战争与和平(上)-第166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！


position。）　“No；　I　beg　you　to　go　into　things。　I　am　old。　I…”
“No；　papa；　forgive　me　if　I　have　done　what　you　dislike。　I　know　less　about　it　than　you　do。”
“Damn　them　all；　these　peasants；　and　money　matters　and　double　entries；”　he　thought。　“I　used　once　to　understand　scoring　at　cards；　but　bookkeeping　by　the　double　entry　is　quite　beyond　me；”　he　said　to　himself；　and　from　that　time　he　did　not　meddle　further　with　the　management　of　the　family　affairs。　But　one　day　the　countess　called　her　son　into　her　room；　told　him　that　she　had　a　promissory　note　from　Anna　Mihalovna　for　two　thousand　roubles；　and　asked　Nikolay　what　he　thought　it　best　to　do　about　it。
“Well；”　answered　Nikolay；　“you　say　that　it　rests　with　me。　I　don’t　like　Anna　Mihalovna；　and　I　don’t　like　Boris；　but　they　were　our　friends；　and　they　were　poor。　So　that’s　what　I　would　do！”　and　he　tore　up　the　note　and　by　so　doing　made　the　countess　sob　with　tears　of　joy。　After　this；　young　Rostov　took　no　further　part　in　business　of　any　sort；　but　devoted　himself　with　passionate　interest　to　everything　to　do　with　the　chase；　which　was　kept　up　on　a　great　scale　on　the　old　count’s　estate。


