Maximum-assistance view: every word above everyday vocabulary is explained at every appearance; each name is introduced at its first appearance in the chapter.

CHAPTER XV

“My dear Borís (a loving way to speak to her son),” said Princess Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) to her son as Countess Rostóva’s (a rich friend of the family) carriage in which they were seated drove over the straw covered street (the street spread with straw to soften the noise of wheels near a sick man's house) and turned into the wide courtyard (the big open yard inside the house walls) of Count Cyril Vladímirovich Bezúkhov’s (Pierre's rich old father) house. “My dear Borís (a young officer),” said the mother, drawing her hand (pulling her hand) from beneath her old mantle (her old loose cape) and laying it timidly and tenderly (shyly and lovingly) on her son’s arm, “be affectionate and attentive (loving and caring) to him. Count Cyril Vladímirovich (a very rich old nobleman) is your godfather (the man who promised in church, when you were named, to guide you) after all (do not forget), and your future depends on him (whether you do well in life depends on him). Remember that, my dear, and be nice to him, as you so well know how to be (as you are so good at being).”

“If only I knew that anything besides humiliation would come of it (it would bring something other than shame)...” answered her son coldly (without warmth). “But I have promised and will do it for your sake (to please you).”

Although the hall porter (the servant who guards the front door) saw someone’s carriage standing at the entrance, after scrutinizing (looking closely at) the mother and son (who without asking to be announced (without waiting for a servant to say their names) had passed straight through the glass porch (the glass-covered entrance) between the rows of statues in niches (stone figures standing in hollows in the wall)) and looking significantly at the lady’s old cloak (looking meaningfully at her worn long coat, which shows she has little money), he asked whether they wanted the count (he asked if their visit was for the count) or the princesses (the young ladies of the house), and, hearing that they wished to see the count, said his excellency (a very polite way of speaking of the count) was worse today, and that his excellency was not receiving anyone (would not see any visitors).

“We may as well go back (there is no point staying; let us go home),” said the son in French.

“My dear! (she begs her son: please, my dear son)” exclaimed (said loudly) his mother imploringly (begging), again laying her hand on his arm as if that touch might soothe or rouse him (calm him or wake him to action).

Borís (a young officer) said no more, but looked inquiringly (with a questioning look) at his mother without taking off his cloak (long loose coat).

“My friend,” said Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) in gentle tones (in a soft voice), addressing the hall porter (speaking to the door servant), “I know Count Cyril Vladímirovich (a very rich old nobleman) is very ill... that’s why I have come... I am a relation (I am family). I shall not disturb him, my friend... I only need see Prince Vasíli Sergéevich (Prince Vasíli, a powerful nobleman, called by his full name): he is staying here, is he not? Please announce me (tell them I am here).”

The hall porter (the door servant) sullenly (in a bad mood) pulled a bell that rang upstairs, and turned away.

“Princess Drubetskáya (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) to see Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor) Sergéevich,” he called to a footman (male servant) dressed in knee breeches (short trousers ending at the knee), shoes, and a swallow-tail coat (a coat with two long tails at the back), who ran downstairs and looked over from (looked down from) the halfway landing (the flat place halfway up the stairs).

The mother smoothed the folds of her dyed silk dress (old silk dress coloured again to look new) before a large Venetian mirror (a fine mirror made in Venice, Italy) in the wall, and in her trodden-down shoes (old, worn-out shoes) briskly ascended (quickly climbed) the carpeted stairs.

“My dear, (a loving way to speak to her son)” she said to her son, once more stimulating him by a touch (pushing him gently to act, with a touch), “you promised me!”

The son, lowering his eyes (looking down), followed her quietly.

They entered the large hall, from which one of the doors led to the apartments assigned to (the rooms given to) Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor).

Just as the mother and son, having reached the middle of the hall, were about to ask their way of an elderly footman (ask an old male servant which way to go) who had sprung up (had stood up quickly) as they entered, the bronze (brown metal) handle of one of the doors turned and Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor) came out—wearing a velvet coat (a coat of soft, thick cloth) with a single star (one star-shaped medal of honour) on his breast (on his chest), as was his custom when at home (as he always did at home)—taking leave of (saying goodbye to) a good-looking, dark-haired (with dark hair) man. This was the celebrated (famous) Petersburg (the capital) doctor, Lorrain (the famous doctor from the capital).

