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laughing child quickly from his shoulder and pressed her to his heart。
His capers reminded him of dancing； and looking at the child's round
happy little face he thought of what she would be like when he was
an old man； taking her into society and dancing the mazurka with her
as his old father had danced Daniel Cooper with his daughter。
〃It is he； it is he； Nicholas！〃 said Countess Mary； re…entering
the room a few minutes later。 〃Now our Natasha has come to life。 You
should have seen her ecstasy； and how he caught it for having stayed
away so long。 Well； come along now； quick； quick！ It's time you two
were parted；〃 she added； looking smilingly at the little girl who
clung to her father。
Nicholas went out holding the child by the hand。
Countess Mary remained in the sitting room。
〃I should never； never have believed that one could be so happy；〃
she whispered to herself。 A smile lit up her face but at the same time
she sighed； and her deep eyes expressed a quiet sadness as though
she felt； through her happiness； that there is another sort of
happiness unattainable in this life and of which she involuntarily
thought at that instant。
EP1｜CH10
CHAPTER X
Natasha had married in the early spring of 1813； and in 1820 already
had three daughters besides a son for whom she had longed and whom she
was now nursing。 She had grown stouter and broader； so that it was
difficult to recognize in this robust； motherly woman the slim； lively
Natasha of former days。 Her features were more defined and had a calm；
soft； and serene expression。 In her face there was none of the
ever…glowing animation that had formerly burned there and
constituted its charm。 Now her face and body were of all that one saw；
and her soul was not visible at all。 All that struck the eye was a
strong； handsome； and fertile woman。 The old fire very rarely
kindled in her face now。 That happened only when； as was the case that
day； her husband returned home； or a sick child was convalescent； or
when she and Countess Mary spoke of Prince Andrew （she never mentioned
him to her husband； who she imagined was jealous of Prince Andrew's
memory）； or on the rare occasions when something happened to induce
her to sing； a practice she had quite abandoned since her marriage。 At
the rare moments when the old fire did kindle in her handsome； fully
developed body she was even more attractive than in former days。
Since their marriage Natasha and her husband had lived in Moscow； in
Petersburg； on their estate near Moscow； or with her mother； that is
to say； in Nicholas' house。 The young Countess Bezukhova was not often
seen in society； and those who met her there were not pleased with her
and found her neither attractive nor amiable。 Not that Natasha liked
solitude… she did not know whether she liked it or not； she even
thought that she did not… but with her pregnancies； her
confinements； the nursing of her children； and sharing every moment of
her husband's life； she had demands on her time which could be
satisfied only by renouncing society。 All who had known Natasha before
her marriage wondered at the change in her as at something
extraordinary。 Only the old countess with her maternal instinct had
realized that all Natasha's outbursts had been due to her need of
children and a husband… as she herself had once exclaimed at
Otradnoe not so much in fun as in earnest… and her mother was now
surprised at the surprise expressed by those who had never
understood Natasha； and she kept saying that she had always known that
Natasha would make an exemplary wife and mother。
〃Only she lets her love of her husband and children overflow all
bounds；〃 said the countess； 〃so that it even becomes absurd。〃
Natasha did not follow the golden rule advocated by clever folk；
especially by the French； which says that a girl should not let
herself go when she marries； should not neglect her accomplishments；
should be even more careful of her appearance than when she was
unmarried； and should fascinate her husband as much as she did
before he became her husband。 Natasha on the contrary had at once
abandoned all her witchery； of which her singing had been an unusually
powerful part。 She gave it up just because it was so powerfully
seductive。 She took no pains with her manners or with of speech； or
with her toilet； or to show herself to her husband in her most
becoming attitudes； or to avoid inconveniencing him by being too
exacting。 She acted in contradiction to all those rules。 She felt that
the allurements instinct had formerly taught her to use would now be
merely ridiculous in the eyes of her husband； to whom she had from the
first moment given herself up entirely… that is； with her whole
soul； leaving no corner of it hidden from him。 She felt that her unity
with her husband was not maintained by the poetic feelings that had
attracted him to her； but by something else… indefinite but firm as
the bond between her own body and soul。
To fluff out her curls； put on fashionable dresses； and sing
romantic songs to fascinate her husband would have seemed as strange
as to adorn herself to attract herself。 To adorn herself for others
might perhaps have been agreeable… she did not know… but she had no
time at all for it。 The chief reason for devoting no time either to
singing； to dress； or to choosing her words was that she really had no
time to spare for these things。
We know that man has the faculty of becoming completely absorbed
in a subject however trivial it may be； and that there is no subject
so trivial that it will not grow to infinite proportions if one's
entire attention is devoted to it。
The subject which wholly engrossed Natasha's attention was her
family： that is； her husband whom she had to keep so that he should
belong entirely to her and to the home； and the children whom she
had to bear； bring into the world； nurse； and bring up。
And the deeper she penetrated； not with her mind only but with her
whole soul； her whole being； into the subject that absorbed her； the
larger did that subject grow and the weaker and more inadequate did
her powers appear； so that she concentrated them wholly on that one
thing and yet was unable to accomplish all that she considered
necessary。
There were then as now conversations and discussions about women's
rights； the relations of husband and wife and their freedom and
rights； though these themes were not yet termed questions as they
are now； but these topics were not merely uninteresting to Natasha；
she positively did not understand them。
These questions； then as now； existed only for those who see nothing
in marriage but the pleasure married people get from one another； that
is； only the beginnings of marriage and not its whole significance；
which lies in the family。
Discussions and questions of that kind； which are like the
question of how to get the greatest gratification from one's dinner；
did not then and do not now ex