Chapter　3
WINTRY　WEATHER　was　already　setting　in；　the　morning　frosts　hardened　the　earth　drenched　by　the　autumn　rains。　Already　the　grass　was　full　of　tufts；　and　stood　out　bright　green　against　the　patches　of　brown　winter　cornland　trodden　by　the　cattle；　and　the　pale　yellow　stubble　of　the　summer　cornfields；　and　the　reddish　strips　of　buckwheat。　The　uplands　and　copses；　which　at　the　end　of　August　had　still　been　green　islands　among　the　black　fields　ploughed　ready　for　winter　corn；　and　the　stubble　had　become　golden　and　lurid　red　islands　in　a　sea　of　bright　green　autumn　crops。　The　grey　hare　had　already　half…changed　its　coat；　the　foxes’　cubs　were　beginning　to　leave　their　parents；　and　the　young　wolves　were　bigger　than　dogs。　It　was　the　best　time　of　the　year　for　the　chase。　The　dogs　of　an　ardent　young　sportsman　like　Rostov　were　only　just　coming　into　fit　state　for　hunting；　so　that　at　a　common　council　of　the　huntsmen　it　was　decided　to　give　the　dogs　three　days’　rest；　and　on　the　16th　of　September　to　go　off　on　a　hunting　expedition；　beginning　with　Dubravy；　where　there　was　a　litter　of　wolves　that　had　never　been　hunted。
Such　was　the　position　of　affairs　on　the　14th　of　September。
All　that　day　the　dogs　were　kept　at　home。　It　was　keen　and　frosty　weather；　but　towards　evening　the　sky　clouded　over　and　it　began　to　thaw。　On　the　morning　of　the　15th　of　September　when　young　Rostov　in　his　dressing…gown　looked　out　of　window　he　saw　a　morning　which　was　all　the　heart　could　desire　for　hunting。　It　looked　as　though　the　sky　were　melting；　and　without　the　slightest　wind；　sinking　down　upon　the　earth。　The　only　movement　in　the　air　was　the　soft　downward　motion　of　microscopic　drops　of　moisture　or　mist。　The　bare　twigs　in　the　garden　were　hung　with　transparent　drops　which　dripped　on　to　the　freshly　fallen　leaves。　The　earth　in　the　kitchen…garden　had　a　gleaming；　wet；　black　look　like　the　centre　of　a　poppy；　and　at　a　short　distance　away　it　melted　off　into　the　damp；　dim　veil　of　fog。
Nikolay　went　out　on　to　the　wet　and　muddy　steps。　There　was　a　smell　of　decaying　leaves　and　dogs。　The　broad…backed；　black　and　tan　bitch　Milka；　with　her　big；　prominent；　black　eyes；　caught　sight　of　her　master；　got　up；　stretched　out　her　hindlegs；　lay　down　like　a　hare；　then　suddenly　jumped　up　and　licked　him　right　on　his　nose　and　moustache。　Another　harrier；　catching　sight　of　his　master　from　the　bright　coloured　path；　arched　its　back；　darted　headlong　to　the　steps；　and；　lifting　its　tail；　rubbed　itself　against　Nikolay’s　legs。
“O；　hoy！”　He　heard　at　that　moment　the　inimitable　hunting　halloo　which　unites　the　deepest　bass　and　the　shrillest　tenor　notes。　And　round　the　corner　came　the　huntsman　and　whipper…in；　Danilo；　a　grey；　wrinkled　man；　with　his　hair　cropped　round　in　the　Ukrainian　fashion。　He　held　a　bent　whip　in　his　hand；　and　his　face　had　that　expression　of　independence　and　scorn　for　everything　in　the　world；　which　is　only　to　be　seen　in　huntsmen。　He　took　off　his　Circassian　cap　to　his　master　and　looked　scornfully　at　him。　That　scorn　was　not　offensive　to　his　master。　Nikolay　knew　that　this　Danilo；　disdainful　of　all；　and　superior　to　everything；　was　still　his　man　and　his　huntsman。
“Danilo；”　said　Nikolay；　at　the　sight　of　this　hunting　weather；　those　dogs；　and　the　huntsman；　feeling　shyly　that　he　was　being　carried　away　by　that　irresistible　sporting　passion　in　which　a　man　forgets　all　his　previous　intentions；　like　a　man　in　love　at　the　sight　of　his　mistress。
“What　is　your　bidding；　your　excellency？”　asked　a　bass　voice；　fit　for　a　head　deacon；　and　hoarse　from　hallooing；　and　a　pair　of　flashing　black　eyes　glanced　up　from　under　their　brows　at　the　silent　young　master。　“Surely　you　can’t　resist　it？”　those　two　eyes　seemed　to　be　asking。
“It’s　a　good　day；　eh？　Just　right　for　riding　and　hunting；　eh？”　said　Nikolay；　scratching　Milka　behind　the　ears。
Danilo　winked　and　made　no　reply。
“I　sent　Uvarka　out　to　listen　at　daybreak；”　his　bass　boomed　out　after　a　moment’s　silence。　“He　brought　word　she’s　moved　into　the　Otradnoe　enclosure；　there　was　howling　there。”　（“She’s　moved”　meant　that　the　mother　wolf；　of　whom　both　knew；　had　moved　with　her　cubs　into　the　Otradnoe　copse；　which　was　a　small　hunting　preserve　about　two　versts　away。）
“Shouldn’t　we　go；　eh？”　said　Nikolay。　“Come　to　me　with　Uvarka。”
“As　you　desire。”
“Then　put　off　feeding　them。”
“Yes；　sir！”
Five　minutes　later　Danilo　and　Uvarka　were　standing　in　Nikolay’s　big　study。　Although　Danilo　was　not　tall；　to　see　him　in　a　room　gave　one　an　impression　such　as　one　has　on　seeing　a　horse　or　bear　standing　on　the　floor　among　the　furniture　and　surroundings　of　human　life。　Danilo　felt　this　himself；　and　as　usual　he　kept　close　to　the　door　and　tried　to　speak　more　softly；　and　not　to　move　for　fear　of　causing　some　breakage　in　the　master’s　apartments。　He　did　his　utmost　to　get　everything　said　quickly　so　as　to　get　as　soon　as　might　be　out　into　the　open　again；　from　under　a　ceiling　out　under　the　sky。
After　making　inquiries　and　extracting　from　Danilo　an　admission　that　the　dogs　were　fit　（Danilo　himself　was　longing　to　go）；　Nikolay　told　them　to　have　the　horses　saddled。　But　just　as　Danilo　was　about　to　go；　Natasha；　wrapped　in　a　big　shawl　of　her　old　nurse’s；　ran　into　the　room；　not　yet　dressed；　and　her　hair　in　disorder。　Petya　ran　in　with　her。
“Are　you　going？”　said　Natasha。　“I　knew　you　would！　Sonya　said　you　weren’t　going。　I　knew　that　on　such　a　day　you　couldn’t　help　going！”
“Yes；　we’re　going；”　Nikolay　answered　reluctantly。　As　he　meant　to　attempt　serious　hunting　he　did　not　want　to　take　Natasha　and　Petya。　“We　are　going；　but　only　wolf…hunting；　it　will　be　dull　for　you。”
“You　know　that　it’s　the　greatest　of　my　pleasures；”　said　Natasha。　“It’s　too　bad—he’s　going　himself；　has　ordered　the　horses　out　and　not　a　word　to　us。”
“No　hindrance　bars　a　Russian’s　path！”　declaimed　Petya；　“let’s　go！”
“But　you　mustn’t；　you　know；　mamma　said　you　were　not　to；”　said　Nikolay　to　Natasha。
“No；　I’m　going；　I　must　go；”　said　Natasha　stoutly。　“Danilo；　bid　them　saddle　my　horse；　and　tell　Mihailo　to　come　with　my　leash；”　she　said　to　the　huntsman。
Simply　to　be　in　a　room　seemed　irksome　and　unfitting　to　Danilo；　but　to　have　anything　to　do　with　a　young　lady　he　felt　to　be　utterly　impossible。　He　cast　down　his　eyes　and　made　haste　to　get　away；　making　as　though　it　were　no　affair　of　his；　and　trying　to　avoid　accidentally　doing　some　hurt　to　the　young　lady。


Chapter　4
THE　OLD　COUNT；　whose　hunting　establishment　had　always　been　kept　up　on　a　large　scale；　had　now　handed　it　all　over　to　his　son’s　care；　but　on　that　day；　the　15th　of　September；　being　in　excellent　spirits　he　prepared　to　join　the　expedition。　Within　an　hour　the　whole　party　was　before　the　porch。　When　Natasha　and　Petya　said　something　to　Nikolay　he　walked　by　them　with　a　stern　and　serious　air；　betokening　that　he　had　no　time　to　waste　on　trifles。　He　looked　over　everything　to　do　with　the　hunt；　sent　a　pack　of　hounds　and　huntsmen　on　ahead　to　cut　off　the　wolf　from　behind；　got　on　his　chestnut　Don　horse；　and　whistling　to　the　dogs　of　his　leash；　he　set　off　across　the　threshing…floor　to　the　field　leading　to　the　Otradnoe　preserve。　The　old　count’s　horse；　a