| CHAPTER II Anna Pavlovna 's drawing room was gradually filling . The highest Petersburg society was assembled there : people differing widely in age and character but alike in the social circle to which they belonged . Prince Vasili 's daughter , the beautiful Helene , came to take her father to the ambassador 's entertainment ; she wore a ball dress and her badge as maid of honor . The youthful little Princess Bolkonskaya , known as la femme la plus seduisante de Petersbourg , * was also there . She had been married during the previous winter , and being pregnant did not go to any large gatherings , but only to small receptions . Prince Vasili 's son , Hippolyte , had come with Mortemart , whom he introduced . The Abbe Morio and many others had also come . * The most fascinating woman in Petersburg . To each new arrival Anna Pavlovna said , " You have not yet seen my aunt , " or " You do not know my aunt ? " and very gravely conducted him or her to a little old lady , wearing large bows of ribbon in her cap , who had come sailing in from another room as soon as the guests began to arrive ; and slowly turning her eyes from the visitor to her aunt , Anna Pavlovna mentioned each one 's name and then left them . Each visitor performed the ceremony of greeting this old aunt whom not one of them knew , not one of them wanted to know , and not one of them cared about ; Anna Pavlovna observed these greetings with mournful and solemn interest and silent approval . The aunt spoke to each of them in the same words , about their health and her own , and the health of Her Majesty , " who , thank God , was better today . " And each visitor , though politeness prevented his showing impatience , left the old woman with a sense of relief at having performed a vexatious duty and did not return to her the whole evening . The young Princess Bolkonskaya had brought some work in a gold-embroidered velvet bag . Her pretty little upper lip , on which a delicate dark down was just perceptible , was too short for her teeth , but it lifted all the more sweetly , and was especially charming when she occasionally drew it down to meet the lower lip . As is always the case with a thoroughly attractive woman , her defect--the shortness of her upper lip and her half-open mouth--seemed to be her own special and peculiar form of beauty . Everyone brightened at the sight of this pretty young woman , so soon to become a mother , so full of life and health , and carrying her burden so lightly . Old men and dull dispirited young ones who looked at her , after being in her company and talking to her a little while , felt as if they too were becoming , like her , full of life and health . All who talked to her , and at each word saw her bright smile and the constant gleam of her white teeth , thought that they were in a specially amiable mood that day . The little princess went round the table with quick , short , swaying steps , her workbag on her arm , and gaily spreading out her dress sat down on a sofa near the silver samovar , as if all she was doing was a pleasure to herself and to all around her . " I have brought my work , " said she in French , displaying her bag and addressing all present . " Mind , Annette , I hope you have not played a wicked trick on me , " she added , turning to her hostess . " You wrote that it was to be quite a small reception , and just see how badly I am dressed . " And she spread out her arms to show her short-waisted , lace-trimmed , dainty gray dress , girdled with a broad ribbon just below the breast . " Soyez tranquille , Lise , you will always be prettier than anyone else , " replied Anna Pavlovna . " You know , " said the princess in the same tone of voice and still in French , turning to a general , " my husband is deserting me ? He is going to get himself killed . Tell me what this wretched war is for ? " she added , addressing Prince Vasili , and without waiting for an answer she turned to speak to his daughter , the beautiful Helene . " What a delightful woman this little princess is ! " said Prince Vasili to Anna Pavlovna . One of the next arrivals was a stout , heavily built young man with close-cropped hair , spectacles , the light-colored breeches fashionable at that time , a very high ruffle , and a brown dress coat . This stout young man was an illegitimate son of Count Bezukhov , a well-known grandee of Catherine 's time who now lay dying in Moscow . The young man had not yet entered either the military or civil service , as he had only just returned from abroad where he had been educated , and this was his first appearance in society . Anna Pavlovna greeted him with the nod she accorded to the lowest hierarchy in her drawing room . But in spite of this lowest-grade greeting , a look of anxiety and fear , as at the sight of something too large and unsuited to the place , came over her face when she saw Pierre enter . Though he was certainly rather bigger than the other men in the room , her anxiety could only have reference to the clever though shy , but observant and natural , expression which distinguished him from everyone else in that drawing room . " It is very good of you , Monsieur Pierre , to come and visit a poor invalid , " said Anna Pavlovna , exchanging an alarmed glance with her aunt as she conducted him to her . Pierre murmured something unintelligible , and continued to look round as if in search of something . On his way to the aunt he bowed to the little princess with a pleased smile , as to an intimate acquaintance . Anna Pavlovna 's alarm was justified , for Pierre turned away from the aunt without waiting to hear her speech about Her Majesty 's health . Anna Pavlovna in dismay detained him with the words : " Do you know the Abbe Morio ? He is a most interesting man . " " Yes , I have heard of his scheme for perpetual peace , and it is very interesting but hardly feasible . " " You think so ? " rejoined Anna Pavlovna in order to say something and get away to attend to her duties as hostess . But Pierre now committed a reverse act of impoliteness . First he had left a lady before she had finished speaking to him , and now he continued to speak to another who wished to get away . With his head bent , and his big feet spread apart , he began explaining his reasons for thinking the abbe 's plan chimerical . " We will talk of it later , " said Anna Pavlovna with a smile . And having got rid of this young man who did not know how to behave , she resumed her duties as hostess and continued to listen and watch , ready to help at any point where the conversation might happen to flag . As the foreman of a spinning mill , when he has set the hands to work , goes round and notices here a spindle that has stopped or there one that creaks or makes more noise than it should , and hastens to check the machine or set it in proper motion , so Anna Pavlovna moved about her drawing room , approaching now a silent , now a too-noisy group , and by a word or slight rearrangement kept the conversational machine in steady , proper , and regular motion . But amid these cares her anxiety about Pierre was evident . She kept an anxious watch on him when he approached the group round Mortemart to listen to what was being said there , and again when he passed to another group whose center was the abbe . Pierre had been educated abroad , and this reception at Anna Pavlovna 's was the first he had attended in Russia . He knew that all the intellectual lights of Petersburg were gathered there and , like a child in a toyshop , did not know which way to look , afraid of missing any clever conversation that was to be heard . Seeing the self-confident and refined expression on the faces of those present he was always expecting to hear something very profound . At last he came up to Morio . Here the conversation seemed interesting and he stood waiting for an opportunity to express his own views , as young people are fond of doing . |