战争与和平(上)-第242章

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ing　it　to　his　discretion　to　take　steps　or　not　for　the　defence　of　Bleak　Hills；　where　he　said　one　of　the　oldest　Russian　generals　would　be　taken　prisoner　or　die。　He　announced　to　his　household　that　he　should　remain　at　Bleak　Hills。
But　though　resolved　himself　to　remain；　the　prince　made　arrangements　for　sending　the　princess　with　Dessalle　and　the　little　prince　to　Bogutcharovo；　and　from　there　on　to　Moscow。　Frightened　at　her　father’s　feverish；　sleepless　energy；　following　on　his　previous　apathy；　Princess　Marya　could　not　bring　herself　to　leave　him　alone；　and　for　the　first　time　in　her　life　ventured　not　to　obey　him。　She　refused　to　go；　and　a　fearful　tempest　of　wrath　burst　upon　her。　The　prince　reminded　her　of　every　previous　instance　of　injustice　to　her。　Trying　to　find　pretexts　for　reviling　her；　he　said　she　had　done　everything　to　worry　him；　that　she　had　estranged　him　from　his　son；　that　she　harboured　the　vilest　suspicions　of　him；　that　she　made　it　the　object　of　her　life　to　poison　his　existence。　He　drove　her　out　of　his　study；　telling　her　that　he　did　not　care　if　she　did　not　go　away。　He　told　her　that　he　did　not　want　to　hear　of　her　existence；　but　gave　her　fair　warning　not　to　dare　show　herself　before　him。　Princess　Marya　was　relieved　that　he　had　not；　as　she　had　dreaded；　ordered　her　to　be　forcibly　removed　from　Bleak　Hills；　but　had　simply　commanded　her　not　to　show　herself。　She　knew　that　this　meant　that　in　the　secret　recesses　of　his　soul　he　was　glad　she　was　staying　at　home。
The　day　after　Nikolushka　had　left；　the　old　prince　dressed　himself　in　the　morning　in　full　uniform；　and　prepared　to　make　a　call　on　the　commander…in…chief。　The　carriage　was　standing　ready。　Princess　Marya　saw　him　in　his　uniform；　with　all　his　orders　on　his　breast；　walk　out　of　the　house　and　go　down　the　garden　to　inspect　the　armed　peasants　and　houseserfs。　Princess　Marya　sat　at　the　window　listening　to　his　voice　resounding　from　the　garden。　Suddenly　several　men　came　running　up　the　avenue　with　panic…stricken　faces。
Princess　Marya　ran　out　on　to　the　steps；　along　the　flower…bed　path；　and　into　the　avenue。　A　great　crowd　of　militiamen　and　servants　were　coming　down　it　towards　her；　and　in　the　middle　of　that　crowd　several　men　were　holding　up　and　dragging　along　a　little　old　man　in　a　uniform　and　decorations。　Princess　Marya　ran　towards　him；　and　in　the　dancing；　tiny　rings　of　light　that　filtered　through　the　shade　of　the　lime…tree　avenue；　she　could　form　no　distinct　impression　of　the　change　in　his　face。　The　only　thing　she　could　see　was　that　the　stern　and　determined　expression　of　his　face　had　changed　to　a　look　of　timidity　and　submission。　On　seeing　his　daughter；　he　tried　to　move　his　powerless　lips；　and　uttered　a　hoarse　sound。　It　was　impossible　to　understand　what　he　meant。　He　was　lifted　up；　carried　into　his　study；　and　laid　on　the　couch；　which　had　been　such　an　object　of　dread　to　him　of　late。
The　doctor；　who　was　brought　over　the　same　night；　bled　him；　and　declared　that　the　prince　had　had　a　stroke；　paralysing　his　right　side。
To　remain　at　Bleak　Hills　was　becoming　more　and　more　dangerous；　and　the　next　day　they　moved　the　prince　to　Bogutcharovo。　The　doctor　travelled　with　him。
When　they　reached　Bogutcharovo；　they　found　Dessalle　had　already　set　off　for　Moscow　with　the　little　prince。
For　three　weeks　the　old　prince　lay　stricken　with　paralysis；　getting　neither　better　nor　worse；　in　the　new　house　Prince　Andrey　had　planned　at　Bogutcharovo。　The　old　prince　was　unconscious；　he　lay　like　a　deformed　corpse。　He　muttered　incessantly；　twitching　his　eyebrows　and　lips；　and　it　was　impossible　to　tell　whether　he　understood　his　surroundings　or　not。　Only　one　thing　could　be　said　for　certain：　that　was；　that　he　was　suffering；　and　had　a　craving　to　express　something。　But　what　that　was　no　one　could　tell：　whether　it　were　some　sick　and　half…crazy　whim；　whether　it　related　to　public　affairs　or　family　circumstances。
The　doctor　said　that　this　uneasiness　meant　nothing；　that　it　was　due　to　physical　causes。　But　Princess　Marya　believed　（and　the　fact　that　her　presence　seemed　to　intensify　the　restlessness；　confirmed　her　supposition）　that　he　wanted　to　tell　her　something。
