Nicholas，thoughhehadneverseenIlagin，withhisusualabsenceofmoderationinjudgment，hatedhimcordiallyfromreportsofhisarbitrarinessandviolence，andregardedhimashisbitterestfoe。
Herodeinangryagitationtowardhim，firmlygraspinghiswhipandfullypreparedtotakethemostresoluteanddesperatestepstopunishhisenemy。
Hardlyhadhepassedanangleofthewoodbeforeastoutgentlemaninabeavercapcameridingtowardhimonahandsomeraven—blackhorse，accompaniedbytwohuntservants。
Insteadofanenemy，NicholasfoundinIlaginastatelyandcourteousgentlemanwhowasparticularlyanxioustomaketheyoungcount’sacquaintance。HavingriddenuptoNicholas，Ilaginraisedhisbeavercapandsaidhemuchregrettedwhathadoccurredandwouldhavethemanpunishedwhohadallowedhimselftoseizeafoxhuntedbysomeoneelse’sborzois。Hehopedtobecomebetteracquaintedwiththecountandinvitedhimtodrawhiscovert。
Natasha，afraidthatherbrotherwoulddosomethingdreadful，hadfollowedhiminsomeexcitement。Seeingtheenemiesexchangingfriendlygreetings，sherodeuptothem。IlaginliftedhisbeavercapstillhighertoNatashaandsaid，withapleasantsmile，thattheyoungcountessresembledDianainherpassionforthechaseaswellasinherbeauty，ofwhichhehadheardmuch。