War and Peace Volume 2 Book 6 Chapter 11

In which the Rostóv family, whose fortunes have waned, find themselves navigating the contrasting society of Petersburg with a mixture of old acquaintances and new, less certain connections, while Véra’s suitor, the earnest and ambitious Berg, perseveres with his proposal amidst unspoken financial unease. The proceedings unfold with a delicate balance of hope and constraint, as the looming question of a dowry reveals the quiet strains beneath the surface of their apparent gaiety.