Війна і мир

Chapter 11

           

           Fouryearsbefore,meetingaGermancomradeinthestallsofaMoscowtheater,BerghadpointedoutVéraRostóvatohimandhadsaidinGerman,“dassollmeinWeibwerden,”*andfromthatmomenthadmadeuphismindtomarryher.NowinPetersburg,havingconsideredtheRostóvs’positionandhisown,hedecidedthatthetimehadcometopropose.

           *“Thatgirlshallbemywife.”

           Berg’sproposalwasatfirstreceivedwithaperplexitythatwasnotflatteringtohim.AtfirstitseemedstrangethatthesonofanobscureLivoniangentlemanshouldproposemarriagetoaCountessRostóva;butBerg’schiefcharacteristicwassuchanaïveandgoodnaturedegotismthattheRostóvsinvoluntarilycametothinkitwouldbeagoodthing,sincehehimselfwassofirmlyconvincedthatitwasgood,indeedexcellent.Moreover,theRostóvs’affairswereseriouslyembarrassed,asthesuitorcouldnotbutknow;andaboveall,Vérawastwenty-four,hadbeentakenouteverywhere,andthoughshewascertainlygood-lookingandsensible,nooneuptonowhadproposedtoher.Sotheygavetheirconsent.

           “Yousee,”saidBergtohiscomrade,whomhecalled“friend”onlybecauseheknewthateveryonehasfriends,“yousee,Ihaveconsidereditall,andshouldnotmarryifIhadnotthoughtitalloutorifitwereinanywayunsuitable.Butonthecontrary,mypapaandmammaarenowprovidedfor—IhavearrangedthatrentforthemintheBalticProvinces—andIcanliveinPetersburgonmypay,andwithherfortuneandmygoodmanagementwecangetalongnicely.

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