This episode involves Marya Bolkonskaya reading Julie Karagina’s letter and covers Marya’s response. Each missive is written in French and the content serves as a way to bring the reader up-to-speed on the time transpiring since Count Bezukhov's death. Each letter also serves as an exposition of the nature of the characters: Julie is revealed as a somewhat vapid heiress and Marya, the ideal daughter of her father and God.

Julie begins through speaking about her affinity for Marya and commenting on how Julie draws moral strength from Marya's penetrating eyes. Tolstoy notes how Marya has something of a sickly look and thin features. Yet Marya has deep, luminous eyes, which usually express her melancholy demeanor. Her eyes are so lovely that in spite of the plainness of her face, Marya holds a charm more attractive than beauty. As has often been said, the eyes are the window to the soul. 

Julie reminisces about the happy times the two spent when Julie visited Bald Hills. Julie relays that in Moscow the talk is focused on war. The Emperor and one of Julie’s brothers have already left for the front. Julie expressed great affinity for Nikolai Rostov. His leaving for the war caused her grief. She describes Nikolai as having so much nobility, candor and heart. Their short acquaintance was one of her sweetest enjoyments. She found the relationship poetic and pure. She expresses that while Nikolai is too young to be considered for marriage, being around him is what her heart needed.

Julie notes that the Count's death has left Pierre with the finest fortune in the country. The Count's three nieces got very little and Prince Vissily received nothing. Attitudes have changed toward Pierre. Every mother is lining up their daughter to be near him. Julie never thought that much of the new Count, though she is in the running for a possible match with him. She notes that Marya is also being considered for Anatole Kuragin, Prince Vassily’s son. Julie warns that Anatole is handsome but wild.  Julie then advices Marya to read the Christian mystical book, A Key to the Mysteries of Nature, which has a Masonic or occult bent to it. This is likely referring to the work of German author, Karl Von Eckartshausen, who was influential in German romanticism.

The Princess was energized and immediately wrote back. She notes that she is lonely in Bald Hills and states “If we had not religion to console use, life would be very sad.”  Marya can’t relate to the romantic love Julie writes about; but relates to Christian love, namely the love of one’s neighbor and love of one’s enemies, as the highest form. 

Marya speaks how the news of the Count’s death affected her father deeply, as the Count and her father were the last of an elite social class. Marya relays how she has known Pierre since a boy and that he has an excellent heart. She quotes the Gospel (Mathew 19:23-24), noting that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. She finds this verse explains Vassily’s behavior in trying to usurp the Count’s fortune.  She worries that Pierre will now be burdened with temptation. 

Marya thanks Julie for the book but says it will not bear good fruit, as opposed to traditional lessons from Scripture. She will stick to the Gospels & Epistles and submit to those principles. She warns against letting “our feeble minds” wander.

Marya acknowledges Vassily has called upon her father. She is not excited but regards marriage as a divine institution and is ready for the obligations if called upon to fulfill them. 

Marya describes her brother (Andrei) will be visiting, but will be headed off to War. She notes how war affected Smolensk, where one expects to find Nature’s peace.  She witnessed peasants from her estate being conscripted. She was horrified by mothers, wives and children watching their men go off to war. Humanity has forgotten He who preached love and forgiveness; and Marya can’t see how men ascribe the greatest merit to the art of killing.

As Marya finished her letter, Mlle. Bourienne interrupted, warning that her father was in a foul mood. Marya responds that she will not tolerate anyone critiquing him.