战争与和平(上)-第185章

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ing　her　father’s　hostile　attitude　to　her。　She　did　not　even　notice　the　marked　attention　and　amiability　shown　her　during　the　whole　of　dinner　by　Drubetskoy；　who　was　that　day　paying　them　his　third　visit。
Princess　Marya　turned　with　an　absent…minded；　questioning　glance　to　Pierre；　who；　with　a　smile　on　his　face；　came　up　to　her；　hat　in　hand；　the　last　of　the　guests；　after　the　prince　had　gone　out；　and　they　were　left　alone　together　in　the　drawing…room。
“Can　I　stay　a　little　longer？”　he　said；　dropping　his　bulky　person　into　a　low　chair　beside　Princess　Marya。
“Oh；　yes；”　she　said。　“You　noticed　nothing？”　her　eyes　asked。
Pierre　was　in　an　agreeable；　after…dinner　mood。　He　looked　straight　before　him　and　smiled　softly。　“Have　you　known　that　young　man　long；　princess？”　he　said。
“Which　one？”
“Drubetskoy。”
“No；　not　long。…”
“Well；　do　you　like　him？”
“Yes；　he’s　a　very　agreeable　young　man。　Why　do　you　ask　me？”　said　Princess　Marya；　still　thinking　of　her　conversation　in　the　morning　with　her　father。
“Because　I　have　observed；　that　when　a　young　man　comes　from　Petersburg　to　Moscow　on　leave；　it　is　invariably　with　the　object　of　marrying　an　heiress。”
“Have　you　observed　that？”　said　Princess　Marya。
“Yes；”　Pierre　went　on　with　a　smile；　“and　that　young　man　now　manages　matters　so　that　wherever　there　are　wealthy　heiresses—there　he　is　to　be　found。　I　can　read　him　like　a　book。　He　is　hesitating　now　which　to　attack；　you　or　Mademoiselle　Julie　Karagin。　He　is　very　attentive　to　her。”
“Does　he　visit　them？”
“Yes；　very　often。　And　do　you　know　the　new…fashioned　method　of　courting？”　said　Pierre；　smiling　good…humouredly；　and　obviously　feeling　in　that　light…hearted　mood　of　good…natured　irony；　for　which　he　had　so　often　reproached　himself　in　his　diary。
“No；”　said　Princess　Marya。
“To　please　the　Moscow　girls　nowadays　one　has　to　be　melancholy。　He　is　very　melancholy　with　Mademoiselle　Karagin；”　said　Pierre。
“Really！”　said　Princess　Marya；　looking　at　the　kindly　face　of　Pierre；　and　thinking　all　the　time　of　her　own　trouble。　“It　would　ease　my　heart；”　she　was　thinking；　“if　I　could　make　up　my　mind　to　confide　all　I　am　feeling　to　some　one。　And　it　is　just　Pierre　I　should　like　to　tell　it　all　to。　He　is　so　kind　and　generous。　It　would　ease　my　heart。　He　would　give　me　advice。”
“Would　you　marry　him？”　asked　Pierre。
“O　my　God；　count！　there　are　moments　when　I　would　marry　any　one”—to　her　own　surprise　Princess　Marya　said；　with　tears　in　her　voice。　“Ah！　how　bitter　it　is　to　love　some　one　near　to　one　and　to　feel；”　she　went　on　in　a　shaking　voice；　“that　you　can　do　nothing　for　him；　but　cause　him　sorrow；　and　when　you　know　you　cannot　alter　it。　There’s　only　one　thing—to　go　away；　and　where　am　I　to　go？”
“What　is　wrong？　what　is　the　matter　with　you；　princess？”
But　Princess　Marya；　without　explaining　further；　burst　into　tears。
“I　don’t　know　what　is　the　matter　with　me　to…day。　Don’t　take　any　notice　of　me；　forget　what　I　said　to　you。”
All　Pierre’s　gaiety　had　vanished。　He　questioned　the　princess　anxiously；　begged　her　to　speak　out；　to　confide　her　trouble　to　him。　But　she　would　only　repeat　that　she　begged　him　to　forget　what　she　had　said；　that　she　did　not　remember　what　she　had　said；　and　that　she　had　no　trouble　except　the　one　he　knew—her　anxiety　lest　Prince　Andrey’s　marriage　should　cause　a　breach　between　him　and　his　father。
“Have　you　heard　anything　of　the　Rostovs？”　she　asked　to　change　the　subject。　“I　was　told　they　would　soon　be　here。　I　expect　Andrey；　too；　every　day。　I　should　have　liked　them　to　see　each　other　here。”
“And　how　does　he　look　at　the　matter　now？”　said　Pierre；　meaning　by　he　the　old　prince。　Princess　Marya　shook　her　head。
“But　it　can’t　be　helped。　There　are　only　a　few　months　left　now　before　the　year　is　over。　And　it　can’t　go　on　like　this。　I　should　only　have　liked　to　spare　my　brother　the　first　minutes。　I　could　have　wished　they　were　coming　sooner。　I　hope　to　get　to　know　her　well。…You　have　known　them　a　long　while；”　said　Princess　Marya。　“Tell　me　the　whole　truth；　speaking　quite　seriously。　What　sort　of　a　girl　is　she；　and　how　do　you　like　her？　But　the　whole　truth；　because；　you　see；　Andrey　is　risking　so　much　in　doing　this　against　our　father’s　will；　that　I　should　like　to　know　…”
