ON REACHING MOSCOW, after her meeting with Rostov at Bogutcharovo, Princess Marya had found her nephew there with his tutor, and a letter from Prince Andrey, directing her what route to take to her aunt, Madame Malvintsev's at Voronezh. The arrangements for the journey, anxiety about her brother, the organisation1 of her life in a new house, new people, the education of her nephew—all of this smothered2 in Princess Marya's heart that feeling as it were of temptation, which had tormented3 her during her father's illness and after his death, especially since her meeting with Rostov.
She was melancholy4. Now after a month had passed in quiet, undisturbed conditions, she felt more and more deeply the loss of her father, which was connected in her heart with the downfall of Russia. She was anxious: the thought of the dangers to which her brother—the one creature near to her now left—was being exposed was a continual torture to her. She was worried too by the education of her nephew, which she was constantly feeling herself unfitted to control. But at the bottom of her heart there was an inward harmony, that arose from the sense that she had conquered in herself those dreams and hopes of personal happiness, that had sprung up in connection with Rostov.
When the governor's wife called on Madame Malvintsev the day after her soirée, and, talking over her plans with her, explaining that though under present circumstances a formal betrothal6 was of course not to be thought of, yet they might bring the young people together, and let them get to know one another, and having received the aunt's approval, began to speak of Rostov in Princess Marya's presence, singing his praises, and describing how he had blushed on hearing the princess's name, her emotion was not one of joy, but of pain. Her inner harmony was destroyed, and desires, doubts, self-reproach, and hope sprang up again.
In the course of the two days that followed before Rostov called, Princess Marya was continually considering what her behaviour ought to be in regard to Rostov. At one time, she made up her mind that she would not come down into the drawing-room when he came to see her aunt, that it was not suitable for her in her deep mourning to receive visitors. Then she thought this would be rude after what he had done for her. Then the idea struck her that her aunt and the governor's wife had views of some sort upon her and Rostov; their words and glances had seemed at times to confirm this suspicion. Then she told herself that it was only her own depravity that could make her think this of them: could they possibly fail to realise that in her position, still wearing the heaviest mourning, such match-making would be an insult both to her and to her father's memory? On the supposition that she would go down to see him, Princess Marya imagined the words he would say to her, and she would say to him; and at one moment, those words seemed to her undeservedly frigid7, at the next, they struck her as carrying too much meaning. Above all she dreaded8 the embarrassment10, which she felt would be sure to overcome her, and betray her, as soon as she saw him.
But when, on Sunday after matins, the footman came into the drawing-room to announce that Count Rostov had called, the princess showed no sign of embarrassment, only a faint flush came into her cheeks, and her eyes shone with a new, radiant light.
“You have seen him, aunt?” said Princess Marya, in a composed voice, not knowing herself how she could be externally so calm and natural.
When Rostov came into the room, the princess dropped her head for an instant, as though to give time for their visitor to greet her aunt; and then at the very moment when Nikolay turned to her, she raised her head and met his gaze with shining eyes. With a movement full of dignity and grace, she rose with a joyous11 smile, held out her delicate, soft hand to him, and spoke12 in a voice in which for the first time there was the thrill of deep, womanly chest notes. Mademoiselle Bourienne, who was in the drawing-room, gazed at Princess Marya with bewildered surprise. The most accomplished13 coquette herself, she could not have man?uvred better on meeting a man whom she wanted to attract.
“Either black suits her wonderfully, or she really has grown better looking without my noticing it. And above all, such tact14 and grace!” thought Mademoiselle Bourienne.
Had Princess Marya been capable of reflection at that moment, she would have been even more astonished than Mademoiselle Bourienne at the change that had taken place in her. From the moment she set eyes on that sweet, loved face, some new force of life seemed to take possession of her, and to drive her to speak and act apart from her own will. From the time Rostov entered the room, her face was transformed. Just as when a light is kindled15 within a carved and painted lantern, the delicate, intricate, artistic16 tracery comes out in unexpected and impressive beauty, where all seemed coarse, dark, and meaningless before; so was Princess Marya's face transformed. For the first time all the pure, spiritual, inner travail17 in which she had lived till then came out in her face. All her inner searchings of spirit, her self-reproach, her sufferings, her striving for goodness, her resignation, her love, her self-sacrifice—all this was radiant now in those luminous18 eyes, in the delicate smile, in every feature of her tender face.
