When Natasha had been told that morning that Prince Andrew wasseriously wounded and was traveling with their party, she had at firstasked many questions: Where was he going? How was he wounded? Was itserious? And could she see him? But after she had been told that shecould not see him, that he was seriously wounded but that his life wasnot in danger, she ceased to ask questions or to speak at all,evidently disbelieving what they told her, and convinced that say whatshe might she would still be told the same. All the way she had satmotionless in a corner of the coach with wide open eyes, and theexpression in them which the countess knew so well and feared so much,and now she sat in the same way on the bench where she had seatedherself on arriving. She was planning something and either deciding orhad already decided something in her mind. The countess knew this, butwhat it might be she did not know, and this alarmed and tormented her.

　　"Natasha, undress, darling; lie down on my bed."

　　A bed had been made on a bedstead for the countess only. MadameSchoss and the two girls were to sleep on some hay on the floor.

　　"No, Mamma, I will lie down here on the floor," Natasha repliedirritably and she went to the window and opened it. Through the openwindow the moans of the adjutant could be heard more distinctly. Sheput her head out into the damp night air, and the countess saw herslim neck shaking with sobs and throbbing against the window frame.Natasha knew it was not Prince Andrew who was moaning. She knew PrinceAndrew was in the same yard as themselves and in a part of the hutacross the passage; but this dreadful incessant moaning made hersob. The countess exchanged a look with Sonya.

　　"Lie down, darling; lie down, my pet," said the countess, softlytouching Natasha's shoulders. "Come, lie down."

　　"Oh, yes... I'll lie down at once," said Natasha, and beganhurriedly undressing, tugging at the tapes of her petticoat.

　　When she had thrown off her dress and put on a dressing jacket,she sat down with her foot under her on the bed that had been madeup on the floor, jerked her thin and rather short plait of hair to thefront, and began replaiting it. Her long, thin, practiced fingersrapidly unplaited, replaited, and tied up her plait. Her head movedfrom side to side from habit, but her eyes, feverishly wide, lookedfixedly before her. When her toilet for the night was finished shesank gently onto the sheet spread over the hay on the side nearest thedoor.

　　"Natasha, you'd better lie in the middle," said Sonya.

　　"I'll stay here," muttered Natasha. "Do lie down," she addedcrossly, and buried her face in the pillow.

　　The countess, Madame Schoss, and Sonya undressed hastily and laydown. The small lamp in front of the icons was the only light leftin the room. But in the yard there was a light from the fire at LittleMytishchi a mile and a half away, and through the night came the noiseof people shouting at a tavern Mamonov's Cossacks had set up acrossthe street, and the adjutant's unceasing moans could still be heard.