- I'm arguing with your husband too; I don't understand why he wants to go to war," said Pierre, without any embarrassment (so common in a young man's relationship with a young woman), addressing the Princess.
The Princess met with her. Apparently, Pierre's words touched her for being alive.
- Ah, here I say the same thing! - she said. - I don't understand, I don't understand, why men can't live without war? Why do we women want nothing, do we need nothing? Well, here you are, being a judge. I tell him everything: here he is an adjutant to his uncle, the most brilliant position. Everybody knows him so well, they appreciate him so much. The other day at Apraksins' I heard a lady asking: "C'est ça le fameux prince André? Ma parole d'honneur! 1 - She laughed. - He is so accepted everywhere. He can easily be an adjutant outhouse. You know, the King spoke to him very graciously. Anette and I talked, it would be very easy to arrange. What do you think?
Pierre looked at Prince Andrei and noticed that his friend didn't like this conversation and didn't answer anything.
- When are you going? - He asked.
- Ah! ne me parlez pas de ce départ, ne m'en parlez pas. Je ne veux pas en entendre parler 2," said the princess in a capricious, playful tone, as she spoke to Hippolyte in the living room, which obviously did not go to the family mug where Pierre was a member. - Today, when I thought I had to break off all this expensive relationship... And then, you know, André? - She blinked at her husband significantly. - J'ai peur, j'ai peur! 3" she whispered with her back.
Her husband looked at her as if he had been surprised to notice that someone else, other than Pierre and him, was in the room; however, he asked his wife with cold courtesy:
- What are you afraid of, Lisa? I cannot understand," he said.
- This is how all men are selfish; all, all selfish! Because of his own whims, God knows why, throws me, locks me in the village alone.
- Don't forget with your father and sister," said Prince Andrew quietly.
- Anyway, alone, without my friends... And he wants me not to be afraid.
Her tone was already grumpy, her sponge rose, giving her face not a joyful, but a brutal, squirrel expression. She kept silent, as if finding it indecent to talk about her pregnancy in front of Pierre, while that was the essence of the case.
- Still, I did not understand, de quoi vous avez peur 4," said Prince Andrei slowly, keeping an eye on his wife.
The princess blushed and waved her hands desperately.
- Non, André, je dis que vous avez tellement, tellement changé. 5
- Your doctor tells you to go to bed sooner," said Prince Andrei. - You would go to bed.
The princess said nothing, and suddenly a short sponge with moustaches trembled; Prince Andrew stood up and shrugged his shoulders and walked through the room.
Pierre looked surprised and naively through his glasses at him and then at the Princess and moved, as if he also wanted to get up, but thought again.
- What's it to me that Monsieur Pierre here, - suddenly said the little princess, and a pretty face she suddenly blossomed into a tearful makeup. - I've wanted to tell you for a long time, André: why have you changed so much for me? What did I do to you? You're going to the army, you don't feel sorry for me. For what?
- Lise! - Prince Andrei just said; but that word was both a request and a threat, and most importantly, the assurance that she would repent of her own words; but she continued in a hurry:
- You treat me like a pain or a child. I see everything. Were you like that six months ago?
- Lise, I'm asking you to stop," said Prince Andrei even more expressively.
Pierre, who was getting more and more excited during this conversation, got up and approached the Princess. He seemed unable to bear the sight of tears and was ready to cry himself.
- Calm down, Princess. It seems so to you, because I assure you, I have experienced it myself... why... because... No, I'm sorry, someone else's here... No, calm down... Goodbye...
Prince Andrew stopped him by the hand.
- No, wait, Pierre. The princess is so kind that she will not want to deprive me of the pleasure of spending the evening with you.
- No, he only thinks of himself," said the Princess, not holding her angry tears.
- Lise," said the dry prince Andrei, raising his voice to the level that shows that patience is exhausted.
Suddenly the angry squirrel expression of the beautiful face of the princess was replaced by an attractive and exciting expression of fear; she looked at her husband with her beautiful eyes, and her face seemed to be that timid and confessed expression, which happens in the dog, quickly but gently waving her tail down.
- Mon Dieu, mon Dieu! 6 The princess spoke, and picked up a fold of the dress with one hand, approached her husband and kissed him on the forehead.
- Bonsoir, Lise 7," said Prince Andrei, standing up and kissing his hand in a courteous, outsider-like manner.