ON THE 31ST of December, on the eve of the new year 1810, a ball was given by a grand personage who had been a star of the court of Catherine. The Tsar and the diplomatic corps were to be present at this ball.

The well-known mansion of this grandee in the English Embankment was illuminated by innumerable lights. The police were standing at the lighted entry, laid with red baize; and not merely policemen, but a police commander was at the entrance, and dozens of officers of the police. Carriages kept driving away, and fresh ones kept driving up, with grooms in red livery and grooms in plumed hats. From the carriages emerged men wearing uniforms, stars, and ribbons; while ladies in satin and ermine stepped carefully out on the carriage steps, that were let down with a bang, and then walked hurriedly and noiselessly over the baize of the entry.

Almost every time a new carriage drove up, a whisper ran through the crowd and hats were taken off. “The Emperor?…No, a minister…prince…ambassador…Don't you see the plumes?…” was audible in the crowd. One person, better dressed than the rest, seemed to know every one, and mentioned by name all the most celebrated personages of the day.

A third of the guests had already arrived at this ball, while the Rostovs, who were to be present at it, were still engaged in hurried preparations.

Many had been the discussions and the preparations for that ball in the Rostov family; many the fears that an invitation might not arrive, that the dresses would not be ready, and that everything would not be arranged as it ought to be.

The Rostovs were to be accompanied by Marya Ignatyevna Peronsky, a friend and relation of the countess, a thin and yellow maid-of-honour of the old court, who was acting as a guide to the provincial Rostovs in the higher circles of Petersburg society.

At ten o'clock the Rostovs were to drive to Tavritchesky Garden to call for the maid-of-honour. Meantime it was five minutes to ten, and the young ladies were not yet dressed.

Natasha was going to her first great ball. She had got up at eight o'clock that morning, and had spent the whole day in feverish agitation and activity. All her energies had since morning been directed to the one aim of getting herself, her mother, and Sonya as well dressed as possible. Sonya and her mother put themselves entirely in her hands. The countess was to wear a dark red velvet dress; the two girls white tulle dresses over pink silk slips, and roses on their bodices. They were to wear their hair à la grecque.

All the essentials were ready. Feet, arms, necks, and ears had been washed, scented, and powdered with peculiar care in readiness for the ball. Openwork silk stockings and white satin shoes with ribbons had been put on. The hairdressing was almost accomplished. Sonya was finishing dressing, so was the countess; but Natasha, who had been busily looking after every one, was behindhand. She was still sitting before the looking-glass with a peignoir thrown over her thin shoulders. Sonya, already dressed, stood in the middle of the room, and was trying to fasten in a last ribbon, hurting her little finger as she pressed the pin with a scrooping sound into the silk.

“Not like that, Sonya, not like that!” said Natasha, turning her head, and clutching her hair in both hands, as the maid arranging it was not quick enough in letting it go. “The ribbon mustn't go like that; come here.” Sonya squatted down. Natasha pinned the ribbon in her own way.

“Really, miss, you mustn't do so,” said the maid, holding Natasha's hair.

“Oh, my goodness! Afterwards! There, that's right, Sonya.”

“Will you soon be ready?” they heard the countess's voice. “It will be ten in a minute.”

“Immediately, immediately.… And are you ready, mamma?”

“Only my cap to fasten on.”

“Don't do it without me,” shouted Natasha; “you don't know how to!”

“But it's ten o'clock already.”

It had been arranged to be at the ball at half-past ten, and Natasha still had to dress, and they had to drive to Tavritchesky Garden.

When her coiffure was finished, Natasha, in her mother's dressing-jacket and a short petticoat under which her dancing-shoes could be seen, ran up to Sonya, looked her over, and then ran to her mother. Turning her head round, she pinned on her cap, and hurriedly kissing her grey hair, ran back to the maids who were shortening her skirt.

All attention was now centred on Natasha's skirt, which was too long. Two maids were running it up round the edge, hurriedly biting off the threads. A third one, with pins in her teeth and lips, was running from the countess to Sonya; a fourth was holding up the whole tulle dress in her arms.

“Mavrushka, quicker, darling!”

“Give me that thimble, miss.”

“Will you be quick?” said the count from outside the door, coming in. “Here are your smelling-salts. Madame Peronsky must be tired of waiting.”

“Ready, miss,” said the maid, lifting up the shortened tulle skirt on two fingers, blowing something off it, and giving it a shake to show her appreciation of the transparency and purity of what she had in her hands.

Natasha began putting on the dress.

“In a minute, in a minute, don't come in, papa,” she shouted to her father at the door, from under the tulle of the dress that concealed all her face. Sonya slammed the door. A minute later the count was admitted. He was wearing a blue frock coat, stockings, and dancing-shoes, and was perfumed and pomaded.

“Ah, papa, how nice you look, lovely!” said Natasha, standing in the middle of the room, stroking out the folds of her tulle.

“If you please, miss, if you please…” said a maid, pulling up the skirt and turning the pins from one corner of her mouth to the other with her tongue.

“Say what you like!” cried Sonya, with despair in her voice, as she gazed at Natasha's skirt, “say what you like!—it's too long still!”

