〃No；　Monsieur　Dessalles；　I　will　ask　my　aunt　to　let　me　stay；〃　replied
  Nicholas　Bolkonski　also　in　a　whisper。
  〃Ma　tante；　please　let　me　stay；〃　said　he；　going　up　to　his　aunt。
  His　face　expressed　entreaty；　agitation；　and　ecstasy。　Countess　Mary
  glanced　at　him　and　turned　to　Pierre。
  〃When　you　are　here　he　can't　tear　himself　away；〃　she　said。
  〃I　will　bring　him　to　you　directly；　Monsieur　Dessalles。　Good
  night！〃　said　Pierre；　giving　his　hand　to　the　Swiss　tutor；　and　he　turned
  to　young　Nicholas　with　a　smile。　〃You　and　I　haven't　seen　anything　of
  one　another　yet。。。　How　like　he　is　growing；　Mary！〃　he　added；　addressing
  Countess　Mary。
  〃Like　my　father？〃　asked　the　boy；　flushing　crimson　and　looking　up
  at　Pierre　with　bright；　ecstatic　eyes。
  Pierre　nodded；　and　went　on　with　what　he　had　been　saying　when　the
  children　had　interrupted。　Countess　Mary　sat　down　doing　woolwork；
  Natasha　did　not　take　her　eyes　off　her　husband。　Nicholas　and　Denisov
  rose；　asked　for　their　pipes；　smoked；　went　to　fetch　more　tea　from
  Sonya…　who　sat　weary　but　resolute　at　the　samovar…　and　questioned
  Pierre。　The　curly…headed；　delicate　boy　sat　with　shining　eyes　unnoticed
  in　a　corner；　starting　every　now　and　then　and　muttering　something　to
  himself；　and　evidently　experiencing　a　new　and　powerful　emotion　as　he
  turned　his　curly　head；　with　his　thin　neck　exposed　by　his　turn…down
  collar；　toward　the　place　where　Pierre　sat。
  The　conversation　turned　on　the　contemporary　gossip　about　those　in
  power；　in　which　most　people　see　the　chief　interest　of　home　politics。
  Denisov；　dissatisfied　with　the　government　on　account　of　his　own
  disappointments　in　the　service；　heard　with　pleasure　of　the　things　done
  in　Petersburg　which　seemed　to　him　stupid；　and　made　forcible　and
  sharp　comments　on　what　Pierre　told　them。
  〃One　used　to　have　to　be　a　German…　now　one　must　dance　with　Tatawinova
  and　Madame　Kwudener；　and　wead　Ecka'tshausen　and　the　bwethwen。　Oh；　they
  should　let　that　fine　fellow　Bonaparte　lose…　he'd　knock　all　this
  nonsense　out　of　them！　Fancy　giving　the　command　of　the　Semenov　wegiment
  to　a　fellow　like　that　Schwa'tz！〃　he　cried。
  Nicholas；　though　free　from　Denisov's　readiness　to　find　fault　with
  everything；　also　thought　that　discussion　of　the　government　was　a
  very　serious　and　weighty　matter；　and　the　fact　that　A　had　been
  appointed　Minister　of　This　and　B　Governor　General　of　That；　and　that
  the　Emperor　had　said　so…and…so　and　this　minister　so…and…so；　seemed
  to　him　very　important。　And　so　he　thought　it　necessary　to　take　an
  interest　in　these　things　and　to　question　Pierre。　The　questions　put
  by　these　two　kept　the　conversation　from　changing　its　ordinary
  character　of　gossip　about　the　higher　government　circles。
  But　Natasha；　knowing　all　her　husband's　ways　and　ideas；　saw　that　he
  had　long　been　wishing　but　had　been　unable　to　divert　the　conversation
  to　another　channel　and　express　his　own　deeply　felt　idea　for　the　sake
  of　which　he　had　gone　to　Petersburg　to　consult　with　his　new　friend
