But he immediately recalled his promise
to Prince Andrew not to go there.
Then, as happens to people of weak character,
he desired so passionately once more to enjoy
that dissipation he was so accustomed to that
he decided to go.
The thought immediately occurred to him that
his promise to Prince Andrew was of no account,
because before he gave it
he had already promised Prince Anatole to
come to his gathering; "besides," thought he,
"all such 'words of honor' are conventional things
with no definite meaning,
especially if one considers that
by tomorrow one may be dead, or something so
extraordinary may happen to one
that honor and dishonor will be all the same!"
Pierre often indulged in reflections of this sort,
nullifying all his decisions and intentions.
He went to Kuragin's.
Reaching the large house near the Horse Guards' barracks,
in which Anatole lived, Pierre entered the lighted porch,
ascended the stairs, and went in at the open door.
There was no one in the anteroom; empty bottles, cloaks,
and overshoes were lying about;
there was a smell of alcohol,
and sounds of voices and shouting in the distance.