Natasha walked a little further off to look at herself in the pierglass. The skirt was too long.

“My goodness, madam, it's not a bit too long,” said Mavrushka, creeping along the floor on her knees after her young lady.

“Well, if it's long, we'll tack it up, in one minute, we'll tack it up,” said Dunyasha, a resolute character. And taking a needle out of the kerchief on her bosom she set to work again on the floor.

At that moment the countess in her cap and velvet gown walked shyly with soft steps into the room.

“Oo-oo! my beauty!” cried the count. “She looks nicer than any of you!”…He would have embraced her, but, flushing, she drew back to avoid being crumpled.

“Mamma, the cap should be more on one side,” said Natasha. “I'll pin it fresh,” and she darted forward. The maids turning up her skirt, not prepared for her hasty movement, tore off a piece of the tulle.

“Oh, mercy! What was that? Really it's not my fault…”

“It's all right, I'll run it up, it won't show,” said Dunyasha.

“My beauty, my queen!” said the old nurse coming in at the doorway. “And Sonyushka, too; ah, the beauties!…”

At a quarter past ten they were at last seated in their carriage and driving off. But they still had to drive to Tavritchesky Garden

Madame Peronsky was ready and waiting. In spite of her age and ugliness, just the same process had been going on with her as with the Rostovs, not with flurry, for with her it was a matter of routine. Her elderly and unprepossessing person had been also washed and scented and powdered; she had washed as carefully behind her ears, and like the Rostovs' nurse, her old maid had enthusiastically admired her mistress's attire, when she came into the drawing-room in her yellow gown adorned with her badge of a maid-of-honour. Madame Peronsky praised the Rostovs' costumes, and they praised her attire and her taste. Then, careful of their coiffures and their dresses, at eleven o'clock they settled themselves in the carriages and drove off.

十二月三十一日，即是一八一○年元旦的前夜，le　réveillon①，叶卡捷琳娜二世时代的一名大官举办舞会。外交使团的官员和国王都要来参加舞会。

①法语：前夜（除夕）。

在英吉利沿岸街上，遐迩闻名的大官的楼房被无数彩灯映照得灿烂辉煌。警察站在被照得通明的、铺有红呢绒地毯的台阶上，在这里站岗的不仅有宪兵，而且有警察局长和数十名警官。许多辆轻便马车开出去，又有许多辆开到门口，轻便马车上载有一些穿红色制服或戴着羽饰帽子的仆役。一些身穿制服、佩戴星形勋章和绶带的男人从四轮轿式马车中走出来，一些身穿缎子衣裳和银鼠皮袄的女士小心翼翼地沿着哗啦一声放下来的踏板走下来，之后再沿着台阶上的红呢地毯急促地、不出声地走过去。

几乎每当一辆四轮轿式马车开到门口，人群中就会传来一阵低语声，人们都脱下自己的帽子。

“国王吗？……不是，大臣……亲王……公使……你难道看不见羽饰吗？……”可以听见人群中的说话声。人群中有个穿着最讲究的人似乎认识所有的人，喊得出当时最著名的达官贵人的名字。

三分之一的客人均已前来出席这次舞会，必须出席舞会的罗斯托夫一家，却正忙于整装待发。

罗斯托夫一家人对这次舞会发表许多议论，作了许多准备，他们对此事过多地担心，害怕得不到请帖，害怕服装办不齐全，害怕安排不好务必安排的一切。

玛丽亚·伊格纳季耶夫娜·佩龙斯卡娅随同罗斯托夫一家人出席舞会，她是伯爵夫人的友人和亲戚，是旧朝中的一个面黄肌瘦的宫廷女宫，又是外省人罗斯托夫之家在彼得堡上流社会的引路人。

晚上十点钟罗斯托夫一家人要到道利达花园去寻找宫廷女官，可是到十点只差五分钟了，小姐们都还没有着好衣裳。

娜塔莎生平第一次出席大型舞会。是日早晨八点钟，她就起床，整天价处于激动不安和忙乱的状态。从清早起，她就集中全部精力去办一件事，使她们：她自己、妈妈、索尼娅——都穿着得十分讲究。索尼娅和伯爵夫人完全靠她来照料。伯爵夫人要穿一件紫红色的丝绒连衣裙，她们俩人穿玫瑰色绸子衬裙，罩着白色的薄纱连衣裙，硬腰带上佩戴玫瑰花。发型要做成á　la　greeque①。

①法语：希腊式。

非常重要的事情都已经办妥：手、脚、脖子和耳朵都已经特别仔细地盥洗，喷上香水，扑上香粉，合乎赴舞会的要求，都已经穿上绸子的透花长袜、带蝴蝶结的白缎子皮鞋，发型差不多做好了。索尼娅快要穿好衣裳，伯爵夫人也快要穿好衣裳，可是娜塔莎因为替大家操劳，落后了。她还坐在镜台前把一件宽大的罩衫披在自己消瘦的肩上。索尼娅穿好了衣裳，站在房间正中央，把那佩针吱吱作响地别在最后一根绦带上，结果按痛了纤细的指头。

