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¡°How¡¡shall¡¡I¡¡say£¿¡±¡¡answered¡¡Natasha¡£¡¡¡°I¡¡was¡¡in¡¡love¡¡with¡¡Boris£»¡¡with¡¡our¡¡teacher£»¡¡with¡¡Denisov£»¡¡but¡¡this¡¡is¡¡utterly¡¡different¡£¡¡I¡¡feel¡¡calm£»¡¡settled¡£¡¡I¡¡know¡¡there¡¡is¡¡no¡¡one¡¡better¡¡than¡¡he¡¡in¡¡the¡¡world£»¡¡and¡¡so¡¡I¡¡am¡¡calm¡¡now¡¡and¡¡content¡£¡¡It¡¯s¡¡utterly¡¡different¡¡from¡¡anything¡¡before¡¡±
Nikolay¡¡expressed¡¡his¡¡dissatisfaction¡¡at¡¡the¡¡marriage¡¡being¡¡put¡¡off¡¡for¡¡a¡¡year¡£¡¡But¡¡Natasha¡¡fell¡¡on¡¡him¡¡with¡¡exasperation£»¡¡proving¡¡to¡¡him¡¡that¡¡no¡¡other¡¡course¡¡was¡¡possible£»¡¡that¡¡it¡¡would¡¡be¡¡a¡¡horrid¡¡thing¡¡to¡¡enter¡¡a¡¡family¡¡against¡¡the¡¡father¡¯s¡¡will£»¡¡and¡¡that¡¡she¡¡would¡¡not¡¡consent¡¡to¡¡it¡¡herself¡£
¡°You¡¡don¡¯t¡¡understand¡¡at¡¡all£»¡¡at¡¡all£»¡±¡¡she¡¡kept¡¡saying¡£
Nikolay¡¡paused¡¡a¡¡moment£»¡¡and¡¡then¡¡said¡¡he¡¡agreed¡¡with¡¡her¡£
Her¡¡brother¡¡often¡¡wondered¡¡as¡¡he¡¡looked¡¡at¡¡her¡£¡¡It¡¡seemed¡¡quite¡¡incredible¡¡that¡¡she¡¡was¡¡a¡¡girl¡¡in¡¡love¡¡and¡¡parted¡¡from¡¡her¡¡betrothed¡¡lover¡£¡¡She¡¡was¡¡even¡tempered£»¡¡serene£»¡¡and¡¡quite¡¡as¡¡light¡hearted¡¡as¡¡ever¡£¡¡This¡¡made¡¡Nikolay¡¡wonder£»¡¡and¡¡look¡¡on¡¡the¡¡engagement¡¡to¡¡Bolkonsky¡¡rather¡¡sceptically¡£¡¡He¡¡could¡¡not¡¡believe¡¡that¡¡her¡¡fate¡¡was¡¡by¡¡now¡¡sealed£»¡¡especially¡¡as¡¡he¡¡had¡¡never¡¡seen¡¡her¡¡with¡¡Prince¡¡Andrey¡£¡¡It¡¡still¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡him¡¡that¡¡there¡¡was¡¡something¡¡not¡¡real¡¡in¡¡this¡¡proposed¡¡marriage¡£
¡°Why¡¡this¡¡delay£¿¡¡Why¡¡were¡¡they¡¡not¡¡formally¡¡betrothed£¿¡±¡¡he¡¡thought¡£
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¡°Here£»¡¡you¡¡see£»¡¡he¡¡writes£»¡±¡¡she¡¡said£»¡¡showing¡¡her¡¡son¡¡a¡¡letter¡¡from¡¡Prince¡¡Andrey¡¡with¡¡that¡¡latent¡¡feeling¡¡of¡¡grudge¡¡which¡¡mothers¡¡always¡¡have¡¡in¡¡regard¡¡to¡¡their¡¡daughter¡¯s¡¡happiness¡¡in¡¡marriage£»¡¡¡°he¡¡writes¡¡that¡¡he¡¡won¡¯t¡¡be¡¡coming¡¡before¡¡December¡£¡¡What¡¡can¡¡it¡¡be¡¡that¡¡keeps¡¡him£¿¡¡Illness£»¡¡no¡¡doubt£¡¡¡His¡¡health¡¡is¡¡very¡¡weak¡£¡¡Don¡¯t¡¡tell¡¡Natasha¡£¡¡Don¡¯t¡¡make¡¡a¡¡mistake£»¡¡because¡¡she¡¡seems¡¡in¡¡good¡¡spirits£»¡¡it¡¯s¡¡the¡¡last¡¡she¡¡has¡¡of¡¡her¡¡girlhood£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡know¡¡how¡¡she¡¡is¡¡when¡¡she¡¡gets¡¡his¡¡letters¡£¡¡Still£»¡¡God¡¡grant£»¡¡all¡¡may¡¡be¡¡well¡¡yet£»¡±¡¡she¡¡always¡¡concluded£º¡¡¡°he¡¯s¡¡a¡¡splendid¡¡fellow¡£¡±