  Prince　Theodore；　and　she　helped　him　by　asking　how　his　affairs　with
  Prince　Theodore　had　gone。
  〃What　was　it　about？〃　asked　Nicholas。
  〃Always　the　same　thing；〃　said　Pierre；　looking　round　at　his
  listeners。　〃Everybody　sees　that　things　are　going　so　badly　that　they
  cannot　be　allowed　to　go　on　so　and　that　it　is　the　duty　of　all　decent
  men　to　counteract　it　as　far　as　they　can。〃
  〃What　can　decent　men　do？〃　Nicholas　inquired；　frowning　slightly。
  〃What　can　be　done？〃
  〃Why；　this。。。〃
  〃Come　into　my　study；〃　said　Nicholas。
  Natasha；　who　had　long　expected　to　be　fetched　to　nurse　her　baby；
  now　heard　the　nurse　calling　her　and　went　to　the　nursery。　Countess　Mary
  followed　her。　The　men　went　into　the　study　and　little　Nicholas
  Bolkonski　followed　them　unnoticed　by　his　uncle　and　sat　down　at　the
  writing　table　in　a　shady　corner　by　the　window。
  〃Well；　what　would　you　do？〃　asked　Denisov。
  〃Always　some　fantastic　schemes；〃　said　Nicholas。
  〃Why　this；〃　began　Pierre；　not　sitting　down　but　pacing　the　room；
  sometimes　stopping　short；　gesticulating；　and　lisping：　〃the　position　in
  Petersburg　is　this：　the　Emperor　does　not　look　into　anything。　He　has
  abandoned　himself　altogether　to　this　mysticism〃　（Pierre　could　not
  tolerate　mysticism　in　anyone　now）。　〃He　seeks　only　for　peace；　and
  only　these　people　sans　foi　ni　loi*　can　give　it　him…　people　who
  recklessly　hack　at　and　strangle　everything…　Magnitski；　Arakcheev；
  and　tutti　quanti。。。。　You　will　agree　that　if　you　did　not　look　after
  your　estates　yourself　but　only　wanted　a　quiet　life；　the　harsher　your
  steward　was　the　more　readily　your　object　might　be　attained；〃　he　said
  to　Nicholas。
  *Without　faith　or　law。
  〃Well；　what　does　that　lead　up　to？〃　said　Nicholas。
  〃Well；　everything　is　going　to　ruin！　Robbery　in　the　law　courts；　in
  the　army　nothing　but　flogging；　drilling；　and　Military　Settlements；　the
  people　are　tortured；　enlightenment　is　suppressed。　All　that　is　young
  and　honest　is　crushed！　Everyone　sees　that　this　cannot　go　on。
  Everything　is　strained　to　such　a　degree　that　it　will　certainly　break；〃
  said　Pierre　（as　those　who　examine　the　actions　of　any　government　have
  always　said　since　governments　began）。　〃I　told　them　just　one　thing　in
  Petersburg。〃
  〃Told　whom？〃
  〃Well；　you　know　whom；〃　said　Pierre；　with　a　meaning　glance　from　under
  his　brows。　〃Prince　Theodore　and　all　those。　To　encourage　culture　and
  philanthropy　is　all　very　well　of　course。　The　aim　is　excellent　but　in
  the　present　circumstances　something　else　is　needed。〃
  At　that　moment　Nicholas　noticed　the　presence　of　his　nephew。　His　face
  darkened　and　he　went　up　to　the　boy。
  〃Why　are　you　here？〃
  〃Why？　Let　him　be；〃　said　Pierre；　taking　Nicholas　by　the　arm　and
  continuing。　〃That　is　not　enough；　I　told　them。　Something　else　is
  needed。　When　you　stand　expecting　the　overstrained　string　to　snap　at
  any　moment；　when　everyone　is　expecting　the　inevitable　catastrophe；
  as　many　as　possible　must　join　hands　as　closely　as　they　can　to
  withstand　the　general　calamity。　Everything　that　is　young　and　strong　is
