was　always　anxious　to　recognize　that　he　was　a　fine　lad。
  〃Still；　I　am　not　the　same　as　his　own　mother；〃　said　Countess　Mary。　〃I
  feel　I　am　not　the　same　and　it　troubles　me。　A　wonderful　boy；　but　I　am
  dreadfully　afraid　for　him。　It　would　be　good　for　him　to　have
  companions。〃
  〃Well　it　won't　be　for　long。　Next　summer　I'll　take　him　to
  Petersburg；〃　said　Nicholas。　〃Yes；　Pierre　always　was　a　dreamer　and
  always　will　be；〃　he　continued；　returning　to　the　talk　in　the　study
  which　had　evidently　disturbed　him。　〃Well；　what　business　is　it　of
  mine　what　goes　on　there…　whether　Arakcheev　is　bad；　and　all　that？
  What　business　was　it　of　mine　when　I　married　and　was　so　deep　in　debt
  that　I　was　threatened　with　prison；　and　had　a　mother　who　could　not
  see　or　understand　it？　And　then　there　are　you　and　the　children　and
  our　affairs。　Is　it　for　my　own　pleasure　that　I　am　at　the　farm　or　in　the
  office　from　morning　to　night？　No；　but　I　know　I　must　work　to　comfort　my
  mother；　to　repay　you；　and　not　to　leave　the　children　such　beggars　as
  I　was。〃
  Countess　Mary　wanted　to　tell　him　that　man　does　not　live　by　bread
  alone　and　that　he　attached　too　much　importance　to　these　matters。　But
  she　knew　she　must　not　say　this　and　that　it　would　be　useless　to　do
  so。　She　only　took　his　hand　and　kissed　it。　He　took　this　as　a　sign　of
  approval　and　a　confirmation　of　his　thoughts；　and　after　a　few
  minutes'　reflection　continued　to　think　aloud。
  〃You　know；　Mary；　today　Elias　Mitrofanych〃　（this　was　his　overseer）
  〃came　back　from　the　Tambov　estate　and　told　me　they　are　already
  offering　eighty　thousand　rubles　for　the　forest。〃
  And　with　an　eager　face　Nicholas　began　to　speak　of　the　possibility　of
  repurchasing　Otradnoe　before　long；　and　added：　〃Another　ten　years　of
  life　and　I　shall　leave　the　children。。。　in　an　excellent　position。〃
  Countess　Mary　listened　to　her　husband　and　understood　all　that　he
  told　her。　She　knew　that　when　he　thought　aloud　in　this　way　he　would
  sometimes　ask　her　what　he　had　been　saying；　and　be　vexed　if　he
  noticed　that　she　had　been　thinking　about　something　else。　But　she　had
  to　force　herself　to　attend；　for　what　he　was　saying　did　not　interest
  her　at　all。　She　looked　at　him　and　did　not　think；　but　felt；　about
  something　different。　She　felt　a　submissive　tender　love　for　this　man
  who　would　never　understand　all　that　she　understood；　and　this　seemed　to
  make　her　love　for　him　still　stronger　and　added　a　touch　of　passionate
  tenderness。　Besides　this　feeling　which　absorbed　her　altogether　and
  hindered　her　from　following　the　details　of　her　husband's　plans；
  thoughts　that　had　no　connection　with　what　he　was　saying　flitted
  through　her　mind。　She　thought　of　her　nephew。　Her　husband's　account
  of　the　boy's　agitation　while　Pierre　was　speaking　struck　her
  forcibly；　and　various　traits　of　his　gentle；　sensitive　character
  recurred　to　her　mind；　and　while　thinking　of　her　nephew　she　thought
  also　of　her　own　children。　She　did　not　compare　them　with　him；　but
  compared　her　feeling　for　them　with　her　feeling　for　him；　and　felt
