战争与和平(上)-第186章

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very　agreeably　in　her　society。　Every　guest　who　visited　at　the　house　paid　his　tribute　to　the　melancholy　temper　of　the　hostess；　and　then　proceeded　to　enjoy　himself　in　society　gossip；　dancing；　intellectual　games；　or　bouts　rimés　which　were　in　fashion　at　the　Karagins’。　A　few　young　men　only；　among　them　Boris；　entered　more　deeply　into　Julie’s　melancholy；　and　with　these　young　men　she　had　more　prolonged　and　secluded　conversations　on　the　nothingness　of　all　things　earthly；　and　to　them　she　opened　her　albums；　full　of　mournful　sketches；　sentences；　and　verses。
Julie　was　particularly　gracious　to　Boris。　She　deplored　his　early　disillusionment　with　life；　offered　him　those　consolations　of　friendship　she　was　so　well　able　to　offer；　having　herself　suffered　so　cruelly　in　life；　and　opened　her　album　to　him。　Boris　sketched　two　trees　in　her　album；　and　wrote　under　them：　“Rustic　trees；　your　gloomy　branches　shed　darkness　and　melancholy　upon　me。”
In　another　place　he　sketched　a　tomb　and　inscribed　below　it：—
“Death　is　helpful；　and　death　is　tranquil；
Ah；　there　is　no　other　refuge　from　sorrow！”
Julie　said　that　couplet　was　exquisite。
“There　is　something　so　ravishing　in　the　smile　of　melancholy；”　she　said　to　Boris；　repeating　word　for　word　a　passage　copied　from　a　book。　“It　is　a　ray　of　light　in　the　shadow；　a　blend　between　grief　and　despair；　which　shows　consolation　possible。”
Upon　that　Boris　wrote　her　the　following　verses　in　French：—
“Poisonous　nourishment　of　a　soul　too　sensitive；
Thou；　without　whom　happiness　would　be　impossible　to　me；
Tender　melancholy；　ah；　come　and　console　me；
Come；　calm　the　torments　of　my　gloomy　retreat；
And　mingle　a　secret　sweetness　with　the　tears　I　feel　flowing。”
Julie　played　to　Boris　the　most　mournful　nocturnes　on　the　harp。　Boris　read　aloud　to　her　the　romance　of　Poor　Liza；　and　more　than　once　broke　down　in　reading　it　from　the　emotion　that　choked　his　utterance。　When　they　met　in　general　society　Julie　and　Boris　gazed　at　one　another　as　though　they　were　the　only　people　existing　in　the　world；　disillusioned　and　comprehending　each　other。
Anna　Mihalovna；　who　often　visited　the　Karagins；　took　a　hand　at　cards　with　the　mother；　and　meanwhile　collected　trustworthy　information　as　to　the　portion　that　Julie　would　receive　on　her　marriage　（her　dowry　was　to　consist　of　two　estates　in　the　Penza　province　and　forests　in　the　Nizhnigorod　province）。　With　tender　emotion　and　deep　resignation　to　the　will　of　Providence；　Anna　Mihalovna　looked　on　at　the　refined　sadness　that　united　her　soul　to　the　wealthy　Julie。
“Still　as　charming　and　as　melancholy　as　ever；　my　sweet　Julie；”　she　would　say　to　the　daughter。　“Boris　says　he　finds　spiritual　refreshment　in　your　house。　He　has　suffered　such　cruel　disillusionment；　and　he　is　so　sensitive；”　she　would　say　to　the　mother。
“Ah；　my　dear；　how　attached　I　have　grown　to　Julie　lately；”　she　would　say　to　her　son；　“I　can’t　tell　you。　But；　indeed；　who　could　help　loving　her！　A　creature　not　of　this　earth！　Ah；　Boris！　Boris！”　She　paused　for　a　moment。　“And　how　I　feel　for　her　mother；”　she　would　go　on。　“She　showed　me　today　the　letters　and　accounts　from　Penza　（they　have　an　immense　estate　there）；　and　she；　poor　thing；　with　no　one　to　help　her。　They　do　take　such　advantage　of　her！”
Boris　heard　his　mother　with　a　faintly　perceptible　smile。　He　laughed　blandly　at　her　simple…hearted　wiles；　but　he　listened　to　her　and　sometimes　questioned　her　carefully　about　the　Penza　and　Nizhnigorod　estates。
Julie　had　long　been　expecting　an　offer　from　her　melancholy　adorer；　and　was　fully　prepared　to　accept　it。　But　a　sort　of　secret　feeling　of　repulsion　for　her；　for　her　passionate　desire　to　be　married；　for　her　affectation　and　a　feeling　of　horror　at　renouncing　all　possibility　of　real　love　made　Boris　still　delay。　The　term　of　his　leave　was　drawing　to　a　close。　Whole　days　at　a　time；　and　every　day　he　spent　at　the　Karagins’；　and　each　day　Boris　resolved；　as　he　thought　things　over；　that　he　would　make　an　offer　on　the　morrow。　