He　was　evidently　suffering　both　physically　and　mentally。　There　was　no　hope　of　recovery。　It　was　impossible　to　move　him。　What　if　he　were　to　die　on　the　road？　“Wouldn’t　it　be　better　if　it　were　over；　if　all　were　over？”　Princess　Marya　thought　sometimes。　Day　and　night；　almost　without　sleep；　she　watched　him；　and；　terrible　to　say；　she　watched　him；　not　in　the　hope　of　finding　symptoms　of　a　change　for　the　better；　but　often　in　the　hope　of　seeing　symptoms　of　the　approaching　end。
Strange　as　it　was　for　the　princess　to　own　it　to　herself；　she　had　this　feeling　in　her　heart。　And　what　was　still　more　horrible　to　Princess　Marya　was　the　fact　that　ever　since　her　father’s　illness　（if　not　even　before；　when　she　resolved　to　stay　with　him；　in　vague　expectation　of　something）　all　the　forgotten　hopes　and　desires　slumbering　within　her　head　awakened。　Ideas　that　had　not　entered　her　head　for　years—dreams　of　a　life　free　from　the　terror　of　her　father；　even　of　the　possibility　of　love　and　a　happy　married　life；　haunted　her　imagination　like　temptations　of　the　devil。　In　vain　she　tried　to　drive　away　the　thought；　questions　were　continually　in　her　mind　how　she　would　order　her　life　now；　after　this。　It　was　a　temptation　of　the　devil；　and　Princess　Marya　knew　it。　She　knew　that　the　sole　weapon　of　avail　against　him　was　prayer；　and　she　strove　to　pray。　She　threw　herself　into　the　attitude　of　prayer；　gazed　at　the　holy　pictures；　repeated　the　words　of　the　prayer；　but　still　she　could　not　pray。　She　felt　herself　carried　off　into　a　new　world　of　real　life；　of　labour　and　free　activity；　utterly　opposed　to　the　moral　atmosphere　in　which　she　had　been　kept　in　bondage　and　in　which　the　one　consolation　was　prayer。　She　could　not　pray　and　could　not　weep；　and　practical　cares　absorbed　her　mind。
To　remain　at　Bogutcharovo　was　becoming　unsafe。　Rumours　came　from　all　sides　of　the　French　being　near；　and　in　one　village；　fifteen　versts　from　Bogutcharovo；　a　house　had　been　sacked　by　French　marauders。　The　doctor　insisted　on　the　necessity　of　moving　the　prince；　the　marshal　of　the　province　sent　an　official　to　Princess　Marya　to　persuade　her　to　get　away　as　quickly　as　possible。　The　captain　of　the　police　visited　Bogutcharovo　to　insist　on　the　same　thing；　telling　her　that　the　French　were　only　forty　versts　away；　that　French　proclamations　were　circulating　in　the　villages；　and　that　if　the　princess　did　not　move　her　father　before　the　15th；　he　could　not　answer　for　the　consequences。
The　princess　made　up　her　mind　to　leave　on　the　15th。　The　preparations　and　giving　all　the　necessary　instructions；　for　which　every　one　applied　to　her；　kept　her　busy　the　whole　of　the　previous　day。　The　night　of　the　14th　she　spent　as　usual；　without　undressing；　in　the　room　next　to　the　one　where　the　old　prince　lay。　Several　times　she　waked　up；　hearing　his　groaning　and　muttering；　the　creak　of　the　bedstead；　and　the　steps　of　Tihon　and　the　doctor　moving　him。　Several　times　she　listened　at　the　door；　and　it　seemed　to　her　that　he　was　muttering　more　loudly　than　usual　and　turning　more　restlessly。　She　could　not　sleep；　and　several　times　she　went　to　the　door；　listening；　tempted　to　go　in；　but　unable　to　make　up　her　mind　to　do　so。　Although　he　could　not　speak；　Princess　Marya　saw　and　knew　how　he　disliked　any　expression　of　anxiety　about　him。　She　had　noticed　how　he　turned　in　displeasure　away　from　her　eyes；　which　were　sometimes　unconsciously　fixed　persistently　on　him。　She　knew　her　going　in　at　night；　at　an　unusual　time；　would　irritate　him。
But　never　had　she　felt　so　sorry　for　him；　never　had　she　felt　it　so　dreadful　to　lose　him。　She　went　over　all　her　life　with　him；　and　in　every　word；　every　action；　she　saw　an　expression　of　his　love　for　her。　Occasionally　these　reminiscences　were　interrupted　by　the　temptation　of　the　devil；　dreams　came　back　to　her　imagination　of　what　would　happen　after　his　death；　and　how　she　would　order　her　new　independent　existence。　But　she　drove　away　such　thoughts　with　horror。　Towards　morning　he　was　quieter；　and　she　fell　asleep。
She　waked　up　late。　The　perfect　sincerity；　which　often　accompanies　the　moment　of　waking；　showed　her　unmistakably　what　it　was　that　was　of　most　interest　to　her　in　her　father’s　illness。　She　waked　up；　listen