  with　regret　that　there　was　something　lacking　in　her　feeling　for
  young　Nicholas。
  Sometimes　it　seemed　to　her　that　this　difference　arose　from　the
  difference　in　their　ages；　but　she　felt　herself　to　blame　toward　him　and
  promised　in　her　heart　to　do　better　and　to　accomplish　the　impossible…
  in　this　life　to　love　her　husband；　her　children；　little　Nicholas；　and
  all　her　neighbors；　as　Christ　loved　mankind。　Countess　Mary's　soul
  always　strove　toward　the　infinite；　the　eternal；　and　the　absolute；
  and　could　therefore　never　be　at　peace。　A　stern　expression　of　the
  lofty；　secret　suffering　of　a　soul　burdened　by　the　body　appeared　on　her
  face。　Nicholas　gazed　at　her。　〃O　God！　What　will　become　of　us　if　she
  dies；　as　I　always　fear　when　her　face　is　like　that？〃　thought　he；　and
  placing　himself　before　the　icon　he　began　to　say　his　evening　prayers。
  EP1｜CH16
  CHAPTER　XVI
  Natasha　and　Pierre；　left　alone；　also　began　to　talk　as　only　a　husband
  and　wife　can　talk；　that　is；　with　extraordinary　clearness　and　rapidity；
  understanding　and　expressing　each　other's　thoughts　in　ways　contrary　to
  all　rules　of　logic；　without　premises；　deductions；　or　conclusions；
  and　in　a　quite　peculiar　way。　Natasha　was　so　used　to　this　kind　of
  talk　with　her　husband　that　for　her　it　was　the　surest　sign　of　something
  being　wrong　between　them　if　Pierre　followed　a　line　of　logical
  reasoning。　When　he　began　proving　anything；　or　talking
  argumentatively　and　calmly　and　she；　led　on　by　his　example；　began　to　do
  the　same；　she　knew　that　they　were　on　the　verge　of　a　quarrel。
  From　the　moment　they　were　alone　and　Natasha　came　up　to　him　with
  wide…open　happy　eyes；　and　quickly　seizing　his　head　pressed　it　to　her
  bosom；　saying：　〃Now　you　are　all　mine；　mine！　You　won't　escape！〃…　from
  that　moment　this　conversation　began；　contrary　to　all　the　laws　of　logic
  and　contrary　to　them　because　quite　different　subjects　were　talked
  about　at　one　and　the　same　time。　This　simultaneous　discussion　of　many
  topics　did　not　prevent　a　clear　understanding　but　on　the　contrary　was
  the　surest　sign　that　they　fully　understood　one　another。
  Just　as　in　a　dream　when　all　is　uncertain；　unreasoning；　and
  contradictory；　except　the　feeling　that　guides　the　dream；　so　in　this
  intercourse　contrary　to　all　laws　of　reason；　the　words　themselves
  were　not　consecutive　and　clear　but　only　the　feeling　that　prompted
  them。
  Natasha　spoke　to　Pierre　about　her　brother's　life　and　doings；　of
  how　she　had　suffered　and　lacked　life　during　his　own　absence；　and　of
  how　she　was　fonder　than　ever　of　Mary；　and　how　Mary　was　in　every　way
  better　than　herself。　In　saying　this　Natasha　was　sincere　in
  acknowledging　Mary's　superiority；　but　at　the　same　time　by　saying　it
  she　made　a　demand　on　Pierre　that　he　should；　all　the　same；　prefer　her
  to　Mary　and　to　all　other　women；　and　that　now；　especially　after
  having　seen　many　women　in　Petersburg；　he　should　tell　her　so　afresh。
  Pierre；　answering　Natasha's　words；　told　her　how　intolerable　it　had
  been　for　him　to　meet　ladies　at　dinners　and　balls　in　Petersburg。
