The latter was by no means so ready to be caustic in pierres presence , and his countenance betokened perplexity as to what julies smile could signify . in spite of his absent - mindedness and good nature , pierres presence never failed to cut short any attempt at ridicule at his expense
12.
Becky resumed her picture inspections with alfred , but as the minutes dragged along and no tom came to suffer , her triumph began to cloud and she lost interest ; gravity and absent - mindedness followed , and then melancholy ; two or three times she pricked up her ear at a footstep , but it was a false hope ; no tom came
13.
His knowledge of languages , the respect shown him by the french , the good - nature with which he gave away anything he was asked for he received the allowance of three roubles a week , given to officers among the prisoners , the strength he showed in driving nails into the wall , the gentleness of his behaviour to his companions , and his capacitywhich seemed to him mysteriousof sitting stockstill doing nothing and plunged in thought , all made him seem to the soldiers a rather mysterious creature of a higher order . the very peculiarities that in the society he had previously lived in had been a source of embarrassment , if not of annoyancehis strength , his disdain for the comforts of life , his absent - mindedness , his good - naturehere among these men gave him the prestige almost of a hero . and pierre felt that their view of him brought its duties
14.
Rostov looked with disfavour upon pierre . in the first place , because pierre , in the eyes of the smart hussar , was a rich civilian , and husband of a beauty , was altogether , in fact , an old woman . and secondly , because pierre in his preoccupation and absent - mindedness had not recognised rostov and had failed to respond to his bow
