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of their visit caused a commotion among the prince’s servants. The footman who went to announce them was stopped by another footman in the reception room, and they whispered about something. A maid ran out to the reception room and hastily said something as well, mentioning the princess. At last an old footman with an angry look came out and told the Rostovs that the prince could not receive them, but the princess asked them to come in. The first to meet the guests was Mlle Bourienne. She met the father and daughter especially courteously and took them to the princess. The princess, her agitated, frightened face covered with red blotches, ran out, treading heavily, to meet the guests, trying in vain to appear casual and affable. Princess Marya disliked Natasha at first sight. She seemed to her too well dressed, flightily merry, and vain. Princess Marya did not know that, before seeing her future sister-in-law, she had already been ill-disposed towards her, being involuntarily envious of her beauty, youth, and happiness, and jealous of her brother’s love. Besides this insuperable feeling of antipathy for her, Princess Marya was also troubled just then because, when the arrival of the Rostovs was announced, the prince had cried out that he did not want them, that Princess Marya could receive them if she liked, but that they were not to be admitted to him. Princess Marya had decided to receive the Rostovs, but was afraid every moment that the prince might perform some escapade, being very agitated by the Rostovs’ arrival.

“Well, dear princess, here I’ve brought you my singer,” said the count, scraping and looking around uneasily, as if fearing the old prince might walk in. “I’m so glad you’ll be getting acquainted. A pity, a pity the prince is unwell,” and, having said a few more general phrases, he got up. “If you will permit me, Princess, to deposit my Natasha here for a quarter of an hour, I’ll drive over to the Dogs’ Square, just two steps away, to see Anna Semyonovna, and come back for her.”

Ilya Andreich had invented this diplomatic ruse in order to give Natasha’s future sister-in-law the freedom to talk with her (as he later explained to her) and also to avoid the possibility of meeting the prince, whom he feared. He had not said that to his daughter, but Natasha understood her father’s fear and anxiety and felt offended. She blushed for her father, became still angrier for having blushed, and gave the princess a bold, defiant look, which said that she was not afraid of anyone. The princess told the count that she was very glad and only asked him to stay longer at Anna Semyonovna’s, and Ilya Andreich left.

Mlle Bourienne, despite the anxious glances cast at her by Princess Marya, who wished to talk privately with Natasha, would not leave the room and carried on a steady conversation about Moscow pleasures and theaters. Natasha was offended by the confusion that had taken place in the front hall, by her father’s uneasiness, and by the unnatural tone of the princess, who, as it seemed to Natasha, was doing her a favor by receiving her. And therefore she found everything disagreeable. She did not like Princess Marya. She found her very plain, affected, and dry. Natasha suddenly shrank morally and involuntarily adopted such a casual tone that it made her still more repellent to Princess Marya. After five minutes of painful, false conversation, they heard slippered footsteps rapidly approaching. Princess Marya’s face showed fear, the door to the room opened, and the prince came in, wearing a white nightcap and a dressing gown.

“Ah, Miss,” he said, “Miss, Countess…Countess Rostov, if I’m not mistaken…I beg your pardon, I beg your pardon…I didn’t know, miss. As God is my witness, I had no idea you’d honored us with a visit, I was coming to my daughter in this attire. I beg your pardon…As God is my witness, I didn’t know,” he repeated, stressing the word God so unnaturally and so unpleasantly that Princess Marya stood with her eyes cast down, not daring to look either at her father or at Natasha. Natasha, having risen and