A　vague　instinct　told　Pierre　that　these　pleas　and　repeated　requests　to　him　to　tell　her　the　whole　truth　betrayed　Princess　Marya’s　ill…will　towards　her　future　sister…in…law；　that　she　wanted　Pierre　not　to　approve　of　Prince　Andrey’s　choice；　but　Pierre　said　what　he　felt　rather　than　what　he　thought。　“I　don’t　know　how　to　answer　your　question；”　said　he；　blushing　though　he　could　not　have　said　why　himself。　“I　really　don’t　know　what　kind　of　girl　she　is。　I　can’t　analyse　her。　She’s　fascinating；　and　why　she　is；　I　don’t　know；　that’s　all　that　one　can　say　about　her。”
Princess　Marya　sighed；　and　her　face　expressed：　“Yes；　that’s　what　I　expected　and　feared。”
“Is　she　clever？”　asked　Princess　Marya。　Pierre　thought　a　moment。
“I　suppose　not；”　he　said。　“Yes；　though。　She　does　not　think　it　worth　while　to　be　clever。…Yes；　no；　she　is　fascinating；　and　nothing　more。”
Princess　Marya　again　shook　her　head　disapprovingly。
“Ah；　I　do　so　want　to　like　her！　You　tell　her　so　if　you　see　her　before　I　do。”
“I　have　heard　that　they　will　be　here　in　a　few　days；”　said　Pierre。
Princess　Marya　told　Pierre　her　plan　of　getting　to　know　her　future　sister…in…law　as　soon　as　the　Rostovs　arrived；　and　trying　to　get　the　old　prince　accustomed　to　her。


Chapter　5
BORIS　had　not　succeeded　in　marrying　a　wealthy　heiress　in　Petersburg；　and　it　was　with　that　object　that　he　had　come　to　Moscow。　In　Moscow　Boris　found　himself　hesitating　between　two　of　the　wealthiest　heiresses；—　Julie　and　Princess　Marya。　Though　Princess　Marya；　in　spite　of　her　plainness；　seemed　to　him　anyway　more　attractive　than　Julie；　he　felt　vaguely　awkward　in　paying　court　to　the　former。　In　his　last　conversation　with　her；　on　the　old　prince’s　name…day；　she　had　met　all　his　attempts　to　talk　of　the　emotions　with　irrelevant　replies；　and　had　obviously　not　heard　what　he　was　saying。
Julie；　on　the　contrary；　received　his　attentions　eagerly；　though　she　showed　it　in　a　peculiar　fashion　of　her　own。
Julie　was　seven…and…twenty。　By　the　death　of　her　two　brothers　she　had　become　extremely　wealthy。　She　had　by　now　become　decidedly　plain。　But　she　believed　herself　to　be　not　merely　as　pretty　as　ever；　but　actually　far　more　attractive　than　she　had　ever　been。　She　was　confirmed　in　this　delusion　by　having　become　a　very　wealthy　heiress；　and　also　by　the　fact　that　as　she　grew　older　her　society　involved　less　risk　for　men；　and　they　could　behave　with　more　freedom　in　their　intercourse　with　her；　and　could　profit　by　her　suppers；　her　soirées；　and　the　lively　society　that　gathered　about　her；　without　incurring　any　obligations　to　her。　A　man　who　would　have　been　afraid　of　going　ten　years　before　to　a　house　where　there　was　a　young　girl　of　seventeen；　for　fear　of　compromising　her　and　binding　himself；　would　now　boldly　visit　her　every　day；　and　treat　her　not　as　a　marriageable　girl；　but　as　an　acquaintance　of　no　sex。
The　Karagins’　house　was　that　winter　one　of　the　most　agreeable　and　hospitable　houses　in　Moscow。　In　addition　to　the　dinner…parties　and　soirées；　to　which　guests　came　by　invitation；　there　were　every　day　large　informal　gatherings　at　the　Karagins’；　principally　of　men；　who　had　supper　there　at　midnight　and　stayed　on　till　three　o’clock　in　the　morning。　Julie　did　not　miss　a　single　ball；　entertainment；　or　theatre。　Her　dresses　were　always　of　the　most　fashionable。　But　in　spite　of　that；　Julie　appeared　to　have　lost　all　illusions；　told　every　one　that　she　had　no　faith　in　love　or　friendship；　or　any　of　the　joys　of　life；　and　looked　for　consolation　only　to　the　realm　beyond。　She　had　adopted　the　tone　of　a　girl　who　has　suffered　a　great　disappointment；　a　girl　who　has　lost　her　lover　or　been　cruelly　deceived　by　him。　Though　nothing　of　the　kind　had　ever　happened　to　her；　she　was　looked　upon　as　having　been　disappointed　in　that　way；　and　she　did　in　fact　believe　herself　that　she　had　suffered　a　great　deal　in　her　life。　This　melancholy　neither　hindered　her　from　enjoying　herself　nor　hindered　young　men　from　spending　their　time　very　agreeably　in　her　society。　Every　guest　who　visited　at　the　house　paid　his　tribute　to　the　melancho