first epilogue-第6章

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looked　at　the　princess。　She　still　sat　motionless　with　a　look　of

suffering　on　her　gentle　face。　He　suddenly　felt　sorry　for　her　and　was

vaguely　conscious　that　he　might　be　the　cause　of　the　sadness　her　face

expressed。　He　wished　to　help　her　and　say　something　pleasant；　but　could

think　of　nothing　to　say。

　　〃Good…by；　Princess！〃　said　he。

　　She　started；　flushed；　and　sighed　deeply。

　　〃Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon；〃　she　said　as　if　waking　up。　〃Are　you　going

already；　Count？　Well　then；　good…by！　Oh；　but　the　cushion　for　the

countess！〃

　　〃Wait　a　moment；　I'll　fetch　it；〃　said　Mademoiselle　Bourienne；　and　she

left　the　room。

　　They　both　sat　silent；　with　an　occasional　glance　at　one　another。

　　〃Yes；　Princess；〃　said　Nicholas　at　last　with　a　sad　smile；　〃it　doesn't

seem　long　ago　since　we　first　met　at　Bogucharovo；　but　how　much　water

has　flowed　since　then！　In　what　distress　we　all　seemed　to　be　then；

yet　I　would　give　much　to　bring　back　that　time。。。　but　there's　no

bringing　it　back。〃

　　Princess　Mary　gazed　intently　into　his　eyes　with　her　own　luminous

ones　as　he　said　this。　She　seemed　to　be　trying　to　fathom　the　hidden

meaning　of　his　words　which　would　explain　his　feeling　for　her。

　　〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　she；　〃but　you　have　no　reason　to　regret　the　past；

Count。　As　I　understand　your　present　life；　I　think　you　will　always

recall　it　with　satisfaction；　because　the　self…sacrifice　that　fills

it　now。。。〃

　　〃I　cannot　accept　your　praise；〃　he　interrupted　her　hurriedly。　〃On　the

contrary　I　continually　reproach　myself。。。。　But　this　is　not　at　all　an

interesting　or　cheerful　subject。〃

　　His　face　again　resumed　its　former　stiff　and　cold　expression。　But　the

princess　had　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　man　she　had　known　and　loved；

