战争与和平(上)-第238章

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　to　move。　The　transports　and　artillery　moved　noiselessly；　buried　up　to　their　axles；　and　the　infantry　sank　to　their　ankles　in　the　soft；　stifling；　burning　dust；　that　never　got　cool　even　at　night。　The　sandy　dust　clung　to　their　legs　and　to　the　wheels；　rose　in　a　cloud　over　their　heads；　and　got　into　the　eyes　and　hair　and　nostrils　and　lungs　of　the　men　and　beasts　that　moved　along　the　road。　The　higher　the　sun　rose；　the　higher　rose　the　cloud　of　dust；　and　through　the　fine；　burning　dust　the　sun　in　the　cloudless　sky　looked　like　a　purple　ball；　at　which　one　could　gaze　with　undazzled　eyes。　There　was　no　wind；　and　the　men　gasped　for　breath　in　the　stagnant　atmosphere。　They　marched　with　handkerchiefs　tied　over　their　mouths　and　noses。　When　they　reached　the　villages；　there　was　a　rush　for　the　wells。　They　fought　over　the　water　and　drank　it　down　to　the　mud。
Prince　Andrey　was　in　command　of　a　regiment；　and　the　management　of　the　regiment；　the　welfare　of　his　men；　the　necessity　of　receiving　and　giving　orders　occupied　his　mind。　The　burning　and　abandonment　of　Smolensk　made　an　epoch　in　Prince　Andrey’s　life。　A　new　feeling　of　intense　hatred　of　the　enemy　made　him　forget　his　own　sorrow。　He　was　devoted　heart　and　soul　to　the　interests　of　his　regiment；　he　was　careful　of　the　welfare　of　his　men　and　his　officers；　and　cordial　in　his　manner　with　them。　They　called　him　in　the　regiment　“our　prince；”　were　proud　of　him；　and　loved　him。　But　he　was　kind　and　gentle　only　with　his　own　men；　with　Timohin；　and　others　like　him；　people　quite　new　to　him；　belonging　to　a　different　world；　people　who　could　have　no　notion　of　his　past。　As　soon　as　he　was　brought　into　contact　with　any　of　his　old　acquaintances；　any　of　the　staff　officers；　he　bristled　up　again　at　once；　and　was　vindictive；　ironical；　and　contemptuous。　Everything　associated　by　memories　with　the　past　was　repulsive　to　him；　and　so；　in　his　relations　with　that　old　world；　he　confined　himself　to　trying　to　do　his　duty；　and　not　to　be　unfair。
Prince　Andrey；　in　fact；　saw　everything　in　the　darkest；　gloomiest　light；　especially　after　Smolensk；　which　he　considered　could　and　should　have　been　defended；　had　been　abandoned；　on　the　6th　of　August；　and　his　invalid　father　had　been　forced；　as　he　supposed；　to　flee　to　Moscow；　leaving　Bleak　Hills；　the　house　that　he　had　so　loved；　that　he　had　designed　and　settled　with　his　peasants；　to　be　plundered。　But　in　spite　of　that；　thanks　to　his　position；　Prince　Andrey　had　another　subject　to　think　of；　quite　apart　from　all　general　questions；　his　regiment。　On　the　10th　of　August；　the　column　of　which　his　regiment　formed　part　reached　the　turning　leading　off　to　Bleak　Hills。　Two　days　before　Prince　Andrey　had　received　the　news　that　his　father；　his　son；　and　his　sister　had　gone　away　to　Moscow。　Though　there　was　nothing　for　Prince　Andrey　to　do　at　Bleak　Hills；　he　decided；　with　characteristic　desire　to　aggravate　his　own　sufferings；　that　he　must　ride　over　there。
He　ordered　his　horse　to　be　saddled；　and　turned　off　from　the　main　line　of　march　towards　his　father’s　house；　where　he　had　been　born　and　had　spent　his　childhood。　As　he　rode　by　the　pond；　where　there　always　used　to　be　dozens　of　peasant　women　gossiping；　rinsing　their　linen；　or　beating　it　with　washing　bats；　Prince　Andrey　noticed　that　there　was　no　one　by　the　pond；　and　that　the　platform　where　they　used　to　stand　had　been　torn　away；　and　was　floating　sideways　in　the　middle　of　the　pond；　half　under　water。　Prince　Andrey　rode　up　to　the　keeper’s　lodge。　There　was　no　one　to　be　seen　at　the　stone　gates　and　the　door　was　open。　The　paths　of　the　garden　were　already　overgrown　with　weeds；　and　cattle　and　horses　were　straying　about　the　English　park。　Prince　Andrey　rode　up　to　the　conservatory：　the　panes　were　smashed；　and　some　of　the　trees　in　tubs　were　broken；　others　quite　dried　up。　He　called　Taras；　the　gardener。　No　one　answered。　Going　round　the　conservatory　on　the　terrace；　he　saw　that　the　paling…fence　was　all　broken　down；　and　branches　of　the　plum…trees　had　been　pulled　off　with　the　fruit。　An　old　peasant；　whom　Prince　Andrey　used　to　see　in　his　childhood　at　the　gate；　was　sitting　on　the　green　garden　seat　plaiting　bast　shoes。