“Then it is certain? (so there is no doubt?)” said the prince.

“Prince, humanum est errare (Latin: to make mistakes is human), * but...” replied the doctor, swallowing his r’s (saying the letter r softly, in the French way), and pronouncing the Latin words with a French accent.

* To err is human (the writer's note: everyone makes mistakes).

“Very well, very well (all right, all right)...”

Seeing Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) and her son, Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor) dismissed (said goodbye to) the doctor with a bow and approached them silently and with a look of inquiry (with a questioning look). The son noticed that an expression of profound sorrow (a look of deep sadness) suddenly clouded (darkened) his mother’s face, and he smiled slightly (he can see his mother's sadness is an act).

“Ah, Prince! In what sad circumstances we meet again (what a sad time to see each other again)! And how is our dear invalid (our dear sick man)?” said she, as though unaware of (as if she did not notice) the cold offensive (rude) look fixed on her.

Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor) stared at her and at Borís (a young officer) questioningly and perplexed (puzzled, as if asking a question). Borís (a young officer) bowed politely. Prince Vasíli without acknowledging the bow (without bowing back) turned to Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money), answering her query (answering her question) by a movement of the head and lips indicating very little hope for the patient (showing the sick man would probably die).

“Is it possible?” exclaimed (said loudly) Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money). “Oh, how awful! It is terrible to think.... This is my son,” she added, indicating (pointing to) Borís (a young officer). “He wanted to thank you himself.”

Borís (a young officer) bowed again politely.

“Believe me, Prince, a mother’s heart will never forget what you have done for us (your help in getting my son a place among the Emperor's best soldiers).”

“I am glad I was able to do you a service (I was happy to help you), my dear Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money),” said Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor), arranging his lace frill (straightening the fancy collar at his neck), and in tone and manner (in his voice and behaviour), here in Moscow (Russia's old capital) to Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) whom he had placed under an obligation (who now owed him a favour), assuming an air of much greater importance (acting far more important) than he had done in Petersburg (the capital) at Anna Schérer’s (the lady whose evening party began the story) reception (big gathering of guests).

“Try to serve well and show yourself worthy (prove you deserve it),” added he, addressing Borís (a young officer) with severity (in a hard, strict way). “I am glad.... Are you here on leave (on holiday from the army)?” he went on (he continued) in his usual tone of indifference (in his usual voice, as if he did not care).

“I am awaiting (waiting for) orders to join my new regiment (army unit), your excellency (a very polite way to speak to an important man),” replied Borís (a young officer), betraying neither annoyance (showing no anger) at the prince’s brusque (short and rude) manner nor a desire to enter into conversation (any wish to talk more), but speaking so quietly and respectfully (politely) that the prince gave him a searching glance (a quick, careful look).

“Are you living with your mother?”

“I am living at Countess Rostóva’s (the mother of the Rostóv family, where Borís lives),” replied Borís (a young officer), again adding, “your excellency (a very polite way to speak to him).”

“That is, (I mean) with Ilyá Rostóv (Count Rostóv, the father of that family) who married Nataly Shinshiná (the countess, called by the name she had before marriage),” said Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money).

“I know, I know,” answered Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor) in his monotonous voice (in his flat, dull voice). “I never could understand how Nataly (the countess) made up her mind (decided) to marry that unlicked bear (that rough, badly mannered man)! A perfectly absurd and stupid fellow (a completely silly, foolish man), and a gambler (a man who plays for money) too, I am told.”

“But a very kind man, Prince,” said Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) with a pathetic smile (with a sad, pleading smile), as though she too knew that Count Rostóv deserved this censure (earned this blame), but asked him not to be too hard on (judge too harshly) the poor old man. “What do the doctors say?” asked the princess (Anna Mikháylovna) after a pause, her worn (tired-looking) face again expressing deep sorrow.

“They give little hope,” replied the prince.

