- Ugh, the Bolkonskys again.
- After he chases off Andrei, Prince Bolkonsky yells at Marya for making him do it. Why? Because he’s a crazy abusive dad, that’s why.
- Life at depressing manor goes back to normal, except Prince Bolkonsky stops having anything to do with Mlle. Bourienne, so we’re guessing something Andrei said to him actually sank in.
- Marya is stressing about the war, but she doesn’t really get the politics of it. Mostly she just wants her brother to be OK.
- Her main contact to the outside world, Julie (who is now Princess Drubetskoy, because remember, she married Boris), writes her these long, patriotic letters. We get to see one of them, and it’s hilarious. She and her friends have decided not to speak French any more, but none of them actually speak Russian all that well, so her writing is full of mistakes and weird phrasing. (Anyone remember when French fries were renamed freedom fries? This is kind of like that.)
- Andrei writes home and asks his dad’s forgiveness, which he immediately gets.
- Then he writes again and gives them a sketch of the campaign from his point of view. He also points out to Prince Bolkonsky that their estate lies right in the path of the French army, so they need to leave ASAP.
- That night Prince Bolkonsky starts talking about the letter, and it’s clear that he’s now really starting to lose his mind. Andrei says the army is getting closer and closer, but his dad insists that actually the war is still in Poland. Then he makes up a battle in which the French were crushed. Everyone is way worried, but no one knows what to do.
- That night Prince Bolkonsky starts fussing over his will. Meanwhile, he sends his estate manager, Alpatych, to the city of Smolensk.