- While the Princess is gone, the Countess gets more and more upset thinking about her broke friend.
- Finally, she calls her husband and asks him for 500 rubles. Without even blinking, he summons his personal secretary and tells him to bring 700 rubles – and “don’t bring torn and dirty [notes] like the other time, but nice ones, for the countess” (1.14.17).
- That’s class. Not to mention some deep pockets.
- The Countess doesn’t tell him what it’s for and he assumes it’s for whatever she usually wastes money on. They have a sweet moment when she scrubs a little stain off his coat.
- When Princess Drubetskoy comes back, she tells the Countess about Count Bezukhov being on his deathbed. She is clearly upset and disturbed by this.
- With some embarrassment, the Countess slips her the money. The Princess starts to cry, and so does the Countess. They hug each other. Aw – that’s what friendship is all about.