战争与和平(上)-第150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！


s；　come　to　…”　Berg；　went　on；　he　was　going　to　say　“to　dinner；”　but　on　second　thoughts　he　said　“to　tea；”　and　putting　out　his　tongue　he　blew　a　little　ring　of　tobacco　smoke　that　embodied　for　him　all　his　dreams　of　happiness。
The　first　feeling　of　hesitation　aroused　in　the　parents　by　Berg’s　proposal　had　been　followed　by　the　festivity　and　rejoicing　in　the　family　usual　on　such　occasions；　but　the　rejoicing　was　apparent　and　not　genuine。
A　certain　embarrassment　and　shamefacedness　could　be　detected　in　the　feelings　of　the　relations　in　regard　to　this　marriage。　It　was　as　though　their　conscience　smote　them　for　not　having　been　very　fond　of　Vera　and　of　being　so　ready　now　to　get　her　off　their　hands。　The　old　count　was　more　disconcerted　over　it　than　any　one。　He　would　most　likely　have　been　unable　to　say　what　made　him　feel　so；　but　his　financial　difficulties　were　at　the　root　of　the　matter。　He　absolutely　did　not　know　what　he　had；　how　much　his　debts　amounted　to；　and　what　he　would　be　in　a　position　to　give　for　Vera’s　dowry。　Each　of　his　daughters　had　at　their　birth　been　assigned　a　portion；　consisting　of　an　estate　with　three　hundred　serfs　on　it。　But　one　of　those　estates　had　by　now　been　sold；　and　the　other　had　been　mortgaged；　and　the　interest　was　so　much　in　arrears　that　it　would　have　to　be　sold；　so　that　to　give　this　estate　was　impossible。　There　was　no　money　either。
Berg　had　been　betrothed　more　than　a　month；　and　it　was　only　a　week　before　the　date　fixed　for　the　wedding；　but　the　count　was　still　unable　to　come　to　a　decision　on　the　subject　of　the　dowry；　and　had　not　spoken　of　it　to　his　wife。　At　one　time　the　count　thought　of　making　over　the　Ryazan　estate　to　Vera；　then　he　thought　of　selling　his　forest；　then　of　borrowing　money　on　a　note　of　hand。
A　few　days　before　the　wedding；　Berg　went　early　in　the　morning　into　the　count’s　study；　and　with　an　agreeable　smile；　respectfully　invited　his　father…in…law　to　let　him　know　what　fortune　would　be　given　with　the　Countess　Vera。　The　count　was　so　much　disconcerted　by　this　long…foreseen　inquiry　that；　without　thinking；　he　said　the　first　thing　that　came　into　his　head。
“I　like　your　being　businesslike　about　it；　I　like　it；　you　will　be　quite　satisfied…”
And　clapping　Berg　on　the　shoulder；　he　got　up；　intending　to　cut　short　the　conversation。　But　Berg；　smiling　blandly；　announced　that　if　he　were　not　to　know　for　certain　what　would　be　given　with　Vera；　and　to　receive　at　least　part　of　the　dowry　in　advance；　he　would　be　obliged　to　break　off　the　marriage。　“Because；　you　must　consider；　count；　if　I　were　to　allow　myself　to　marry　now　without　having　a　definite　security　for　the　maintenance　of　my　wife　I　should　be　acting　like　a　scoundrel…”
The　conversation　ended　by　the　count；　in　his　anxiety　to　be　generous　and　to　avoid　further　requests；　saying　that　he　would　give　him　a　note　of　hand　for　eighty　thousand。　Berg　smiled　gently；　kissed　the　count　on　the　shoulder；　and　said　that　he　was　very　grateful；　but　could　not　make　his　arrangements　in　his　new　life　without　receiving　thirty　thousand　in　ready　money。　“Twenty　thousand　at　least；　count；”　he　added；　“and　then　a　note　of　hand　simply　for　sixty　thousand。”
“Yes；　yes；　very　good；”　said　the　count　hurriedly。　“Only　excuse　me；　my　dear　boy；　I’ll　give　you　twenty　thousand　and　the　note　of　hand　for　eighty　thousand　as　well。　That’s　all　right；　kiss　me。”


Chapter　12
NATASHA　was　sixteen；　and　it　was　the　year　1809；　that　year　to　which　she　had　reckoned　up　on　her　fingers　with　Boris；　after　she　had　kissed　him　four　years　before。　Since　then　she　had　not　once　seen　him。　When　Boris　was　mentioned　she　would　speak　quite　freely　of　it　before　Sonya　and　her　mother；　treating　it　as　a　settled　thing　that　all　that　had　passed　between　them　was　childish　nonsense；　not　worth　talking　of　and　long　ago　forgotten。　But　in　the　most　secret　recesses　of　her　soul　the　question　whether　her　engagement　to　Boris　were　really　a　mere　jest　or　a　solemn；　binding　promise　worried　her。
Ever　since　Boris　had　left　Moscow　in　1805　to　go　into　the　army　he　had　not　once　seen　the　Rostovs。　Several　times　he　had　been　in　Moscow；　and　in　travelling　had　passed　not　far　from　Otradnoe；　but　he　had　not　once　been　at　the　Rostovs’。
