War and Peace Volume 2 Book 4 Chapter 2

In which Nicholas Rostóv returns to Moscow, where he is warmly received as a celebrated soldier and finds society filled with lively balls, racing pursuits, and social engagements that seem to pull him away from youthful attachments. Meanwhile, the Rostóv household and Moscow’s elite prepare an elaborate banquet to honour Prince Bagratión, whose military valour provides a focal point for the city's mixed emotions regarding recent upheavals in the war.