Pierre Confronts Anatole — War and Peace

Pierre does not stay for dinner. He drives through Moscow hunting Anatole, blood rushing, breath difficult. He is not at the ice hills, the gypsies', or Komoneno's. At the Club everything is as usual: groups assembling for dinner, talk of the weather, a place saved in the small dining room. An acquaintance asks if he has heard of Kurágin's abduction of Rostóva. Pierre laughs, says it is nonsense, he has just come from the Rostóvs', and asks everyone where Anatole is. The calm crowd, unaware of what burns in him, feels strange. Anatole does not come. Pierre does not stay for dinner.

Anatole that day dines with Dólokhov, consulting how to remedy the affair; it seems essential to see Natásha. In the evening he goes to his sister's to arrange a meeting. When Pierre returns, his valet says Prince Anatole is with the countess. The drawing room is full of guests. Pierre, without greeting his wife, whom he has not seen since his return and who is more repulsive than ever, goes up to Anatole. Hélène begins that he does not know what a plight their Anatole... then stops, seeing the thrust of her husband's head, the glowing eyes, the gait she knew after the duel with Dólokhov. Where you are, there is vice and evil, Pierre tells her. Anatole, come; I must speak to you.

In the study Pierre closes the door. Did he promise to marry Countess Rostóva and elope? Anatole, in French, does not consider himself bound to answer that tone. Pierre seizes his collar and shakes him until terror shows. He lifts a paperweight, puts it back, takes the letters from Anatole's pocketbook, and throws himself on the sofa. Tomorrow Anatole must leave Moscow and never breathe a word. Besides his pleasure there is other people's peace; a maid's life is not a toy; to kidnap is as mean as beating a child. Anatole, more confident as wrath cools, says that as a man of honour he cannot allow such words, even tête-à-tête; he wants them taken back. Pierre takes them back, asks forgiveness, glances at the loose button, and offers money for the journey. Anatole smiles the cringing smile Pierre knows in Hélène. Pierre exclaims at the vile brood and leaves the room. Next day Anatole leaves for Petersburg, expelled but not reformed.