Rostov saw all this as clearly as though he had known her whole life. He felt that he was in the presence of a creature utterly19 different from and better than all those he had met up to that moment, and, above all, far better than he was himself.
The conversation was of the simplest and most insignificant20 kind. They talked of the war, unconsciously, like every one else, exaggerating their sadness on that subject; they talked of their last meeting—and Nikolay then tried to turn the subject; they talked of the kind-hearted governor's wife, of Nikolay's relations, and of Princess Marya's.
Princess Marya did not talk of her brother, but turned the conversation, as soon as her aunt mentioned Prince Andrey. It was evident that of the troubles of Russia she could speak artificially, but her brother was a subject too near her heart, and she neither would nor could speak lightly of him. Nikolay noticed this, as indeed with a keenness of observation not usual with him, he noticed every shade of Princess Marya's character, and everything confirmed him in the conviction that she was an altogether rare and original being.
Nikolay, like Princess Marya, had blushed and been embarrassed, when he heard the princess spoken of, and even when he thought of her; but in her presence he felt perfectly21 at ease, and he said to her not at all what he had prepared beforehand to say to her, but what came into his mind at the moment, and always quite appropriately.
As visitors always do where there are children, Nikolay, in a momentary22 silence during his brief visit, had recourse to Prince Andrey's little son, caressing23 him, and asking him if he would like to be an hussar. He took the little boy in his arms, began gaily24 whirling him round, and glanced at Princess Marya. With softened25, happy, shy eyes, she was watching the child she loved in the arms of the man she loved. Nikolay caught that look too, and as though he divined its significance, flushed with delight, and fell to kissing the child with simple-hearted gaiety.
Princess Marya was not going into society at all on account of her mourning, and Nikolay did not think it the proper thing to call on them again. But the governor's wife still persisted in her match-making, and repeating to Nikolay something flattering Princess Marya had said of him, and vice26 versa, kept urging that Rostov should declare himself to Princess Marya. With this object, she arranged that the young people should meet at the reverend father's before Mass.
Though Rostov did tell the governor's wife that he should make no sort of declaration to Princess Marya, he promised to be there.
Just as at Tilsit Rostov had not allowed himself to doubt whether what was accepted by every one as right were really right, so now after a brief but sincere struggle between the effort to order his life in accordance with his own sense of right, and humble27 submission28 to circumstances, he chose the latter, and yielded himself to the power, which, he felt, was irresistibly29 carrying him away. He knew that to declare his feelings to Princess Marya after his promise to Sonya would be what he called base. And he knew that he would never do a base thing. But he knew too (it was not what he knew, but what he felt at the bottom of his heart), that in giving way now to the force of circumstances and of the people guiding him, he was not only doing nothing wrong, but was doing something very, very grave, something of more gravity than anything he had done in his life.
After seeing Princess Marya, though his manner of life remained externally the same, all his former pleasures lost their charm for him, and he often thought of her. But he never thought of her, as he had thought of all the young girls he had met in society, nor as he had long, and sometimes with enthusiasm, thought of Sonya. Like almost every honest-hearted young man, he had thought of every young girl as of a possible future wife, had adapted to them in his imagination all the pictures of domestic felicity: the white morning wrapper, the wife behind the samovar, the wife's carriage, the little ones, mamma and papa, their attitude to one another, and so on, and so on. And these pictures of the future afforded him gratification. But when he thought of Princess Marya, to whom the match-makers were trying to betroth5 him, he could never form any picture of his future married life with her. Even if he tried to do so, it all seemed incoherent and false. And it only filled him with dread9.
