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sly　seeing　and　hearing　something　quite　different。　In　old　days　he　had　seemed　a　good…hearted　man；　but　unhappy。　And　so　people　had　unconsciously　held　a　little　aloof　from　him。　Now　a　smile　of　joy　in　life　was　continually　playing　about　his　mouth；　and　his　eyes　were　bright　with　sympathy　for　others；　and　the　question：　Were　they　all　as　happy　as　he？　And　people　felt　at　ease　in　his　presence。
In　old　days　he　had　talked　a　great　deal；　and　had　got　hot　when　he　talked；　and　he　had　listened　very　little。　Now　he　was　rarely　carried　away　in　conversation；　and　knew　how　to　listen；　so　that　people　were　very　ready　to　tell　him　the　inmost　secrets　of　their　hearts。
The　princess；　who　had　never　liked　Pierre；　and　had　cherished　a　particularly　hostile　feeling　towards　him；　since　after　the　old　count’s　death　she　had　felt　herself　under　obligation　to　him；　had　come　to　Orel　with　the　intention　of　proving　to　him　that　in　spite　of　his　ingratitude　she　felt　it　her　duty　to　nurse　him；　but　after　a　short　time　she　felt；　to　her　own　surprise　and　annoyance；　that　she　was　growing　fond　of　him。　Pierre　did　nothing　to　try　and　win　his　cousin’s　favour；　he　simply　looked　at　her　with　curiosity。　In　old　days　she　had　felt　that　there　was　mockery　and　indifference　in　his　eyes；　and　she　had　shrunk　into　herself　before　him；　as　she　did　before　other　people；　and　had　shown　him　only　her　aggressive　side。　Now　she　felt　on　the　contrary　as　though　he　were　delving　into　the　most　secret　recesses　of　her　life。　It　was　at　first　mistrustfully；　and　then　with　gratitude；　that　she　let　him　see　now　the　latent　good　side　of　her　character。
The　most　artful　person　could　not　have　stolen　into　the　princess’s　confidence　more　cunningly；　by　arousing　her　recollections　of　the　best　time　of　her　youth；　and　showing　sympathy　with　them。　And　yet　all　Pierre’s　artfulness　consisted　in　seeking　to　please　himself　by　drawing　out　human　qualities　in　the　bitter；　hard；　and；　in　her　own　way；　proud　princess。
“Yes；　he　is　a　very；　very　good…hearted　fellow　when　he　is　not　under　bad　influence；　but　under　the　influence　of　people　like　me；”　thought　the　princess。
The　change　that　had　taken　place　in　Pierre　was　noticed　in　their　own　way　by　his　servants　too—Terenty　and　Vaska。　They　considered　that　he　had　grown　much　more　good…natured。　Often　after　undressing　his　master；　and　wishing　him　good　night；　Terenty　would　linger　with　his　boots　and　his　clothes　in　his　hand；　in　the　hope　that　his　master　would　begin　a　conversation　with　him。　And　as　a　rule　Pierre　kept　Terenty；　seeing　he　was　longing　for　a　chat。
“Come；　tell　me；　then　…　how　did　you　manage　to　get　anything　to　eat？”　he　would　ask。　And　Terenty　would　begin　his　tales　of　the　destruction　of　Moscow　and　of　the　late　count；　and　would　stand　a　long　while　with　the　clothes；　talking　away　or　listening　to　Pierre；　and　it　was　with　a　pleasant　sense　of　his　master’s　close　intimacy　with　him　and　affection　for　him　that　he　finally　withdrew。
The　doctor；　who　was　attending　Pierre；　and　came　to　see　him　every　day；　though　he　thought　it　his　duty　as　a　doctor　to　pose　as　a　man　every　minute　of　whose　time　is　of　value　for　suffering　humanity；　used　to　sit　on　with　him　for　hours　together；　repeating　his　favourite　anecdotes　and　observations　on　the　peculiarities　of　patients　in　general；　and　of　ladies　in　particular。
“Yes；　it’s　a　pleasure　to　talk　to　a　man　like　that；　it’s　not　what　we　are　used　to　in　the　provinces；”　he　would　say。
In　Orel　there　happened　to　be　several　French　prisoners；　and　the　doctor　brought　one　of　them；　a　young　Italian　officer；　to　see　Pierre。
