Pierre well knew this large room divided
by columns and an arch,
its walls hung round with Persian carpets.
The part of the room behind the columns,
with a high silk-curtained mahogany bedstead
on one side and on the other
an immense case containing icons,
was brightly illuminated with red light
like a Russian church during evening service.
Under the gleaming icons stood a long invalid chair,
and in that chair on snowy-white smooth pillows,
evidently freshly changed, Pierre saw-
covered to the waist
by a bright green quilt- the familiar,
majestic figure of his father, Count Bezukhov,
with that gray mane of hair
above his broad forehead
which reminded one of a lion,
and the deep characteristically noble wrinkles
of his handsome, ruddy face.
He lay just under the icons;
his large thick hands outside the quilt.
Into the right hand, which was lying palm downwards,
a wax taper had been thrust between forefinger and thumb,
and an old servant,
bending over from behind the chair,
held it in position.
By the chair stood the priests,
their long hair falling over
their magnificent glittering vestments,
with lighted tapers in their hands,
slowly and solemnly conducting the service.
A little behind them stood the two younger princesses
holding handkerchiefs to their eyes,
and just in front of them their eldest sister,
Catiche, with a vicious and determined look steadily
fixed on the icons, as though declaring to all
that she could not answer for herself
should she glance round. Anna Mikhaylovna, with a meek,
sorrowful, and all-forgiving expression on her face,
stood by the door near the strange lady.
Prince Vasili in front of the door,
near the invalid chair, a wax taper in his left hand,
was leaning his left arm on the carved back of
a velvet chair he had turned round for the purpose,
and was crossing himself with his right hand,
turning his eyes upward each time he touched his forehead.
His face wore a calm look of piety and
resignation to the will of God. "
If you do not understand these sentiments,"
he seemed to be saying,
"so much the worse for you!"
Behind him stood the aide-de-camp,
the doctors, and the menservants;
the men and women had separated as in church.
All were silently crossing themselves,
and the reading of the church service,
the subdued chanting of deep bass voices,
and in the intervals sighs
and the shuffling of feet were
the only sounds that could be heard.
Anna Mikhaylovna,
with an air of importance
that showed that she felt she quite knew what she was about,
went across the room to
where Pierre was standing and gave him a taper.
He lit it and,
distracted by observing those around him,
began crossing himself with the hand that held the taper.