玛丽亚公爵小姐在与罗斯托夫相遇之后，到了莫斯科，找到了侄儿和家庭教师，得到安德烈公爵的一封信，指示他们到沃罗涅日马利温采娃姨妈那里去的路线。操持搬迁，担心哥哥的情况，安顿在新居住下，结识新人，教育侄子——这一切压下了玛丽亚公爵小姐心中那种似乎受到诱惑的情感，这种感情曾在他父亲患病时，在她父亲逝世以后，尤其是在与罗斯托夫相遇之后，使她痛苦不堪。她很悲伤。丧亲之悲痛与俄国危亡的印象，在事过一月之后的今天，在平静的生活中，在她内心愈来愈强烈地感觉到了。她惊惶不安：她剩下的唯一亲人——她的哥哥随时处在危险之中，这种念头不停地折磨她。她关心侄儿的教育，对此她常常感到力不从心；但在心底里有对自己的体谅，因为她意识到她抑制住了那由于罗斯托夫的出现而引起的个人的幻想和希望。
省长夫人在举办晚会后的第二天访问了马利温采娃，同这位姨母商谈了自己的计划（提出一个附带意见，虽然在目前情势下不能考虑正式提亲，但仍可把年轻人撮合在一起，让他们彼此熟悉），在取得姨母同意后，省长夫人当玛丽亚公爵小姐的面讲起了罗斯托夫，夸奖他，并说在提到公爵小姐时他脸红起来，这时，玛丽亚公爵小姐不是感到高兴，而是感到忧伤：她内心的和谐已不复存在，又重新升起了欲望，疑虑，内疚和期待。
在罗斯托夫来访之前，也就是获得这一消息之后的两天时间里，玛丽亚公爵小姐不断地思考着她应当抱什么态度对待罗斯托夫。她时而决定：他来看姨母时，她不到客厅里去，因为她在服重丧期间接待宾客是不适宜的；她时而考虑，他为她尽过力，这样做未免失礼；她时而想到姨母和省长夫人对她和罗斯托夫有某种期望（她们的目光和谈话似乎证实这一推测），时而对自己说，这不过是她以自己不好的心肠去揣度她们：她们是不能不懂得的，在她这种现状下，在孝服还未脱去的时候，提亲对她，对悼念父亲，都是一种亵渎。在假定她会走到客厅去见他时，她设想着他会对她说的话和她要告诉他的话；时而她觉得这些话冷淡得不适当，时而又觉得这些话含有过分重大的意义。她最害怕的是和他见面时现出窘相，她觉得那不可避免，因而会暴露她很想见到他的狼狈相。
星期天作过礼拜之后，当仆人进客厅通报罗斯托夫伯爵来访时，公爵小姐未现窘态；只是一抹淡淡的红晕泛上面颊，眼里闪出新的明亮的光芒。
“您见到过他吗？姨妈？”玛丽亚公爵小姐声音平静地问，自己也不知道何以能外表上如此平静而自然。
在罗斯托夫走进房里来时，公爵小姐一瞬间低下了头，似乎留出时间给客人去问候姨母，然后，恰好在尼古拉转向她时，她抬起头来，用那明亮的眼睛对视着他的目光。她的动作优雅，十分尊严，面带喜悦的微笑欠起身来，把自己纤细柔软的手伸给他，并且头一回用新的、女性的胸音说起话来，这时也在客厅里的布里安小姐惊诧莫名地看着玛丽亚公爵小姐。她虽是一个善于卖弄风情的女郎，在遇到一个值得钟情的人时，也不可能有更加出色的表现。
“也许丧服很能衬托她的容貌，也许她真的变得好看了，而我没有看出来。而主要的——是她的态度有分寸而且娴雅！”布里安小姐想道。
假设公爵小姐此时能够反复思考，她会对自己身上起的变化比布里安小姐更感到吃惊。她一见到那张亲切而可爱的面孔，一种新的生命力便占有了她，迫使她不顾自己的意志去说话和行动。她的容貌，从罗斯托夫走进客厅时起，突然起了变化。宛如精雕彩绘的宫灯突然点亮了，先前外表粗糙、黑暗、看不出什么名堂的这件复杂而精巧的艺术品，突然四壁生辉，大放异彩显得出乎意外的惊人的美。玛丽亚公爵小姐的容颜也是这样突然变化的。在这一时刻之前，她赖以生存的那件内在的纯粹精神上的艺术品，第一次显露出来了。她对自己不满的全部内心活动，她的痛苦，对善的追求，恭顺、爱情、自我牺牲——这一切此刻都在明亮的眼睛里，在典雅的微笑中，在温柔面容的每部分闪烁着光辉。
罗斯托夫对这一切看得非常分明，就像他知道她整个的一生。他觉得，他面前的造物完全是另外一个人，比他迄今所遇的各种人都更好，主要的是，比他本人还更好。
谈话是最简单最无关紧要的。他们谈战争，像大家一样，不由自主地夸大了自己在这件事上的担忧，谈上次的邂逅相遇，而且尼古拉尽量转变话题，于是，他们谈起善良的省长夫人，谈起尼古拉的亲属玛丽亚公爵小姐的亲属。
玛丽亚公爵小姐闭口不谈哥哥，姨母一提到安德烈，她就把话岔开。看得出来，关于俄国的不幸她能谈得头头是道，装出关心的样子，但是她的哥哥是另一码事，与她太贴心了，她不想也不能轻率地去谈论。尼古拉看出来了，正像他总是用那个不合乎他本性的深刻的观察力看出玛丽亚公爵小姐细微的性格特征一样，这些特征。证实了他的见解：她完全是一个特殊的非同寻常的人。
尼古拉完全像玛丽亚公爵小姐一样，当别人提起公爵小姐，甚至在他想到她时，都要脸红和局促不安，但在她本人面前，却感到完全自如，说出来的话并不是预先准备好的，而是瞬息间、又总是恰到好处地想到的。