It　had　sometimes　occurred　to　Natasha　that　he　did　not　want　to　see　her；　and　her　surmises　had　been　confirmed　by　the　mournful　tone　in　which　he　was　referred　to　by　her　elders。
“Old　friends　are　soon　forgotten　nowadays；”　the　countess　would　say　after　Boris　had　been　mentioned。
Anna　Mihalovna　had　taken　in　these　latter　days　to　seeing　less　of　the　Rostovs。　There　was　a　marked　dignity；　too；　in　her　manner　with　them；　and　she　spoke　on　every　occasion　with　thankfulness　and　enthusiasm　of　her　son’s　great　abilities　and　brilliant　career。　When　the　Rostovs　arrived　in　Petersburg　Boris　came　to　call　on　them。
It　was　not　without　emotion　that　he　came　to　see　them。　His　reminiscences　of　Natasha　were　Boris’s　most　poetic　memories。　But　at　the　same　time　he　came　to　call　on　them　firmly　resolved　to　make　her　and　her　relations　feel　that　the　childish　vows　between　Natasha　and　him　could　have　no　binding　force　for　her　or　for　him。　He　had　a　brilliant　position　in　society；　thanks　to　his　intimacy　with　Countess　Bezuhov；　a　brilliant　position　in　the　service；　thanks　to　the　protection　of　a　great　person　whose　confidence　he　had　completely　won；　and　he　was　beginning　to　make　plans　for　marrying　one　of　the　richest　heiresses　in　Petersburg；　plans　which　might　very　easily　be　realised。　When　Boris　went　into　the　Rostovs’　drawing…room；　Natasha　was　in　her　own　room。　On　hearing　of　his　arrival　she　almost　ran　with　a　flushed　face　into　the　drawing…room；　radiant　with　a　smile　that　was　more　than　cordial。
Boris　had　thought　of　Natasha　as　the　little　girl　he　had　known　four　years　before　in　a　short　frock；　with　black　eyes　glancing　under　her　curls；　and　a　desperate；　childish　giggle；　and　so；　when　a　quite　different　Natasha　came　in；　he　was　taken　aback　and　his　face　expressed　surprise　and　admiration。　His　expression　delighted　Natasha。
“Well；　would　you　know　your　mischievous　little　playmate？”　said　the　countess。　Boris　kissed　Natasha’s　hand；　and　said　he　was　surprised　at　the　change　in　her。
“How　pretty　you　have　grown！”
“I　should　hope　so！”　was　the　answer　in　Natasha’s　laughing　eyes。
“And　does　papa　look　older？”　she　asked。
Natasha　sat　still；　taking　no　part　in　the　talk　between　Boris　and　her　mother。　Silently　and　minutely　she　scrutinised　the　young　man　who　had　been　her　suitor　in　her　childhood。　He　felt　oppressed　by　that　persistent；　friendly　gaze；　and　glanced　once　or　twice　at　her。
The　uniform；　the　spurs；　the　tie；　the　way　Boris　had　brushed　his　hair；—it　was　all　fashionable　and　comme　il　faut。　That　Natasha　noticed　at　once。　He　sat　a　little　sideways　on　a　low　chair　beside　the　countess；　with　his　right　hand　smacking　the　exquisitely　clean　and　perfectly　fitting　glove　on　his　left。　He　talked　with　a　peculiar；　refined　compression　of　the　lips　about　the　divisions　of　the　best　society　in　Petersburg；　with　faint　irony　referred　to　old　days　in　Moscow　and　old　Moscow　acquaintances。　Not　unintentionally；　as　Natasha　felt；　he　mentioned　some　of　the　highest　aristocracy；　alluded　to　the　ambassador’s　ball；　at　which　he　had　been　present；　and　to　invitations　from　N。　N。　and　from　S。　S。
Natasha　sat　the　whole　time　without　speaking；　looking　up　from　under　her　brows　at　him。　Her　eyes　made　Boris　more　and　more　uneasy　and　embarrassed。　He　looked　round　more　frequently　at　Natasha；　and　broke　off　in　his　sentences。　After　staying　no　more　than　ten　minutes　he　got　up　and　took　leave。　Still　the　same　curious；　challenging；　and　rather　ironical　eyes　gazed　at　him。　After　his　first　visit；　Boris　said　to　himself　that　Natasha　was　as　attractive　to　him　as　she　had　been　in　the　past；　but　that　he　must　not　give　way　to　his　feelings；　because　to　marry　her—a　girl　almost　without　fortune—would　be　the　ruin　of　his　career；　and　to　renew　their　old　relations　without　any　intention　of　marriage　would　be　dishonourable。　Boris　resolved　to　avoid　meeting　Natasha；　but　in　spite　of　this　resolution　he　came　a　few　days　later；　and　began　to　come　often；　and　to　spend　whole　days　at　the　Rostovs’。　He　fancied　that　it　was　essential　for　him　to　have　a　frank　explanation　with　Natasha；　to　tell　her　that　all　the　past　must　be　forgotten；　that　in　spite　of　everything…she　could　not　be　his　wife；　that　he　had　no　means；　and　that　they　would　never　consent　to　her　marrying　him。　B