This　officer　became　a　frequent　visitor；　and　the　princess　used　to　laugh　at　the　tender　feelings　the　Italian　expressed　for　Pierre。
It　was　obvious　that　the　Italian　was　never　happy　but　when　he　could　see　Pierre；　and　talk　to　him；　and　tell　him　all　about　his　own　past；　his　home　life；　and　his　love；　and　pour　out　his　indignation　against　the　French；　and　especially　against　Napoleon。
“If　all　Russians　are　the　least　bit　like　you；”　he　used　to　say　to　Pierre；　“it　is　sacrilege　to　make　war　on　a　people　like　yours。　You　who　have　suffered　so　much　at　the　hands　of　the　French；　have　not　even　a　grudge　against　them。”
And　Pierre　had　won　the　Italian’s　passionate　devotion　simply　by　drawing　out　what　was　best　in　his　soul　and　admiring　it。
During　the　latter　part　of　Pierre’s　stay　in　Orel；　he　received　a　visit　from　an　old　acquaintance；　Count　Villarsky；　the　freemason；　who　had　introduced　him　to　the　lodge　in　1807。　Villarsky　had　married　a　Russian　heiress；　who　had　great　estates　in　the　Orel　province；　and　he　was　filling　a　temporary　post　in　the　commissariat　department　in　the　town。
Though　Villarsky　had　never　been　very　intimately　acquainted　with　Bezuhov；　on　hearing　that　he　was　in　Orel；　he　called　upon　him　with　those　demonstrations　of　friendliness　and　intimacy　that　men　commonly　display　on　meeting　one　another　in　the　desert。　Villarsky　was　dull　in　Orel；　and　was　delighted　to　meet　a　man　of　his　own　circle；　who　had；　as　he　supposed；　the　same　interests　as　he　had。
But　to　his　surprise；　Villarsky　noticed　soon　that　Pierre　had　quite　dropped　behind　the　times；　and　had；　as　he　defined　it　himself　to　Pierre；　sunk　into　apathy　and　egoism。
“You　are　stagnating；”　he　said　to　him。
But　in　spite　of　that；　Villarsky　felt　much　more　at　home　with　Pierre　now　than　he　had　done　in　the　past；　and　came　every　day　to　see　him。　As　Pierre　watched　Villarsky；　and　listened　to　him　now；　it　seemed　strange　and　incredible　to　him　to　think　that　he　had　very　lately　been　the　same　sort　of　person　himself。
Villarsky　was　a　married　man　with　a　family；　whose　time　was　taken　up　in　managing　his　wife’s　property；　in　performing　his　official　duties；　and　in　looking　after　his　family。　He　regarded　all　these　duties　as　a　drawback　in　his　life；　and　looked　on　them　all　with　contempt；　because　they　were　all　directed　to　securing　his　own　personal　welfare　and　that　of　his　family。　Military；　administrative；　political；　and　masonic　questions　were　continually　engrossing　his　attention。　And　without　criticising　this　view　or　attempting　to　change　it；　Pierre　watched　this　phenomenon—so　strange；　yet　so　familiar　to　him—with　the　smile　of　gentle；　delighted　irony　that　was　now　habitual　with　him。
In　Pierre’s　relations　with　Villarsky；　with　his　cousin；　with　the　doctor；　and　with　all　the　people　he　met　now；　there　was　a　new　feature　that　gained　him　the　good…will　of　all。　This　was　the　recognition　of　the　freedom　of　every　man　to　think；　to　feel；　and　to　look　at　things　in　his　own　way；　the　recognition　of　the　impossibility　of　altering　a　man’s　conviction　by　words。　This　legitimate　individuality　of　every　man’s　views；　which　had　in　old　days　troubled　and　irritated　Pierre；　now　formed　the　basis　of　the　sympathetic　interest　he　felt　in　people。　The　inconsistency；　sometimes　the　complete　antagonism　of　men’s　views　with　their　own　lives　or　with　one　another；　delighted　Pierre；　and　drew　from　him　a　gentle　and　mocking　smile。
