Part III Chapter 5
There’s not much sleep to be had at Bald Hills that night - well except for Anatole that is, who, having stirred up this hornet’s nest, goes out like a light the minute his head touches the pillow. But to be fair it is just another day at the office for this expert philanderer.
Marya meanwhile lies awake, hardly able to believe her good fortune: “‘Is he really going to be my husband, that stranger, that good, handsome man. He is good–that’s the most important thing,’” (Yes love, he’s a real catch! You’re the luckiest girl in the world 🙄)
Mademoiselle Bourienne is strolling around the gardens, presumably in the pitch black, hoping to bump into Anatole. She is by turns hopeful of an illicit meeting with the object of her affection and weepy, thinking of her impending fall from grace.
Lise is also weepy, as well as uncomfortable and fractious, tossing and turning, cursing her heavily pregnant body. She can’t help thinking to herself that in the not so distant past, when she was ‘light and carefree’ it would have been she, and not Bourienne, who would have attracted Anatole’s attention.
Bolkonsky Snr for his part is ‘stamping about and snorting in his anger’. He is infuriated by the insulting behaviour of Anatole; “The insult was all the more hurtful for being levelled not at him but at someone else, his daughter, whom he loved more than himself.”
He’s also disappointed in Marya who has had her head turned so completely by the first young buck that comes courting, has she no pride?
Bolkonsky considers putting Marya straight on what is going on under her nose but ultimately decides that to do so would undermine her self respect, (Which tbh he seems to do constantly anyway for less good reason 🤷♀️) and would lose him his cause - ‘to avoid being parted from his daughter’.
Without actually exchanging words Bourienne and Anatole seem to have a perfect understanding of the situation, Anatole will seduce her, on that they are agreed. Their imagined conclusions to the story however are quite different, Bourienne imagines her shocking fall from grace will be swiftly followed by a wedding, Anatole, on the other hand, imagines a convenient ‘bit on the side’ living under the marital roof with himself and his rich, if ugly, bride. Seizing their chance to compare notes the would be lovers meet in the winter garden whilst Marya is having her usual daily meeting with her father.
In his study Bolkonsky is treating Marya with unusual affection and forbearance. He explains that Prince Vasily and Anatole have come to check her out - his ‘beautiful eyes’ as Bolkonsky rather sweetly refers to his daughter - and found Marya to be to their liking. A marriage proposal has been made, whether she accepts it or not is completely up to her. (Probably a very modern concept in that day and age and much to Bolkonsky Snr.’s credit.)
However the affection and forbearance - not to mention the vow not to enlighten his daughter of Anatole’s true nature - don’t last long once Marya starts to dither, and Bolkonsky can sense she is intent on accepting the proposal; “‘Well, that’s splendid then!’ he shouted. ‘He’ll go off with you and your dowry, and take Mademoiselle Bourienne along too. She’ll be his wife, and you …’ The prince stopped. He could see the effect of these words on his daughter. She had lowered her head and was on the verge of tears.”
Marya is completely blindsided, she can’t believe what her father is saying can possibly be true. But the seeds of doubt have been planted, and as she stumbles in ‘a fog’ into the garden who does she come across but her prospective husband and ladies companion in an intimate embrace. On being discovered Bourienne cries out and flees, Anatole on the other hand maintains his composure and styles it out, giving a shrug and a ‘sweet smile’, as he saunters off to his room.
Finally the scales have truly fallen from Marya’s (magic) eyes and when she is called to the drawing room to give her verdict on the proposed marriage she can confidently assert that she does not wish to leave her father (though this is what she wants more than a husband I think) and definitely does not wish to marry.
Vasily is aghast, Bolkonsky delighted, and Anatole …, well actually we aren’t told how Anatole feels, but under the circumstances I’m sure the one thing he doesn’t feel is surprised.
Rather naively Marya firmly believes that by standing aside she leaves the way open for Anatole to marry Bourienne - who, she reasons, he must truly be in love with, and she with him, for them to risk disgrace in this way. If it is a question of money she will ensure Bourienne is elevated in society. (How little she knows of Anatole or his father to think they would be content with the financial scraps from her table!)
Martyr to the end Marya consoles herself with thinking of Mademoiselle Bourienne’s future happiness:
“I’ll be so happy when she is his wife. She is so unhappy now, a stranger, all alone and helpless! Oh Lord, how passionately she must love him to be able to forget herself like that. Who knows, I might have done the same thing!”
You might indeed! There but for the grace of God Marya - a lucky escape I’d say!