broken　ring。
  After　that；　when　in　discussions　with　his　village　elders　or
  stewards　the　blood　rushed　to　his　face　and　his　fists　began　to　clench；
  Nicholas　would　turn　the　broken　ring　on　his　finger　and　would　drop　his
  eyes　before　the　man　who　was　making　him　angry。　But　he　did　forget
  himself　once　or　twice　within　a　twelvemonth；　and　then　he　would　go　and
  confess　to　his　wife；　and　would　again　promise　that　this　should　really
  be　the　very　last　time。
  〃Mary；　you　must　despise　me！〃　he　would　say。　〃I　deserve　it。〃
  〃You　should　go；　go　away　at　once；　if　you　don't　feel　strong　enough
  to　control　yourself；〃　she　would　reply　sadly；　trying　to　comfort　her
  husband。
  Among　the　gentry　of　the　province　Nicholas　was　respected　but　not
  liked。　He　did　not　concern　himself　with　the　interests　of　his　own　class；
  and　consequently　some　thought　him　proud　and　others　thought　him　stupid。
  The　whole　summer；　from　spring　sowing　to　harvest；　he　was　busy　with
  the　work　on　his　farm。　In　autumn　he　gave　himself　up　to　hunting　with　the
  same　business　like　seriousness…　leaving　home　for　a　month；　or　even　two；
  with　his　hunt。　In　winter　he　visited　his　other　villages　or　spent　his
  time　reading。　The　books　he　read　were　chiefly　historical；　and　on
  these　he　spent　a　certain　sum　every　year。　He　was　collecting；　as　he
  said；　a　serious　library；　and　he　made　it　a　rule　to　read　through　all　the
  books　he　bought。　He　would　sit　in　his　study　with　a　grave　air；
  reading…　a　task　he　first　imposed　upon　himself　as　a　duty；　but　which
  afterwards　became　a　habit　affording　him　a　special　kind　of　pleasure　and
  a　consciousness　of　being　occupied　with　serious　matters。　In　winter；
  except　for　business　excursions；　he　spent　most　of　his　time　at　home
  making　himself　one　with　his　family　and　entering　into　all　the　details
  of　his　children's　relations　with　their　mother。　The　harmony　between　him
  and　his　wife　grew　closer　and　closer　and　he　daily　discovered　fresh
  spiritual　treasures　in　her。
  From　the　time　of　his　marriage　Sonya　had　lived　in　his　house。　Before
  that；　Nicholas　had　told　his　wife　all　that　had　passed　between　himself
  and　Sonya；　blaming　himself　and　commending　her。　He　had　asked　Princess
  Mary　to　be　gentle　and　kind　to　his　cousin。　She　thoroughly　realized
  the　wrong　he　had　done　Sonya；　felt　herself　to　blame　toward　her；　and
  imagined　that　her　wealth　had　influenced　Nicholas'　choice。　She　could
  not　find　fault　with　Sonya　in　any　way　and　tried　to　be　fond　of　her；
  but　often　felt　ill…will　toward　her　which　she　could　not　overcome。
  Once　she　had　a　talk　with　her　friend　Natasha　about　Sonya　and　about
  her　own　injustice　toward　her。
  〃You　know；〃　said　Natasha；　〃you　have　read　the　Gospels　a　great　deal…
  there　is　a　passage　in　them　that　just　fits　Sonya。〃
  〃What？〃　asked　Countess　Mary；　surprised。
  〃'To　him　that　hath　shall　be　given；　and　from　him　that　hath　not
  shall　be　taken　away。'　You　remember？　She　is　one　that　hath　not；　why；　I
  don't　know。　Perhaps　she　lacks　egotism；　I　don't　know；　but　from　her　is
  taken　away；　and　everything　has　been　taken　away。　Sometimes　I　am
  dreadfully　sorry　for　her。　Formerly　I　very　much　wanted　Nicholas　to
  marry　her；　but　I　always　had　a　sort　of　presentiment　that　it　would　not
  come　off。　She　is　a　sterile　flower；　you　know…　like　some　strawberry
  blossoms。　Sometimes　I　am　sorry　for　her；　and　sometimes　I　think　she
  doesn't　feel　it　as　you　or　I　would。〃
  Though　Countess　Mary　told　Natasha　that　those　words　in　the　Gospel
  must　be　understood　differently；　yet　looking　at　Sonya　she　agreed　with
  Natasha's　explanation。　It　really　seemed　that　Sonya　did　not　feel　her
  position　trying；　and　had　grown　quite　reconciled　to　her　lot　as　a
  sterile　flower。　She　seemed　to　be　fond　not　so　much　of　individuals　as　of
  the　family　as　a　whole。　Like　a　cat；　she　had　attached　herself　not　to　the
  people　but　to　the　home。　She　waited　on　the　old　countess；　petted　and
  spoiled　the　children；　was　always　ready　to　render　the　small　services
  for　which　she　had　a　gift；　and　all　this　was　unconsciously　accepted　from
  her　with　insufficient　gratitude。
  The　country　seat　at　Bald　Hills　had　been　rebuilt；　though　not　on　the
  same　scale　as　under　the　old　prince。
  The　buildings；　begun　under　straitened　circumstances；　were　more
  than　simple。　The　immense　house　on　the　old　stone　foundations　was　of
  wood；　plastered　only　inside。　It　had　bare　deal　floors　and　was　furnished
  with　very　simple　hard　sofas；　armchairs；　tables；　and　chairs　made　by
  their　own　serf　carpenters　out　of　their　own　birchwood。　The　house　was
  spacious　and　had　rooms　for　the　house　serfs　and　apartments　for