and　it　was　to　him　that　she　now　spoke。

　　〃I　thought　you　would　allow　me　to　tell　you　this；〃　she　said。　〃I　had

come　so　near　to　you。。。　and　to　all　your　family　that　I　thought　you　would

not　consider　my　sympathy　misplaced；　but　I　was　mistaken；〃　and

suddenly　her　voice　trembled。　〃I　don't　know　why；〃　she　continued；

recovering　herself；　〃but　you　used　to　be　different；　and。。。〃

　　〃There　are　a　thousand　reasons　why；〃　laying　special　emphasis　on　the

why。　〃Thank　you；　Princess；〃　he　added　softly。　〃Sometimes　it　is　hard。〃

　　〃So　that's　why！　That's　why！〃　a　voice　whispered　in　Princess　Mary's

soul。　〃No；　it　was　not　only　that　gay；　kind；　and　frank　look；　not　only

that　handsome　exterior；　that　I　loved　in　him。　I　divined　his　noble；

resolute；　self…sacrificing　spirit　too；〃　she　said　to　herself。　〃Yes；

he　is　poor　now　and　I　am　rich。。。。　Yes；　that's　the　only　reason。。。。

Yes；　were　it　not　for　that。。。〃　And　remembering　his　former　tenderness；

and　looking　now　at　his　kind；　sorrowful　face；　she　suddenly　understood

the　cause　of　his　coldness。

　　〃But　why；　Count；　why？〃　she　almost　cried；　unconsciously　moving　closer

to　him。　〃Why？　Tell　me。　You　must　tell　me！〃

　　He　was　silent。

　　〃I　don't　understand　your　why；　Count；〃　she　continued；　〃but　it's

hard　for　me。。。　I　confess　it。　For　some　reason　you　wish　to　deprive　me　of

our　former　friendship。　And　that　hurts　me。〃　There　were　tears　in　her

eyes　and　in　her　voice。　〃I　have　had　so　little　happiness　in　life　that

every　loss　is　hard　for　me　to　bear。。。。　Excuse　me；　good…by！〃　and

suddenly　she　began　to　cry　and　was　hurrying　from　the　room。

　　〃Princess；　for　God's　sake！〃　he　exclaimed；　trying　to　stop　her。

〃Princess！〃

　　She　turned　round。　For　a　few　seconds　they　gazed　silently　into　one

another's　eyes…　and　what　had　seemed　impossible　and　remote　suddenly

became　possible；　inevitable；　and　very　near。

EP1｜CH7

　　CHAPTER　VII



　　In　the　winter　of　1813　Nicholas　married　Princess　Mary　and　moved　to

Bald　Hills　with　his　wife；　his　mother；　and　Sonya。

　　Within　four　years　he　had　paid　off　all　his　remaining　debts　without

selling　any　of　his　wife's　property；　and　having　received　a　small

inheritance　on　the　death　of　a　cousin　he　paid　his　debt　to　Pierre　as

well。

　　In　another　three　years；　by　1820；　he　had　so　managed　his　affairs

that　he　was　able　to　buy　a　small　estate　adjoining　Bald　Hills　and　was

negotiating　to　buy　back　Otradnoe…　that　being　his　pet　dream。

　　Having　started　farming　from　necessity；　he　soon　grew　so　devoted　to　it

that　it　became　his　favorite　and　almost　his　sole　occupation。　Nicholas

was　a　plain　farmer：　he　did　not　like　innovations；　especially　the

English　ones　then　coming　into　vogue。　He　laughed　at　theoretical

treatises　on　estate　management；　disliked　factories；　the　raising　of

expensive　products；　and　the　buying　of　expensive　seed　corn；　and　did　not

make　a　hobby　of　any　particular　part　of　the　work　on　his　estate。　He

always　had　before　his　mind's　eye　the　estate　as　a　whole　and　not　any

particular　part　of　it。　The　chief　thing　in　his　eyes　was　not　the

nitrogen　in　the　soil；　nor　the　oxygen　in　the　air；　nor　manures；　nor

special　plows；　but　that　most　important　agent　by　which　nitrogen；

oxygen；　manure；　and　plow　were　made　effective…　the　peasant　laborer。

When　Nicholas　first　began　farming　and　began　to　understand　its

different　branches；　it　was　the　serf　who　especially　attracted　his

attention。　The　peasant　seemed　to　him　not　merely　a　tool；　but　also　a

judge　of　farming　and　an　end　in　himself。　At　first　he　watched　the　serfs；

trying　to　understand　their　aims　and　what　they　considered　good　and　bad；

and　only　pretended　to　direct　them　and　give　orders　while　in　reality

learning　from　them　their　methods；　their　manner　of　speech；　and　their

judgment　of　what　was　good　and　bad。　Only　when　he　had　understood　the

peasants'　tastes　and　aspirations；　had　learned　to　talk　their

language；　to　grasp　the　hidden　meaning　of　their　words；　and　felt　akin　to

them　did　he　begin　boldly　to　manage　his　serfs；　that　is；　to　perform

toward　them　the　duties　demanded　of　him。　And　Nicholas'　management

produced　very　brilliant　results。

　　Guided　by　some　gift　of　insight；　on　taking　up　the　management　of　the

estates　he　at　once　unerringly　appointed　as　bailiff；　village　elder；　and

delegate；　the　very　men　the　serfs　would　themselves　have　chosen　had　they

had　the　right　to　choose；　and　these　posts　never　changed　hands。　Before

analyzing　the　properties　of　manure；　before　entering　into　the　debit　and

credit　（as　he　ironically　called　it）；　he　found　out　how　many　cattle

the　peasants　had　and　increased　the　number　by　all　possible　means。　He

kept　the　peasant　families　together　in　the　largest　groups　possible；　not

allowing　the　family　groups　to　divide　into　separate　households。　He

was　hard　alike　on　the　lazy；　the　depraved；　and　the　weak；　and　tried　to

get　them　expelled　from　the　commune。

　　He　was　as　careful　of　the　sowing　and　reaping　of　the　peasants'　hay　and

corn　as　of　his　own；　and　few　landowners　had　their　crops　sown　and

harvested　so　early　and　so　well；　or　got　so　good　a　return；　as　did

Nicholas。

　　He　disliked　having　anything　to　do　with　the　domestic　serfs…　the

〃drones〃　as　he　called　them…　and　everyone　said　he　spoiled　them　by　his

laxity。　When　a　decision　had　to　be　taken　regarding　a　domestic　serf；

especially　if　one　had　to　be　punished；　he　always　felt　undecided　and

consulted　everybody　in　the　house；　but　when　it　was　possible　to　have　a

domestic　serf　conscripted　instead　of　a　land　worker　he　did　so　without

the　least　hesitation。　He　never　felt　any　hesitation　in　dealing　with　the

peasants。　He　knew　that　his　every　decision　would　be　approved　by　them

all　with　very　few　exceptions。

　　He　did　not　allow　himself　either　to　be　hard　on　or　punish　a　man；　or　to

make　things　easy　for　or　reward　anyone；　merely　because　he　felt　inclined

to　do　so。　He　could　not　have　said　by　what　standard　he　judged　what　he

should　or　should　not　do；　but　the　standard　was　quite　firm　and

definite　in　his　own　mind。

　　Often；　speaking　with　vexation　of　some　failure　or　irregularity；　he

would　say：　〃What　can　one　do　with　our　Russian　peasants？〃　and　imagined

that　he　could　not　bear　them。

　　Yet　he　loved　〃our　Russian　peasants〃　and　their　way　of　life　with　his

whole　soul；　and　for　that　very　reason　had　understood　and　assimilated

the　one　way　and　manner　of　farming　which　produced　good　results。

　　Countess　Mary　was　jealous　of　this　passion　of　her　husband's　and

regretted　that　she　could　not　share