With their village elder, Dron, at their head, the rebellious-tempered peasants meet with Princess Marya. They refuse her enslavement, they say, and will neither accept her grain nor accompany her to Moscow. Sternly repeating her orders to Dron to provide horses and carts, Princess Marya retires.
Meantime Rostov and Ilyin gallop merrily to Bogutcharovo, which lies between the two hostile camps. Nikolay hopes to provide provisions for his men before the French reach this place. Alpatitch runs out to the horsemen, begging their help. The peasants are all drunk, he says, and they prevent the mistress from leaving the house.
Angrily Rostov summons the village elder to bring him the leader of the rebellion. Humbled by his authority, the peasants contritely set to work packing and loading the carts. Nikolay's first meeting with Princess Marya is thus tinged with the romance of a rescuing hero and a lady in distress. She is grateful to him, and the expression of her large luminous eyes makes her appear beautiful and noble.
Their meeting impresses them both, with Princess Marya suddenly realizing she has fallen in love with a man whom she may never see again. For his part, Nikolay carries the agreeable impression of her charm, beauty, and soulfulness, realizing as well that her enormous fortune alone recommends her as a suitable wife for him. He wishes he could recall his written promise to Sonya.
