ed his views, which were sometimes not at all
in accord with the accepted tone of the moment. But the general opinion
concerning the queer husband of "the most distinguished woman in
Petersburg" was so well established that no one took his freaks
seriously.

Among the many young men who frequented her house every day, Boris
Drubetskoy, who had already achieved great success in the service, was
the most intimate friend of the Bezukhov household since Helene's return
from Erfurt. Helene spoke of him as "mon page" and treated him like a
child. Her smile for him was the same as for everybody, but sometimes
that smile made Pierre uncomfortable. Toward him Boris behaved with a
particularly dignified and sad deference. This shade of deference also
disturbed Pierre. He had suffered so painfully three years before
from the mortification to which his wife had subjected him that he now
protected himself from the danger of its repetition, first by not being
a husband to his wife, and secondly by not allowing himself to suspect.

"No, now that she has become a bluestocking she has finally renounced
her former infatuations," he told himself. "There has never been
an instance of a bluestocking being carried away by affairs of the
heart"--a statement which, though gathered from an unknown source, he
believed implicitly. Yet strange to say Boris' presence in his wife's
drawing room (and he was almost always there) had a physical effect upon
Pierre; it constricted his limbs and destroyed the unconsciousness and
freedom of his movements.

"What a strange antipathy," thought Pierre, "yet I used to like him very
much."

In the eyes of the world Pierre was a great gentleman, the rather blind
and absurd husband of a distinguished wife, a clever crank who did
nothing but harmed nobody and was a first-rate, good-natured fellow. But
a complex and difficult process of internal development was taking place
all this time in Pierre's soul, revealing much to him and causing him
many spiritual doubts and joys.

CHAPTER X

Pierre went on with his diary, and this is what he wrote in it during
that time:

24th November

Got up at eight, read the Scriptures, then went to my duties. (By Joseph
Alexeevich's advice Pierre had entered the service of the state and
served on one of the committees.) Returned home for dinner and dined
alone--the countess had many visitors I do not like. I ate and drank
moderately and after dinner copied out