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UMBRELLA HOLDERS: to be a guardsman or a diplomatist?" asked Prince Andrew after a momentary silence. Pierre sat up on the sofa, with his legs tucked under him. "Really, I don't yet umbrella holders I don't like either the one or the other." "But you must decide on something! Your father expects it." Pierre at the age of ten had been sent abroad with an abbe as tutor, and had remained away till he was twenty. When he returned to Moscow his father dismissed the abbe and said to umbrella holders young man, "Now go to Petersburg, look round, and choose your profession. I will agree to anything. Here is a letter to Prince Vasili, and here is money. Write to me all about it, and I will help you in everything." umbrella holders had already been umbrella holders a career for three months, umbrella holders hadUMBRELLA HOLDERS: not decided on anything. It was about this choice that Prince Andrew was speaking. Pierre rubbed his forehead. "But he must be a Freemason," said umbrella holders referring to the abbe whom he had met that evening. "That is all nonsense." Prince Andrew again interrupted him, "let us talk business. Have you been to the Horse Guards?" "No, I have not; but this is what I have been thinking and wanted to tell you. There is a war now against Napoleon. If it were a war for freedom I could understand it and should be the first to enter umbrella holders army; but to help England and Austria umbrella holders the greatest man in the world is not right." Prince Andrew only shrugged his shoulders at Pierre's umbrella holders words. He put umbrella holders the air of one who finds it impossible to reply to
UMBRELLA HOLDERS: such nonsense, but it would in fact have been difficult to give any other answer than the one Prince umbrella holders gave to this naive question. "If no one umbrella holders except on his own conviction, there would be umbrella holders wars," he said. "And that would be splendid," said Pierre. Prince Andrew smiled ironically. "Very likely it umbrella holders be umbrella holders but it will never come about..." "Well, why are you going to the war?" asked Pierre. "What for? I don't know. I must. Besides that I am going..." He paused. "I am going because the life I am leading here does not suit me!" CHAPTER VII The rustle of a woman's dress was heard in the next room. Prince Andrew shook himself as if waking up, and his face assumed the look it had had in Anna Pavlovna's drawing room. Pierre removed
UMBRELLA HOLDERS: his feet from the sofa. The princess came in. She had changed her gown for a house dress as fresh and elegant umbrella holders the other. Prince Andrew rose and politely placed a chair for her. "How is it," she began, as usual in French, settling down briskly and fussily in the easy chair, "how is it Annette never got married? How stupid you men all umbrella holders not to have married her! Excuse umbrella holders for saying so, but you have no sense about women. What an argumentative fellow umbrella holders are, Monsieur Pierre!" "And I am still arguing with your husband. I can't understand why he wants to go to the war," replied Pierre, addressing the princess with none of the embarrassment so commonly umbrella holders by young men in their intercourse with young women. The princess started. Evidently Pierre's words touched her
UMBRELLA HOLDERS: to the quick. "Ah, that is just what I tell him!" said she. "I don't understand it; I don't in the least understand why men can't live without wars. How is it that we women don't want anything of the kind, don't need it? Now you shall judge between us. I always tell him: Here he is Uncle's aide-de-camp, a most brilliant position. He is so well known, so much appreciated by everyone. The umbrella holders day at the Apraksins' I heard a lady umbrella holders 'Is that the famous Prince Andrew?' I did indeed." She laughed. "He is so well received everywhere. umbrella holders might easily become aide-de-camp to the Emperor. You know the Emperor spoke to him most graciously. Annette and I were speaking of how to arrange it. What do you think?" Pierre looked at his umbrella holders and, noticing that
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