“不是这么干的，不是这么干的，索尼娅！”娜塔莎说完这句话，把头转过来，用手抓着侍女来不及放松的头发。“你走过来，花结不是那样打的。”索尼娅蹲了下来。娜塔莎用别的方法重新打好了花结。

“不行，小姐，不是那样做的。”那个握着娜塔莎的头发的侍女说。

“唉，我的上帝，得啦，以后再说！就这样吧，索尼娅。”

“你们快搞好了吗？”可以听见伯爵夫人的说话声，“现在已经是十点钟了。”

“马上就搞好，马上就搞好，妈妈，您搞好了吗？”

“只消钉好直筒帽子了。”

“我来动手，您别瞎钉，”娜塔莎喊了一声，“您不内行！”

“已经十点了。”

她们决定在十点半参加舞会，可是娜塔莎还在打扮，她们还要到道利达花园去一趟。

娜塔莎做好了发型，穿上短短的裙子，裙子底下看得见跳舞穿的皮鞋，还穿上一件母亲的短上衣，跑到索尼娅面前，把她打量一番，然后就跑到母亲跟前。她要母亲转过头来，给她钉好直筒帽子，好不容易才吻了吻她的斑白的头发，又向那几个给她的裙子缘上边的女仆身边跑去。

为了娜塔莎那条裙子，耽搁了时间，裙子委实长了；两个女仆正把裙子缘上边，匆匆忙忙地咬断一个个线头。第三个女仆嘴里叼着几根大头针，从伯爵夫人身边跑到索尼娅身边；第四个女仆用手高高地举着一件薄纱连衣裙。

“玛夫鲁莎，快一点，亲爱的！”

“小姐，请您把顶针递给我。”

“快搞好了吧，到底怎么样？”伯爵从门外走进来说，“这是给你们的香水。佩龙斯卡娅等得过久了。”

“小姐，搞好了。”侍女一面说，一面用两个指头举着一件缘上边的薄纱连衣裙，对着它吹拂几下，抖几下，用这个动作让人意识到，她手中提的东西是薄纱的，是干净的。

娜塔莎开始穿连衣裙了。

“爸爸，别进来，马上搞好了，马上搞好子。”她从蒙住她的整个面孔的薄纱裙底下对着打开房门的父亲喊道。索尼娅砰然一声关上门。一分钟以后他们让伯爵进来。他穿着一件蓝色燕尾服，长袜子和矮靿皮鞋，喷了香水，用发蜡把头发抹平了。

“啊，爸爸，你多么漂亮，真好看！”娜塔莎说，她站在房间正中央，弄平薄纱的皱褶。

“等一等，小姐，等一等。”女仆跪着说，一面抻平整衣裙，一面用舌头把大头针从一边嘴角移到另一边嘴角。

“听便！”索尼娅望望娜塔莎的连衣裙，以那失望的音调大声喊道，“听你的便，还是太长了！”

娜塔莎向后走远些，照照窗间镜。

连衣裙是太长了。

“真的，女士，一点也不长。”玛夫鲁莎说，尾随于小姐之后在地板上爬行。

“嗯，太长了，咱们来缭上几针，一下子就缭好了。”做事果断的杜尼亚莎说，她从放在胸前的手帕中取出一根针，又跪在地板上干她的活儿。

这时候伯爵夫人头戴直筒高女帽，身穿丝绒连衣裙，迈着徐缓的脚步，羞羞涩涩地走了进来。

“嘿，我的美人儿！”伯爵大声喊道。“她比你们大家都更漂亮！……”他想搂抱她，但她满面通红，闪到一边去，省得弄皱她的连衣裙。

“妈妈，把直筒帽子戴歪一点，”娜塔莎说。“我用针来给您别好，”她猛然向前奔跑，正在缘衣边的女仆们来不及跟在她身后迅跑，扯下了一小块薄纱。

“我的上帝！这是怎么一回事！我真的没有出差错……”

“没关系啊，我来缭上几针，就会看不出来的。”杜尼亚莎说。

“美人儿，我的美女啊！”从门外走进来的女保姆说，“索尼娅，啊，这些美人儿！……”

十点一刻钟他们终于坐上了四轮轿式马车，动身了。但是还是要顺路到道利达花园去一趟。

佩龙斯卡娅已经打扮好了。虽然她衰老而且丑陋，但是她的做法却和罗斯托夫之家一样；虽然她做起事来没有那样匆忙（这对她来说是一桩习以为常的事），但是她那老年人的难看的身体却也喷了香水，扑了香粉，盥洗得很干净，耳朵背后也尽量洗得一尘不染，就像在罗斯托夫家里一样，当她穿着一件绣有花字的黄色连衣裙走到客厅的时候，那个年老的侍女甚至也乐于欣赏她这位太太的服装。佩龙斯卡娅夸奖罗斯托夫之家的打扮。

罗斯托夫一家人称赞她的鉴赏力和穿着，此外她们留意着自己的发型和衣裙，十一点钟都在四轮轿式马车上，分别就坐，启行了。

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