But　in　Julie’s　presence；　as　he　watched　her　red　face　and　her　chin；　almost　always　sprinkled　with　powder；　her　moist　eyes；　and　the　expression　of　her　countenance；　which　betokened　a　continual　readiness　to　pass　at　once　from　melancholy　to　the　unnatural　ecstasies　of　conjugal　love；　Boris　could　not　utter　the　decisive　word；　although　in　imagination　he　had　long　regarded　himself　as　the　owner　of　the　Penza　and　Nizhnigorod　estates；　and　had　disposed　of　the　expenditure　of　their　several　revenues。　Julie　saw　the　hesitation　of　Boris；　and　the　idea　did　sometimes　occur　to　her　that　she　was　distasteful　to　him。　But　feminine　self…flattery　promptly　afforded　her　comfort；　and　she　assured　herself　that　it　was　love　that　made　him　retiring。　Her　melancholy　was；　however；　beginning　to　pass　into　irritability；　and　not　long　before　the　end　of　Boris’s　leave　she　adopted　a　decisive　plan　of　action。　Just　before　the　expiration　of　Boris’s　leave　there　appeared　in　Moscow；　and—it　need　hardly　be　said—also　in　the　drawing…room　of　the　Karagins’；　no　less　a　person　than　Anatole　Kuragin；　and　Julie；　abruptly　abandoning　her　melancholy；　became　exceedingly　lively　and　cordial　to　Kuragin。
“My　dear；”　said　Anna　Mihalovna　to　her　son；　“I　know　from　a　trust…worthy　source　that　Prince　Vassily　is　sending　his　son　to　Moscow　to　marry　him　to　Julie。　I　am　so　fond　of　Julie　that　I　should　be　most　sorry　for　her。　What　do　you　think　about　it；　my　dear？”　said　Anna　Mihalovna。
Boris　was　mortified　at　the　idea　of　being　unsuccessful；　of　having　wasted　all　that　month　of　tedious；　melancholy　courtship　of　Julie；　and　of　seeing　all　the　revenues　of　those　Penza　estates—which　he　had　mentally　assigned　to　the　various　purposes　for　which　he　needed　them—pass　into　other　hands；　especially　into　the　hands　of　that　fool　Anatole。　He　drove　off　to　the　Karagins’　with　the　firm　determination　to　make　an　offer。　Julie　met　him　with　a　gay　and　careless　face；　casually　mentioned　how　much　she　had　enjoyed　the　ball　of　the　evening；　and　asked　him　when　he　was　leaving。　Although　Boris　had　come　with　the　intention　of　speaking　of　his　love；　and　was　therefore　resolved　to　take　a　tender　tone；　he　began　to　speak　irritably　of　the　fickleness　of　woman；　saying　that　women　could　so　easily　pass　from　sadness　to　joy；　and　their　state　of　mind　depended　entirely　on　what　sort　of　man　happened　to　be　paying　them　attention。　Julie　was　offended；　and　said　that　that　was　quite　true；　indeed；　that　a　woman　wanted　variety；　and　that　always　the　same　thing　would　bore　any　one。
“Then　I　would　advise　you…”　Boris　was　beginning；　meaning　to　say　something　cutting；　but　at　that　instant　the　mortifying　reflection　occurred　to　him　that　he　might　leave　Moscow　without　having　attained　his　object；　and　having　wasted　his　efforts　in　vain　（an　experience　he　had　never　had　yet）。　He　stopped　short　in　the　middle　of　a　sentence；　dropped　his　eyes；　to　avoid　seeing　her　disagreeably　exasperated　and　irresolute　face；　and　said；　“But　it　was　not　to　quarrel　with　you　that　I　have　come　here。　On　the　contrary…”　He　glanced　at　her　to　make　sure　whether　he　could　go　on。　All　irritation　had　instantly　vanished　from　her　face；　and　her　uneasy　and　imploring　eyes　were　fastened　upon　him　in　greedy　expectation。
“I　can　always　manage　so　as　to　see　very　little　of　her；”　thought　Boris。　“And　the　thing’s　been　begun　and　must　be　finished！”　He　flushed　crimson；　raised　his　eyes　to　her　face；　and　said　to　her；　“You　know　my　feeling　for　you！”　There　was　no　need　to　say　more。　Julie’s　countenance　beamed　with　triumph　and　self…satisfaction；　but　she　forced　Boris　to　say　everything　that　is　usually　said　on　such　occasions；　to　say　that　he　loved　her；　and　had　never　loved　any　woman　more　than　her。　She　knew　that　for　her　Penza　estates　and　her　Nizhnigorod　forests　she　could　demand　that；　and　she　got　all　she　demanded。
The　young　engaged　couple；　with　no　further　allusions　to　trees　that　enfolded　them　in　gloom　and　melancholy；　made　plans　for　a　brilliant　establishment　in　Petersburg；　paid　visits；　and　made　every　preparation　for　a　splendid　wedding。


Chapter　6
COUNT　ILYA　ANDREITCH　ROSTOV　arrived　in　Moscow　towards　the　end　of　January　with　Natasha　and　Sonya。　The　countess　was　still　unwell；　and　unable　to　travel；　but　they　could　not　put　off　coming　till　she　recovered；　for　Prince　Andrey　was　expected　in　Moscow　every　day。　They　had；　besides；　to　order　the　trousseau；　to　sell　the　estate　in　the　suburbs　of　Moscow；