。　but　there's　no
  bringing　it　back。〃
  Princess　Mary　gazed　intently　into　his　eyes　with　her　own　luminous
  ones　as　he　said　this。　She　seemed　to　be　trying　to　fathom　the　hidden
  meaning　of　his　words　which　would　explain　his　feeling　for　her。
  〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　she；　〃but　you　have　no　reason　to　regret　the　past；
  Count。　As　I　understand　your　present　life；　I　think　you　will　always
  recall　it　with　satisfaction；　because　the　self…sacrifice　that　fills
  it　now。。。〃
  〃I　cannot　accept　your　praise；〃　he　interrupted　her　hurriedly。　〃On　the
  contrary　I　continually　reproach　myself。。。。　But　this　is　not　at　all　an
  interesting　or　cheerful　subject。〃
  His　face　again　resumed　its　former　stiff　and　cold　expression。　But　the
  princess　had　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　man　she　had　known　and　loved；
  and　it　was　to　him　that　she　now　spoke。
  〃I　thought　you　would　allow　me　to　tell　you　this；〃　she　said。　〃I　had
  come　so　near　to　you。。。　and　to　all　your　family　that　I　thought　you　would
  not　consider　my　sympathy　misplaced；　but　I　was　mistaken；〃　and
  suddenly　her　voice　trembled。　〃I　don't　know　why；〃　she　continued；
  recovering　herself；　〃but　you　used　to　be　different；　and。。。〃
  〃There　are　a　thousand　reasons　why；〃　laying　special　emphasis　on　the
  why。　〃Thank　you；　Princess；〃　he　added　softly。　〃Sometimes　it　is　hard。〃
  〃So　that's　why！　That's　why！〃　a　voice　whispered　in　Princess　Mary's
  soul。　〃No；　it　was　not　only　that　gay；　kind；　and　frank　look；　not　only
  that　handsome　exterior；　that　I　loved　in　him。　I　divined　his　noble；
  resolute；　self…sacrificing　spirit　too；〃　she　said　to　herself。　〃Yes；
  he　is　poor　now　and　I　am　rich。。。。　Yes；　that's　the　only　reason。。。。
  Yes；　were　it　not　for　that。。。〃　And　remembering　his　former　tenderness；
  and　looking　now　at　his　kind；　sorrowful　face；　she　suddenly　understood
  the　cause　of　his　coldness。
  〃But　why；　Count；　why？〃　she　almost　cried；　unconsciously　moving　closer
  to　him。　〃Why？　Tell　me。　You　must　tell　me！〃
  He　was　silent。
  〃I　don't　understand　your　why；　Count；〃　she　continued；　〃but　it's
  hard　for　me。。。　I　confess　it。　For　some　reason　you　wish　to　deprive　me　of
  our　former　friendship。　And　that　hurts　me。〃　There　were　tears　in　her
  eyes　and　in　her　voice。　〃I　have　had　so　little　happiness　in　life　that
  every　loss　is　hard　for　me　to　bear。。。。　Excuse　me；　good…by！〃　and
  suddenly　she　began　to　cry　and　was　hurrying　from　the　room。
  〃Princess；　for　God's　sake！〃　he　exclaimed；　trying　to　stop　her。
  〃Princess！〃
  She　turned　round。　For　a　few　seconds　they　gazed　silently　into　one
  another's　eyes…　and　what　had　seemed　impossible　and　remote　suddenly
  became　possible；　inevitable；　and　very　near。
  EP1｜CH7
  CHAPTER　VII
  In　the　winter　of　1813　Nicholas　married　Princess　Mary　and　moved　to
  Bald　Hills　with　his　wife；　his　mother；　and　Sonya。
  Within　four　years　he　had　paid　off　all　his　remaining　debts　without
  selling　any　of　his　wife's　property；　and　having　received　a　small
  inheritance　on　the　death　of　a　cousin　he　paid　his　debt　to　Pierre　as
  well。
  In　another　three　years；　by　1820；　he　had　so　managed　his　affairs
  that　he　was　able　to　buy　a　small　estate　adjoining　Bald　Hills　and　was
  negotiating　to　buy　back　Otradnoe…　that　being　his　pet　dream。
  Having　started　farming　from　necessity；　he　soon　grew　so　devoted　to　it
  that　it　became　his　favorite　and　almost　his　sole　occupation。　Nicholas
  was　a　plain　farmer：　he　did　not　like　innovations；　especially　the
  English　ones　then　coming　into　vogue。　He　laughed　at　theoretical
  treatises　on　estate　management；　disliked　factories；　the　raising　of
  expensive　products；　and　the　buying　of　expensive　seed　corn；　and　did　not
  make　a　hobby　of　any　particular　part　of　the　work　on　his　estate。　He
  always　had　before　his　mind's　eye　the　estate　as　a　whole　and　not　any
  particular　part　of　it。　The　chief　thing　in　his　eyes　was　not　the
  nitrogen　in　the　soil；　nor　the　oxygen　in　the　air；　nor　manures；　nor
  special　plows；　but　that　most　important　agent　by　which　nitrogen；
  oxygen；　manure；　and　plow　were　made　effective…　the　peasant　laborer。
  When　Nicholas　first　began　farming　and　began　to　understand　its
  different　branches；　it　was　the　serf　who　especially　attracted　his
  attention。　The　peasant　seemed