“And I should so like to thank Uncle (the dying count; she calls him uncle, though he is only a distant relative) once for all his kindness (one last time for all his goodness) to me and Borís (a young officer). He is his godson (the sick count promised in church to guide her son),” she added, her tone suggesting that this fact ought to give Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor) much satisfaction (pleasure).

Prince Vasíli became thoughtful and frowned. (both of them want the old count's money) Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) saw that he was afraid of finding in her a rival (someone trying to win the same prize) for Count Bezúkhov’s (the sick old count she calls Uncle) fortune, and hastened to reassure him (quickly tried to calm his fears).

“If it were not for (if I did not have) my sincere affection and devotion (true love and loyalty) to Uncle,” said she, uttering the word with peculiar assurance and unconcern (saying 'Uncle' in a strangely sure, careless way), “I know his character: noble, upright (good and honest) ... but you see he has no one with him except the young princesses (the count's young relatives who live in the house).... They are still young....” She bent her head (she lowered her head) and continued in a whisper: “Has he performed his final duty, Prince? (has he had the last church service a dying man must have?) How priceless (so precious they cannot be valued) are those last moments! It can make things no worse, and it is absolutely necessary to prepare him (make him ready for death) if he is so ill. We women, Prince,” and she smiled tenderly (lovingly), “always know how to say these things. I absolutely must see him, however painful it may be for me. I am used to suffering (I am used to pain).”

Evidently (clearly) the prince understood her, and also understood, as he had done at Anna Pávlovna’s (the lady whose evening party began the story), that it would be difficult to get rid of (be free of) Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money).

“Would not such a meeting be too trying for him (too tiring and hard for him), dear Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money)?” said he. “Let us wait until evening. The doctors are expecting a crisis (the doctors think the illness will soon reach its worst point).”

“But one cannot delay (we cannot wait), Prince, at such a moment! Consider that the welfare of his soul is at stake (the good of his soul depends on it). Ah, it is awful: the duties of a Christian (what a follower of Christ must do)...”

A door of one of the inner rooms opened and one of the princesses, the count’s niece (one of the count's relatives who live in the house), entered with a cold, stern (cold and hard) face. The length of her body was strikingly out of proportion to her short legs (oddly long compared with her short legs). Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor) turned to her.

“Well, how is he?”

“Still the same; but what can you expect, this noise (what else could happen, with all this noise)...” said the princess (the count's niece), looking at Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) as at a stranger (as if she did not know her).

“Ah, my dear (a falsely warm way to speak to the cold niece), I hardly knew you (I almost did not recognise you),” said Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) with a happy smile, ambling lightly up to (walking easily over to) the count’s niece. “I have come, and am at your service (am here to help you) to help you nurse my uncle. I imagine what you have gone through (how much you have suffered),” and she sympathetically turned up her eyes (looked upward to show she shared her sadness).

The princess gave no reply and did not even smile (the niece plainly does not want her there), but left the room as Anna Mikháylovna (Borís's mother, a noble lady with little money) took off her gloves and, occupying the position she had conquered (taking the place she had won, like a soldier after a battle), settled down (sat down comfortably) in an armchair, inviting Prince Vasíli (a powerful nobleman close to the Emperor) to take a seat beside her.

“Borís (a young officer),” she said to her son with a smile, “I shall go in to see the count, my uncle (the sick old Count Bezúkhov, whom she calls her uncle); but you, my dear (a loving way to speak to her son), had better go (should go) to Pierre (the son of the sick count in this house) meanwhile (while I am busy) and don’t forget to give him the Rostóvs’ (the family Borís lives with) invitation. They ask him to dinner. I suppose he won’t go?” she continued, turning to the prince.

“On the contrary (not at all, just the opposite),” replied the prince, who had plainly become depressed (who had clearly become sad), “I shall be only too glad (very glad indeed) if you relieve me of that young man (take that young man away from me).... Here he is (he is living here in the house), and the count has not once asked for him.”

He shrugged (lifted and dropped) his shoulders. A footman (male servant) conducted (led) Borís (a young officer) down one flight of stairs (one set of stairs) and up another, to Pierre’s rooms.