Chapter 6

           

           Amongtheinnumerablecategoriesapplicabletothephenomenaofhumanlifeonemaydiscriminatebetweenthoseinwhichsubstanceprevailsandthoseinwhichformprevails.Tothelatter—asdistinguishedfromvillage,country,provincial,orevenMoscowlife—wemayallotPetersburglife,andespeciallythelifeofitssalons.Thatlifeofthesalonsisunchanging.Sincetheyear1805wehadmadepeaceandhadagainquarreledwithBonaparteandhadmadeconstitutionsandunmadethemagain,butthesalonsofAnnaPávlovnaandHélèneremainedjustastheyhadbeen—theonesevenandtheotherfiveyearsbefore.AtAnnaPávlovna’stheytalkedwithperplexityofBonaparte’ssuccessesjustasbeforeandsawinthemandinthesubservienceshowntohimbytheEuropeansovereignsamaliciousconspiracy,thesoleobjectofwhichwastocauseunpleasantnessandanxietytothecourtcircleofwhichAnnaPávlovnawastherepresentative.AndinHélène’ssalon,whichRumyántsevhimselfhonoredwithhisvisits,regardingHélèneasaremarkablyintelligentwoman,theytalkedwiththesameecstasyin1812asin1808ofthe“greatnation”andthe“greatman,”andregrettedourrupturewithFrance,arupturewhich,accordingtothem,oughttobepromptlyterminatedbypeace.

           Oflate,sincetheEmperor’sreturnfromthearmy,therehadbeensomeexcitementintheseconflictingsaloncirclesandsomedemonstrationsofhostilitytooneanother,buteachcampretaineditsowntendency.

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