在尼古拉这次短暂的访问中，像平常有孩子在身边的场合那样，在谈话停顿的时候，尼古拉就向安德烈公爵的小儿子求助，他爱抚他，问他想不想当骠骑兵。他抱起小男孩，活泼地带他旋转，并回头看看玛丽亚公爵小姐，她用含情脉脉的幸福而又羞怯的目光追随着那个可爱的人抱着的她心爱的小孩。尼古拉发现了投来的目光，对它的含意似有所悟，高兴得红了脸，并温和地愉快地吻那小孩。
玛丽亚公爵小姐在服丧期间是不外出的，而尼古拉认为常去她们家不礼貌；但省长夫人还在继续说媒，在把玛丽亚公爵小姐赞扬尼古拉的话转告他之后，又把对方赞扬的话转告公爵小姐，并敦促罗斯托夫去向玛丽亚公爵小姐表明态度。
为此，她安排两个年轻人在做礼拜前在主教家会面。
尽管罗斯托夫已经告诉省长夫人，他没有什么好向玛丽亚公爵小姐表白的，但仍答应去。
正如在蒂尔西特的时候那样，罗斯托夫不容许自己去怀疑大家公认为好的事情是否就好，现在也正是这样，在尝试照他自己的理智安排生活和顺从客观情势之间经过短暂而真诚的内心斗争之后，他选择了后者，把自己交给那股不可阻遏地要把他引向某处去（他有如此感觉）的力量。他知道，在许诺索尼娅之后又向玛丽亚公爵小姐吐露自己的感情，全是他所认为的卑鄙行当。同时他知道，他绝不会干卑鄙的事。但是，他也知道（不是知道，而是心灵深处感觉到），他顺从客观情势和他的指导者的影响，他现在不仅不是在干丑事，而是在干某种非常、非常重要的事，这样重要的事他一生从未干过。
和玛丽亚公爵小姐会面之后，他的生活在表面上一如往昔，但所有往昔的欢愉对他却已失去魅力，他常常思念玛丽亚公爵小姐；但是从来不像他一无例外地想那些在社交界遇到的小姐那样，也不像他长期地，有个时候狂喜地思念索尼娅那样。他想那些小姐时，正像几乎所有诚实的年轻人一样，把她们想成是未来的妻子，在想象中把夫妇生活的全部条件——白色的晚袍，茶炊旁的妻子，妻子的马车，小家伙们，妈咪和爸爸，他们同她的关系等等，等等；拿来和她们比较，看看是否合适。这些对未来的憧憬带给他快乐，但当想到玛丽亚公爵小姐，人们给他做媒时，他从来也不能想象出一丁点未来夫妇生活中的东西来。如果说他也试过那样想，结果会是不和谐的，虚假的。他只觉得可怕。
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organisation
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| n.组织，安排，团体，有机休 | |
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smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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betroth
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| v.订婚 | |
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betrothal
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| n. 婚约, 订婚 | |
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frigid
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| adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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travail
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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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utterly
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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29
irresistibly
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| adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地 | |
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