He　was　deaf；　and　did　not　hear　Prince　Andrey’s　approach。　He　was　sitting　on　the　seat　on　which　the　old　prince　liked　to　sit；　and　near　him　the　bast　was　hanging　on　the　branches　of　a　broken　and　dried…up　magnolia。
Prince　Andrey　rode　up　to　the　house。　Several　lime…trees　in　the　old　garden　had　been　cut　down；　a　piebald　mare　and　a　colt　were　among　the　rose…trees　just　before　the　house。　The　shutters　were　all　up　in　the　house；　except　on　one　open　window　downstairs。　A　servant　lad　caught　sight　of　Prince　Andrey　and　ran　into　the　house。
Alpatitch　had　sent　his　family　away；　and　was　staying　on　alone　at　Bleak　Hills。　He　was　sitting　indoors；　reading　the　Lives　of　the　Saints。　On　hearing　that　Prince　Andrey　had　come；　he　ran　out；　spectacles　on　nose；　buttoning　himself　up；　hurried　up　to　the　prince；　and　without　uttering　a　word；　burst　into　tears；　kissing　his　knee。
Then　he　turned　away　in　anger　at　his　own　weakness；　and　began　giving　him　an　account　of　the　position　of　affairs。　Everything　precious　and　valuable　had　been　moved　to　Bogutcharovo。　Corn　to　the　amount　of　a　hundred　measures　had　been　carried　away；　but　the　hay；　and　the　wheat—an　extraordinary　crop　that　season；　so　Alpatitch　said—had　been　cut　green　and　carried　off　by　the　troops。　The　peasants　were　ruined：　some　of　them；　too；　had　gone　to　Bogutcharovo；　a　small　number　remained。　Prince　Andrey；　not　heeding　his　words；　asked；　“When　did　my　father　and　sister　go？”　meaning　when　had　they　set　off　for　Moscow。　Alpatitch；　assuming　he　was　asking　about　the　removal　to　Bogutcharovo；　answered　that　they　had　set　off　on　the　7th；　and　began　going　off　again　into　details　about　the　crops；　asking　for　instructions。
“Is　it　your　honour’s　orders　that　I　let　the　oats　go　on　getting　a　receipt　from　the　officers？”　asked　Alpatitch。　“We　have　still　six　hundred　measures　left。”
“What　am　I　to　say　to　him？”　Prince　Andrey　wondered；　looking　at　the　old　man’s　bald　head　shining　in　the　sun；　and　reading　in　his　face　the　consciousness　that　he　knew　himself　the　untimeliness　of　those　questions；　and　asked　them　only　to　stifle　his　own　grief。
“Yes；　let　it　go；”　he　said。
“If　your　excellency　noticed　any　disorder　in　the　garden；”　said　Alpatitch；　“it　could　not　be　prevented；　three　regiments　have　been　here　and　spent　the　night。　The　dragoons　were　the　worst；　I　noted　down　the　name　and　rank　of　the　commanding　officer　to　lodge　a　complaint。”
“Well；　and　what　are　you　going　to　do？　Shall　you　stay；　if　the　enemy　occupies　the　place？”　Prince　Andrey　asked　him。
Alpatitch　turned　his　face　towards　Prince　Andrey　and　looked　at　him；　then　all　at　once；　with　a　solemn　gesture；　he　lifted　his　hand　upwards：　“He　is　my　protector；　and　His　will　be　done！”　he　said。　A　group　of　peasants　and　house…serfs　were　coming　across　the　meadow；　uncovering　their　heads　as　they　drew　near　Prince　Andrey。
“Well；　good…bye！”　said　Prince　Andrey；　bending　over　to　Alpatitch。　“Go　away　yourself；　take　what　you　can；　and　tell　the　peasants　to　set　off　for　the　Ryazan　estate　or　the　property　near　Moscow。”
Alpatitch　hugged　his　leg　and　broke　into　sobs。　Prince　Andrey　gently　moved　him　away；　and　spurring　his　horse　galloped　down　the　garden　walk。
On　the　terrace　the　old　man　was　still　sitting　as　before；　as　uninterested　as　a　fly　on　some　beloved　dead　face；　knocking　on　the　sole　of　the　bast　shoe。　And　two　little　girls　came　running　from　the　plum…trees　in　the　conservatories　with　their　skirts　full　of　plums。　They　ran　almost　against　Prince　Andrey；　and　seeing　their　young　master；　the　elder　one　clutched　her　younger　companion　by　the　hand；　with　a　panic…stricken　face；　and　hid　with　her　behind　a　birch…tree　not　stopping　to　pick　up　the　green　plums　they　had　dropped。
Prince　Andrey　turned　away　from　them　in　nervous　haste；　afraid　of　letting　them　notice　that　he　had　seen　them。　He　was　sorry　to　have　frightened　the　pretty　child。　He　was　afraid　to　glance　at　her；　but　yet　he　felt　an　irresistible　inclination　to　do　so。　A　new　soothing　and　consolatory　feeling　came　upon　him；　as　gazing　at　the　little　girls；　he　became　aware　of　the　existence　of　other　human　interests；　utterly　remote　from　him；　and　as　legitimate　as　his　own。　Those　little　girls　were　evidently　possessed　by　one　passionate　desire　to　carry　off　and　devour　those　green　plums　without　being