  〃I　have　quite　lost　the　knack　of　talking　to　ladies；〃　he　said。　〃It　was
  simply　dull。　Besides；　I　was　very　busy。〃
  Natasha　looked　intently　at　him　and　went　on：
  〃Mary　is　so　splendid；〃　she　said。　〃How　she　understands　children！　It
  is　as　if　she　saw　straight　into　their　souls。　Yesterday；　for　instance；
  Mitya　was　naughty。。。〃
  〃How　like　his　father　he　is；〃　Pierre　interjected。
  Natasha　knew　why　he　mentioned　Mitya's　likeness　to　Nicholas：　the
  recollection　of　his　dispute　with　his　brother…in…law　was　unpleasant　and
  he　wanted　to　know　what　Natasha　thought　of　it。
  〃Nicholas　has　the　weakness　of　never　agreeing　with　anything　not
  generally　accepted。　But　I　understand　that　you　value　what　opens　up　a
  fresh　line；〃　said　she；　repeating　words　Pierre　had　once　uttered。
  〃No；　the　chief　point　is　that　to　Nicholas　ideas　and　discussions　are
  an　amusement…　almost　a　pastime；〃　said　Pierre。　〃For　instance；　he　is
  collecting　a　library　and　has　made　it　a　rule　not　to　buy　a　new　book　till
  he　has　read　what　he　had　already　bought…　Sismondi　and　Rousseau　and
  Montesquieu；〃　he　added　with　a　smile。　〃You　know　how　much　I。。。〃　he　began
  to　soften　down　what　he　had　said；　but　Natasha　interrupted　him　to　show
  that　this　was　unnecessary。
  〃So　you　say　ideas　are　an　amusement　to　him。。。。〃
  〃Yes；　and　for　me　nothing　else　is　serious。　All　the　time　in　Petersburg
  I　saw　everyone　as　in　a　dream。　When　I　am　taken　up　by　a　thought；　all
  else　is　mere　amusement。〃
  〃Ah；　I'm　so　sorry　I　wasn't　there　when　you　met　the　children；〃　said
  Natasha。　〃Which　was　most　delighted？　Lisa；　I'm　sure。〃
  〃Yes；〃　Pierre　replied；　and　went　on　with　what　was　in　his　mind。
  〃Nicholas　says　we　ought　not　to　think。　But　I　can't　help　it。　Besides；
  when　I　was　in　Petersburg　I　felt　（I　can　this　to　you）　that　the　whole
  affair　would　go　to　pieces　without　me…　everyone　was　pulling　his　own
  way。　But　I　succeeded　in　uniting　them　all；　and　then　my　idea　is　so　clear
  and　simple。　You　see；　I　don't　say　that　we　ought　to　oppose　this　and
  that。　We　may　be　mistaken。　What　I　say　is：　'Join　hands；　you　who　love　the
  right；　and　let　there　be　but　one　banner…　that　of　active　virtue。'　Prince
  Sergey　is　a　fine　fellow　and　clever。〃
  Natasha　would　have　had　no　doubt　as　to　the　greatness　of　Pierre's
  idea；　but　one　thing　disconcerted　her。　〃Can　a　man　so　important　and
  necessary　to　society　be　also　my　husband？　How　did　this　happen？〃　She
  wished　to　express　this　doubt　to　him。　〃Now　who　could　decide　whether
  he　is　really　cleverer　than　all　the　others？〃　she　asked　herself；　and
  passed　in　review　all　those　whom　Pierre　most　respected。　Judging　by　what
  he　had　said　there　was　no　one　he　had　respected　so　highly　as　Platon
  Karataev。
  〃Do　you　know　what　I　am　thinking　about？〃　she　asked。　〃About　Platon
  Karataev。　Would　he　have　approved　of　you　now；　do　you　think？〃
  Pierre　was　not　at　all　surprised　at　this　question。　He　understood
  his　wife's　line　of　thought。
  〃Platon　Karataev？〃　he　repeated；　and　pondered；　evidently　sincerely
  trying　to　imagine　Karataev's　opinion　on　the　subject。　〃He　would　not
  have　u