Chapter¡¡2
IN¡¡THE¡¡EARLY¡¡PART¡¡of¡¡his¡¡time¡¡at¡¡home¡¡Nikolay¡¡was¡¡serious¡¡and¡¡even¡¡dull¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡worried¡¡by¡¡the¡¡necessity¡¡of¡¡meddling¡¡in¡¡the¡¡stupid¡¡business¡¡matters¡¡which¡¡his¡¡mother¡¡had¡¡sent¡¡for¡¡him¡¡to¡¡look¡¡after¡£¡¡To¡¡be¡¡rid¡¡of¡¡this¡¡burden¡¡as¡¡soon¡¡as¡¡possible£»¡¡on¡¡the¡¡third¡¡day¡¡after¡¡his¡¡return£»¡¡he¡¡marched¡¡angrily¡¡off£»¡¡making¡¡no¡¡reply¡¡to¡¡inquiries¡¡where¡¡he¡¡was¡¡going£»¡¡with¡¡scowling¡¡brows¡¡entered¡¡Mitenka¡¯s¡¡lodge£»¡¡and¡¡demanded¡¡from¡¡him¡¡an¡¡account¡¡in¡¡full¡£¡¡What¡¡he¡¡meant¡¡by¡¡an¡¡account¡¡in¡¡full£»¡¡Nikolay¡¡knew¡¡even¡¡less¡¡than¡¡the¡¡panic¡stricken¡¡and¡¡bewildered¡¡Mitenka¡£¡¡The¡¡conversation¡¡and¡¡Mitenka¡¯s¡¡accounts¡¡did¡¡not¡¡last¡¡long¡£¡¡The¡¡village¡¡elder£»¡¡the¡¡deputy£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡village¡¡clerk£»¡¡waiting¡¡in¡¡the¡¡entry¡¡of¡¡the¡¡lodge£»¡¡heard¡¡with¡¡awe¡¡and¡¡delight¡¡at¡¡first¡¡the¡¡booming¡¡and¡¡snapping¡¡of¡¡the¡¡young¡¡count¡¯s¡¡voice¡¡in¡¡a¡¡constantly¡¡ascending¡¡scale£»¡¡then¡¡terrible¡¡words¡¡of¡¡abuse£»¡¡flung¡¡one¡¡after¡¡another¡£
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Then£»¡¡with¡¡no¡¡less¡¡awe¡¡and¡¡delight£»¡¡these¡¡persons¡¡saw¡¡the¡¡young¡¡count£»¡¡with¡¡a¡¡red¡¡face¡¡and¡¡bloodshot¡¡eyes£»¡¡dragging¡¡Mitenka¡¡out¡¡by¡¡the¡¡collar£»¡¡kicking¡¡him¡¡with¡¡great¡¡dexterity¡¡at¡¡every¡¡appropriate¡¡moment¡¡between¡¡his¡¡words£»¡¡and¡¡shouting£º
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Mitenka¡¡flew¡¡head¡¡first¡¡down¡¡six¡¡steps¡¡and¡¡ran¡¡to¡¡the¡¡shrubbery¡£¡¡This¡¡shrubbery¡¡was¡¡well¡¡known¡¡as¡¡a¡¡haven¡¡of¡¡refuge¡¡for¡¡delinquents¡¡at¡¡Otradnoe¡£¡¡Mitenka¡¡had£»¡¡on¡¡coming¡¡home¡¡drunk¡¡from¡¡the¡¡town£»¡¡himself¡¡hidden¡¡in¡¡the¡¡shrubbery£»¡¡and¡¡many¡¡of¡¡the¡¡residents¡¡of¡¡Otradnoe¡¡had¡¡been¡¡indebted¡¡to¡¡the¡¡saving¡¡power¡¡of¡¡the¡¡shrubbery¡¡when¡¡anxious¡¡to¡¡conceal¡¡themselves¡¡from¡¡Mitenka¡£
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