The guests leave the dining area and head to the fancy entertainment rooms of the Rostov estate. These are the drawing rooms, sitting rooms, parlors, terraces, and libraries – the Rostov mansion has it all. 

Ilya Rostov sits down in one of the rooms to enjoy a French card game named after an American City, Boston.  As per custom, young people gathered around a few instruments, including the clavier and harp. Julie Karagina takes a turn on one of these. There was some anticipation for Natasha and Nikolai to sing but Natasha noticed Sonya was not present and went off to find her. Sonya was hiding in a passageway and crying. She was in a hideaway that women of the household went to when wanting some privacy. Natasha felt overcome with emotion when she saw Sonya drowning in her own tears and started crying herself. She was doing her best to try to comfort Sonya, a showing of genuine sisterhood. 

Sonya explains that Nikolai’s mobilization papers have come in and he will be leaving in a week. Sonya respects that it is his duty to go, however, some unkind words from Vera brought Sonya very low. Vera got her hands on a poem where Nikolai was expressing his strong feelings for Sonya. This motivated Vera to voice how Sonya should not envision marrying Nikolai. First, Nikolai & Sonya would need permission from archbishop as they are second cousins. More importantly, Countess Rostova would be offended by the prospect. The countess would expect Nikolai’s wife to have higher social status. The deep love they share is not enough. Vera proffered that Julie would be a better match, which devastated Sonya. Sonya loves the Rostov family and expresses how she would make any sacrifice but feels she has nothing to sacrifice. The question may become: will she sacrifice her love for Nikolai. Natasha counsels that it will all work out.  

 The two then went back to the festivities and Natasha, along with her brother and Sonya, sang “the Fountain.” Then Nikolai sang a song on his own. Some of the lyrics were: “On a soft night beneath the moon, How joyous to feel and to know, That in this world there is someone, Whose thoughts are thinking of thee….”

At this point the guests were getting ready to go to the ballroom and the musicians could be heard getting ready. Pierre is chatting with Shinshin, and young Natasha runs up to Pierre and tells him it that her mother told her to get Pierre to dance. Pierre extends his large arm to Natasha’s small one and Natasha is excited to be accepted in such a manner by someone so grown-up. As they sat and waited for the music, Natasha fanned herself like a full-fledged member of society. The way she was behaving impressed her mother. 

In the ballroom, Illya Rostov chose an unexpected dance partner, Marya Dmitrievna (“le terrible dragon”), who hardly had the physique of a dancer. The musicians got the signal to play the Count’s favorite song, the “Daniel Cooper.” It is a song with an English name but is essentially Eastern European folk music played by a traditional band. It involves a lot of kicks, raised knees, swirls and swinging arms. Ilya, in his fancy dress, get really into it. He was bouncing, turning, waiving on the band – and all the attention on him. He lost himself and soared like an eagle. Everyone was impressed with the show. His rotund partner stayed in one place, smiled and bounced around. She had a level of rhythm and was impressive in her own way. The dance ended to thunderous applause, and in his ecstasy Illya said, “That is how we would dance in our time!”