War and Peace Volume 2 Book 6 Chapter 6

In which Prince Andrew, newly arrived in the bustling city of Petersburg, finds his contemplative life replaced by a flurry of social obligations and the mechanised demands of society, causing his thoughts to scatter as he strives to maintain a semblance of independence. He becomes deeply impressed and somewhat perplexed by the formidable intellect and unwavering rationalism of Speránski, whose confident discourse and dedication to reform stir in him a passionate admiration mingled with a subtle unease.