In　practical　affairs　Pierre　suddenly　felt　now　that　he　had　the　centre　of　gravity　that　he　had　lacked　in　former　days。　In　the　past　every　money　question；　especially　requests　for　money；　to　which　as　a　very　wealthy　man　he　was　particularly　liable；　had　reduced　him　to　a　state　of　helpless　agitation　and　perplexity。　“Ought　I　to　give　or　not　to　give？”　he　used　to　ask　himself。　“I　have　money　and　he　needs　it。　But　some　one　else　needs　it　more。　Who　needs　it　more？　And　perhaps　both　are　impostors？”　And　of　all　these　suppositions　he　had　in　old　days　found　no　satisfactory　solution；　and　gave　to　all　as　long　as　he　had　anything　to　give。　In　old　days　he　had　been　in　the　same　perplexity　over　every　question　relating　to　his　property　when　one　person　told　him　he　ought　to　act　in　one　way　and　another　advised　something　else。
Now　to　his　own　surprise　he　found　that　he　had　no　more　doubt　or　hesitation　on　all　such　questions。　Now　there　was　a　judge　within　him　settling　what　he　must　do　and　what　he　must　not；　by　some　laws　of　which　he　was　himself　unaware。
He　was　just　as　unconcerned　about　money　matters　as　before；　but　now　he　unhesitatingly　knew　what　he　ought　to　do　and　what　he　ought　not　to　do。　The　first　application　of　that　new　power　within　him　was　in　the　case　of　a　prisoner；　a　French　colonel；　who　called　on　him；　talked　very　freely　of　his　own　great　exploits；　and　finally　delivered　himself　of　a　request　that　was　more　like　a　demand；　that　he　should　give　him　four　thousand　francs　to　send　to　his　wife　and　children。　Pierre　refused　to　do　so　without　the　slightest　difficulty　or　effort；　and　wondered　himself　afterwards　that　it　had　been　so　easy　and　simple　to　do　what　had　in　old　days　seemed　so　hopelessly　difficult。　At　the　same　time　as　he　refused　the　French　colonel；　he　made　up　his　mind　that　he　must　certainly　resort　to　some　stratagem　when　he　left　Orel　to　induce　the　Italian　officer　to　accept　assistance；　of　which　he　stood　in　evident　need。　A　fresh　proof　to　Pierre　of　his　greater　certainty　in　regard　to　practical　matters　was　the　settlement　of　the　question　of　his　wife’s　debts；　and　of　the　rebuilding　of　his　Moscow　house　and　villas　in　the　suburbs。
His　head　steward　came　to　him　in　Orel；　and　with　him　Pierre　went　into　a　general　review　of　his　financial　position。　The　fire　of　Moscow　had　cost　Pierre；　by　the　steward’s　account；　about　two　millions。
The　chief　steward　to　console　him　for　these　losses　presented　a　calculation　he　had　made；　that　Pierre’s　income；　far　from　being　diminished；　would　be　positively　increased　if　he　were　to　refuse　to　pay　the　debts　left　by　the　countess—which　he　could　not　be　forced　to　pay—and　if　he　were　not　to　restore　his　Moscow　houses　and　the　villa　near　Moscow；　which　had　cost　him　eight　thousand　to　keep　up；　and　brought　in　nothing。
“Yes；　yes；　that’s　true；”　said　Pierre；　with　a　beaming　smile。
“Yes；　yes；　I　don’t　need　any　of　them。　I　have　been　made　much　richer　by　the　destruction　of　the　city。”
But　in　January　Savelitch　came　from　Moscow；　talked　to　him　of　the　position　of　the　city；　of　the　estimate　the　architect　had　sent　in　for　restoring　the　house；　and　the　villa　in　the　suburbs；　speaking　of　it　as　a　settled　matter。　At　the　same　time　Pierre　received　letters　from　Prince　Vassily　and　other　acquaintances　in　Petersburg；　in　which　his　wife’s　debts　were　mentioned。　And　Pierre　decided　that　the　steward’s　plan　that　he　had　liked　so　much　was　not　the　right　one；　and　that　he　must　go　to　Petersburg　to　wind　up　his　wife’s　affairs；　and　must　rebuild　in　Moscow。　Why　he　ought　to　do　so；　he　could　not　have　said；　but　he　was　convinced　that　he　ought。　His　income　was　diminished　by　one…fourth　owing