战争与和平(上)-第126章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　from　his　father。　In　general　outlines　he　was　vaguely　aware　of　the　following　budget。　About　eighty　thousand　was　being　paid　into　the　Land　Bank　as　interest　on　mortgages　on　his　estates。　About　thirty　thousand　went　to　the　maintenance　of　his　estate　in　the　suburbs　of　Moscow；　his　Moscow　house；　and　his　cousins　the　princesses。　About　fifteen　thousand　were　given　in　pensions；　and　as　much　more　to　benevolent　institutions。　One　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　were　sent　to　his　countess；　for　her　maintenance。　Some　seventy　thousand　were　paid　away　as　interest　on　debts。　The　building　of　a　new　church　had　for　the　last　two　years　been　costing　about　ten　thousand。　The　remainder—some　one　hundred　thousand—was　spent—he　hardly　knew　how—and　almost　every　year　he　was　forced　to　borrow。　Moreover　every　year　the　head　steward　wrote　to　him　of　conflagrations；　or　failures　of　crops；　or　of　the　necessity　of　rebuilding　factories　or　workshops。　And　so　the　first　duty　with　which　Pierre　was　confronted　was　the　one　for　which　he　had　the　least　capacity　and　inclination—attention　to　practical　business。
Every　day　Pierre　went　into　things　with　the　head　steward。　But　he　felt　that　what　he　was　doing　did　not　advance　matters　one　inch。　He　felt　that　all　he　did　was　quite　apart　from　the　reality；　that　his　efforts　had　no　grip　on　the　business；　and　would　not　set　it　in　progress。　On　one　side　the　head　steward　put　matters　in　their　worst　light；　proving　to　Pierre　the　necessity　of　paying　his　debts；　and　entering　upon　new　undertakings　with　the　labour　of　his　serf　peasants；　to　which　Pierre　would　not　agree。　On　the　other　side；　Pierre　urged　their　entering　upon　the　work　of　liberation；　to　which　the　head　steward　objected　the　necessity　of　first　paying　off　the　loans　from　the　Land　Bank；　and　the　consequent　impossibility　of　haste　in　the　matter。　The　head　steward　did　not　say　that　this　was　utterly　impossible；　he　proposed　as　the　means　for　attaining　this　object；　the　sale　of　the　forests　in　the　Kostroma　province；　the　sale　of　the　lands　on　the　lower　Volga；　and　of　the　Crimean　estate。　But　all　these　operations　were　connected　in　the　head　steward’s　talk　with　such　a　complexity　of　processes；　the　removal　of　certain　prohibitory　clauses；　the　obtaining　of　certain　permissions；　and　so　on；　that　Pierre　lost　the　thread；　and　could　only　say：　“Yes；　yes；　do　so　then。”
Pierre　had　none　of　that　practical　tenacity；　which　would　have　made　it　possible　for　him　to　undertake　the　business　himself；　and　so　he　did　not　like　it；　and　only　tried　to　keep　up　a　pretence　of　going　into　business　before　the　head　steward。　The　steward　too　kept　up　a　pretence　before　the　count　of　regarding　his　participation　in　it　as　of　great　use　to　his　master；　and　a　great　inconvenience　to　himself。
In　Kiev　he　had　acquaintances：　persons　not　acquaintances　made　haste　to　become　so；　and　gave　a　warm　welcome　to　the　young　man　of　fortune；　the　largest　landowner　of　the　province；　who　had　come　into　their　midst。　The　temptations　on　the　side　of　Pierre’s　besetting　weakness；　the　one　to　which　he　had　given　the　first　place　at　his　initiation　into　the　lodge；　were　so　strong　that　he　could　not　resist　them。　Again　whole　days；　weeks；　and　months　of　his　life　were　busily　filled　up　with　parties；　dinners；　breakfasts；　and　balls；　giving　him　as　little　time　to　think　as　at　Petersburg。　Instead　of　the　new　life　Pierre　had　hoped　to　lead；　he　was　living　just　the　same　old　life　only　in　different　surroundings。
Of　the　three　precepts　of　freemasonry；　Pierre　had　to　admit　that　he　had　not　fulfilled　that　one　which　prescribes　for　every　mason　the　duty　of　being　a　model　of　moral　life；　and　of　the　seven　virtues　he　was　entirely　without　two—morality　and　love　of　death。　He　comforted　himself　by　reflecting　that；　on　the　other　hand；　he　was　fulfilling　the　other　precept—the　improvement　of　the　human　race；　and　had　other　virtues；　love　for　his　neighbour　and　liberality。
In　the　spring　of　1807；　Pierre　made　up　his　mind　to　go　back　again　to　Petersburg。　On　the　way　back　he　intended　to　make　the　tour　of　all　his　estates；　and　to　ascertain　personally　what　had　been　done　of　what　had　been　prescribed　by　him；　and　in　what　position　the　people　now　were　who　had　been　entrusted　to　him　by　God；　and　whom　he　had　been　striving　to　benefit。
