(A servant hands a letter to Pierre.)

[SERVANT]
A letter from Marya Dmitryevna asking you to come and visit her
On a matter of great importance
Relating to Andrey Bolkonsky and his betrothed

[PIERRE]
What?
What can they want with me?

(He arrives at Marya D.’s.)

[MARYA D.]
Pierre, old friend I’m sorry it’s late
I’m sorry I haven’t seen you about
Where have you been?
Where have you been?

[PIERRE]
I have been studying

[MARYA D.]
Pierre old friend, we need your help
Pierre old friend: the family name!
We need your help
We need your help
There’s ruin at the door
[PIERRE]
Marya?

[MARYA D.]
Natasha has let down the family

[PIERRE]
What?

[MARYA D.]
Natasha has broken with Andrey

[PIERRE]
What?

[MARYA D.]
Natasha has tried to elope

[PIERRE]
What?

[MARYA D.]
Natasha and Anatole Kuragin!

[PIERRE]
What?!
[MARYA D.]
We need your help
We need your help
There’s ruin at the door

[PIERRE]
Natasha, that charming girl?
I can’t believe my ears
So I am not the only man
Chained to a bad woman
And Anatole, that stupid child
They’ll lock him up for years
For Anatole is a married man!

[MARYA D.]
Married? He’s married?

[PIERRE]
Yes

[MARYA D.]
Oh wait ’til I tell her

PIERRE
Poor Andrey
[MARYA D.]
And when Andrey comes home
He will challenge Anatole to a duel
And get himself killed
And all will be ruined

You must go see your brother-in-law
And tell him that he must leave Moscow
And not dare to let me set my eyes on him again

[PIERRE]
At once