  visitors。　Whole　families　of　the　Rostovs'　and　Bolkonskis'　relations
  sometimes　came　to　Bald　Hills　with　sixteen　horses　and　dozens　of
  servants　and　stayed　for　months。　Besides　that；　four　times　a　year；　on
  the　name　days　and　birthdays　of　the　hosts；　as　many　as　a　hundred
  visitors　would　gather　there　for　a　day　or　two。　The　rest　of　the　year
  life　pursued　its　unbroken　routine　with　its　ordinary　occupations；　and
  its　breakfasts；　lunches；　dinners；　and　suppers；　provided　out　of　the
  produce　of　the　estate。
  EP1｜CH9
  CHAPTER　IX
  It　was　the　eve　of　St。　Nicholas；　the　fifth　of　December；　1820。　Natasha
  had　been　staying　at　her　brother's　with　her　husband　and　children
  since　early　autumn。　Pierre　had　gone　to　Petersburg　on　business　of　his
  own　for　three　weeks　as　he　said；　but　had　remained　there　nearly　seven
  weeks　and　was　expected　back　every　minute。
  Besides　the　Bezukhov　family；　Nicholas'　old　friend　the　retired
  General　Vasili　Dmitrich　Denisov　was　staying　with　the　Rostovs　this
  fifth　of　December。
  On　the　sixth；　which　was　his　name　day　when　the　house　would　be　full　of
  visitors；　Nicholas　knew　he　would　have　to　exchange　his　Tartar　tunic　for
  a　tail　coat；　and　put　on　narrow　boots　with　pointed　toes；　and　drive　to
  the　new　church　he　had　built；　and　then　receive　visitors　who　would
  come　to　congratulate　him；　offer　them　refreshments；　and　talk　about
  the　elections　of　the　nobility；　but　he　considered　himself　entitled　to
  spend　the　eve　of　that　day　in　his　usual　way。　He　examined　the
  bailiff's　accounts　of　the　village　in　Ryazan　which　belonged　to　his
  wife's　nephew；　wrote　two　business　letters；　and　walked　over　to　the
  granaries；　cattle　yards　and　stables　before　dinner。　Having　taken
  precautions　against　the　general　drunkenness　to　be　expected　on　the
  morrow　because　it　was　a　great　saint's　day；　he　returned　to　dinner；
  and　without　having　time　for　a　private　talk　with　his　wife　sat　down　at
  the　long　table　laid　for　twenty　persons；　at　which　the　whole　household
  had　assembled。　At　that　table　were　his　mother；　his　mother's　old　lady
  companion　Belova；　his　wife；　their　three　children　with　their
  governess　and　tutor；　his　wife's　nephew　with　his　tutor；　Sonya；　Denisov；
  Natasha；　her　three　children；　their　governess；　and　old　Michael
  Ivanovich；　the　late　prince's　architect；　who　was　living　on　in
  retirement　at　Bald　Hills。
  Countess　Mary　sat　at　the　other　end　of　the　table。　When　her　husband
  took　his　place　she　concluded；　from　the　rapid　manner　in　which　after
  taking　up　his　table　napkin　he　pushed　back　the　tumbler　and　wineglass
  standing　before　him；　that　he　was　out　of　humor；　as　was　sometimes　the
  case　when　he　came　in　to　dinner　straight　from　the　farm…　especially
  before　the　soup。　Countess　Mary　well　knew　that　mood　of　his；　and　when
  she　herself　was　in　a　good　frame　of　mind　quietly　waited　till　he　had　had
  his　soup　and　then　began　to　talk　to　him　and　make　him　admit　that　there
  was　no　cause　for　his　ill…humor。　But　today　she　quite　forgot　that　and
  was　hurt　that　he　should　be　angry　with　her　without　any　reason；　and
  she　felt　unhappy。　She　asked　him　where　he　had　been。　He　replied。　She
  again　inquired　whether　everything　was　going　well　on　the　farm。　Her
  unnatural　tone　made　him　wince　unpleasantly　and　he　replied　hastily。
  〃Then　I'm　not　mistaken；〃　thought　Countess　Mary。　〃Why　is　he　cross
  with　me？〃　She　concluded　from　his　tone　that　he　was　vexed　with　her　and
  wished　to　end　the　conversation。　She　knew　her　remarks　sounded
  unnatural；　but　could　not　refrain　from　asking　some　more　questions。
  Thanks　to　Denisov　the　conversation　at　table　soon　became　general
  and　lively；　and　she　did　not　talk　to　her　husband。　When　they　left　the
  table　and　went　as　usual　to　thank　the　old　countess；　Countess　Mary
  held　out　her　hand　and　kissed　her　husband；　and　asked　him　why　he　was
  angry　with　her。
  〃You　always　have　such　strange　fancies！　I　didn't　even　think　of
  being　angry；〃　he　replied。
  But　the　word　always　seemed　to　her　to　imply：　〃Yes；　I　am　angry　but　I
  won't　tell　you　why。〃
  Nicholas　and　his　wife　lived　together　so　happily　that　even　Sonya
  and　the　old　countess；　who　felt　jealous　and　would　have　liked　them　to
  disagree；　could　find　nothing　to　reproach　them　with；　but　even　they
  had　their　moments　of　antagonism。　Occasionally；　and　it　was　always
  just　after　they　had　been　happiest　together；　they　suddenly　had　a
  feeling　of　estrangement　and　hostility；　which　occurred　most
  frequently　during　Countess　Mary's　pregnancies；　and　this　was　such　a
  time。
  〃Well；　messieurs　et　mesdames；〃　said　Nicholas　loudly　and　with
  apparent　cheerfulness　（it　seemed　to　Countess　Mary　that　he　did　it　on
  purpose　to