The　head　steward；　who　regarded　all　the　young　count’s　freaks　as　almost　insanity—disastrous　to　him；　to　himself；　and　to　his　peasants—made　concessions　to　his　weaknesses。　While　continuing　to　represent　the　liberation　of　his　serfs　as　impracticable；　he　made　arrangements　on　all　his　estates　for　the　building　of　schools；　hospitals；　and　asylums　on　a　large　scale　to　be　begun　ready　for　the　master’s　visit；　prepared　everywhere　for　him　to　be　met；　not　with　ceremonious　processions；　which　he　knew　would　not　be　to　Pierre’s　taste；　but　with　just　the　devotionally　grateful　welcomes；　with　holy　images　and　bread　and　salt；　such　as　would；　according　to　his　understanding　of　the　count；　impress　him　and　delude　him。
The　southern　spring；　the　easy；　rapid　journey　in　his　Vienna　carriage　and　the　solitude　of　the　road；　had　a　gladdening　influence　on　Pierre。　The　estates；　which　he　had　not　before　visited；　were　one　more　picturesque　than　the　other；　the　peasantry　seemed　everywhere　thriving；　and　touchingly　grateful　for　the　benefits　conferred　on　them。　Everywhere　he　was　met　by　welcomes；　which　though　they　embarrassed　Pierre；　yet　at　the　bottom　of　his　heart　rejoiced　him。　At　one　place　the　peasants　had　brought　him　bread　and　salt　and　the　images　of　Peter　and　Paul；　and　begged　permission　in　honour　of　his　patron　saints；　Peter　and　Paul；　and　in　token　of　love　and　gratitude　for　the　benefits　conferred　on　them；　to　erect　at　their　own　expense　a　new　chapel　in　the　church。　At　another　place　he　was　welcomed　by　women　with　babies　in　their　arms；　who　came　to　thank　him　for　being　released　from　the　obligation　of　heavy　labour。　In　a　third　place　he　was　met　by　a　priest　with　a　cross；　surrounded　by　children；　whom　by　the　favour　of　the　count　he　was　instructing　in　reading　and　writing　and　religion。　On　all　his　estates　Pierre　saw　with　his　own　eyes　stone　buildings　erected；　or　in　course　of　erection；　all　on　one　plan；　hospitals；　schools；　and　almshouses；　which　were　in　short　time　to　be　opened。　Everywhere　Pierre　saw　the　steward’s　reckoning　of　service　due　to　him　diminished　in　comparison　with　the　past；　and　heard　touching　thanks　for　what　was　remitted　from　deputations　of　peasants　in　blue；　full…skirted　coats。
But　Pierre　did　not　know　that　where　they　brought　him　bread　and　salt　and　were　building　a　chapel　of　Peter　and　Paul　there　was　a　trading　village；　and　a　fair　on　St。　Peter’s　day；　that　the　chapel　had　been　built　long　ago　by　wealthy　peasants　of　the　village；　and　that　nine…tenths　of　the　peasants　of　that　village　were　in　the　utmost　destitution。　He　did　not　know　that　since　by　his　orders　nursing　mothers　were　not　sent　to　work　on　their　master’s　land；　those　same　mothers　did　even　harder　work　on　their　own　bit　of　land。　He　did　not　know　that　the　priest　who　met　him　with　the　cross　oppressed　the　peasants　with　his　exactions；　and　that　the　pupils　gathered　around　him　were　yielded　up　to　him　with　tears　and　redeemed　for　large　sums　by　their　parents。　He　did　not　know　that　the　stone　buildings　were　being　raised　by　his　labourers；　and　increased　the　forced　labour　of　his　peasants；　which　was　only　less　upon　paper。　He　did　not　know　that　where　the　steward　pointed　out　to　him　in　the　account　book　the　reduction　of　rent　to　one…third　in　accordance　with　his　will；　the　labour　exacted　had　been　raised　by　one　half。　And　so　Pierre　was　enchanted　by　his　journey　over　his　estates；　and　came　back　completely　to　the　philanthropic　frame　of　mind　in　which　he　had　left　Petersburg；　and　wrote　enthusiastic　letters　to　his　preceptor　and　brother；　as　he　called　the　grand　master。
“How　easy　it　is；　how　little　effort　is　needed　to　do　so　much　good；”　thought　Pierre；　“and　how　little　we　trouble　ourselves　to　do　it！”
He　was　happy　at　the　gratitude　shown　him；　but　abashed　at　receiving　it。　That　gratitude　reminded　him　how　much　more　he　could　do　for　those　simple；　good…hearted　people。
The　head　steward；　a　very　stupid　and　crafty　man；　who　thoroughly　understood　the　clever　and　na？ve　count；　and　played　with　him　like　a　toy；　seeing　the　effect　produced　on　Pierre　by　these　carefully　arranged　receptions；　was　bolder　in　advancing　arguments　to　prove　the　impossibility；　and　even　more；　the　uselessness　of　liberating　the　peasants；　who　were　so　perfectly　happy　without　that