  being　enticed　away　and　depraved。　One　is　lured　by　women；　another　by
  honors；　a　third　by　ambition　or　money；　and　they　go　over　to　that　camp。
  No　independent　men；　such　as　you　or　I；　are　left。　What　I　say　is　widen
  the　scope　of　our　society；　let　the　mot　d'ordre　be　not　virtue　alone
  but　independence　and　action　as　well！〃
  Nicholas；　who　had　left　his　nephew；　irritably　pushed　up　an
  armchair；　sat　down　in　it；　and　listened　to　Pierre；　coughing
  discontentedly　and　frowning　more　and　more。
  〃But　action　with　what　aim？〃　he　cried。　〃And　what　position　will　you
  adopt　toward　the　government？〃
  〃Why；　the　position　of　assistants。　The　society　need　not　be　secret
  if　the　government　allows　it。　Not　merely　is　it　not　hostile　to
  government；　but　it　is　a　society　of　true　conservatives…　a　society　of
  gentlemen　in　the　full　meaning　of　that　word。　It　is　only　to　prevent　some
  Pugachev　or　other　from　killing　my　children　and　yours；　and　Arakcheev
  from　sending　me　off　to　some　Military　Settlement。　We　join　hands　only
  for　the　public　welfare　and　the　general　safety。〃
  〃Yes；　but　it's　a　secret　society　and　therefore　a　hostile　and
  harmful　one　which　can　only　cause　harm。〃
  〃Why？　Did　the　Tugendbund　which　saved　Europe〃　（they　did　not　then
  venture　to　suggest　that　Russia　had　saved　Europe）　〃do　any　harm？　The
  Tugendbund　is　an　alliance　of　virtue：　it　is　love；　mutual　help。。。　it
  is　what　Christ　preached　on　the　Cross。〃
  Natasha；　who　had　come　in　during　the　conversation；　looked　joyfully　at
  her　husband。　It　was　not　what　he　was　saying　that　pleased　her…　that
  did　not　even　interest　her；　for　it　seemed　to　her　that　was　all　extremely
  simple　and　that　she　had　known　it　a　long　time　（it　seemed　so　to　her
  because　she　knew　that　it　sprang　from　Pierre's　whole　soul）；　but　it
  was　his　animated　and　enthusiastic　appearance　that　made　her　glad。
  The　boy　with　the　thin　neck　stretching　out　from　the　turn…down　collar…
  whom　everyone　had　forgotten…　gazed　at　Pierre　with　even　greater　and
  more　rapturous　joy。　Every　word　of　Pierre's　burned　into　his　heart；
  and　with　a　nervous　movement　of　his　fingers　he　unconsciously　broke
  the　sealing　wax　and　quill　pens　his　hands　came　upon　on　his　uncle's
  table。
  〃It　is　not　at　all　what　you　suppose；　but　that　is　what　the　German
  Tugendbund　was；　and　what　I　am　proposing。〃
  〃No；　my　fwiend！　The　Tugendbund　is　all　vewy　well　for　the　sausage
  eaters；　but　I　don't　understand　it　and　can't　even　pwonounce　it；〃
  interposed　Denisov　in　a　loud　and　resolute　voice。　〃I　agwee　that
  evewything　here　is　wotten　and　howwible；　but　the　Tugendbund　I　don't
  understand。　If　we're　not　satisfied；　let　us　have　a　bunt　of　our　own。
  That's　all　wight。　Je　suis　vot'e　homme！〃*
  *〃I'm　your　man。〃
  Pierre　smiled；　Natasha　began　to　laugh；　but　Nicholas　knitted　his
  brows　still　more　and　began　proving　to　Pierre　that　there　was　no
  prospect　of　any　great　change　and　that　all　the　danger　he　spoke　of
  existed　only　in　his　imagination。　Pierre　maintained　the　contrary；　and
  as　his　mental　faculties　were　greater　and　more　resourceful；　Nicholas
  felt　himself　c