War & Peace Podnotes, A Study Guide

Pierre was stewing over his wife’s perceived infidelity with Dolokhov, who was sitting right across from him at the celebration for Bagration. As too often of late, Pierre was a glutton - eating and drinking in excess. He sensed what marrying into the Kuragin family would devolve into -- but could not resist that Siren’s call of Hélène.   Pierre’s suspicions were roused by rumor as well as an anonymous letter informing him that his wife’s connection with Dolokhov was a secret to no one but himself.  Pierre reflects while others give toasts. He recalled how Dolokhov arrived from Austerlitz, injured and need of a place to recover; and how he housed him and lent him money.   It now made sense as to why Dolokhov would so often praise Hélène’s beauty. He senses Dolohkov gets a kick out of cuckolding him. He sees Dolokhov wearing a familiar & sadistic look,  such as when he tied a policeman to the bear in Petersburg or when he shot some mail-carrier’s horse.  Pierre considered, “to kill a man means nothing