战争与和平(上)-第245章

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　and　called　him　in　joke　the　minister。　Dron　had　never　once　been　drunk　or　ill　since　he　had　been　appointed　elder；　he　had　never　after　sleepless　nights　or　severe　labour　shown　the　slightest　signs　of　fatigue；　and　though　he　could　not　read　or　write；　he　never　forgot　an　account　of　the　pounds　of　flour　in　the　huge　waggon…loads　he　sold；　and　of　the　money　paid　for　them；　nor　missed　a　sheaf　of　wheat　on　an　acre　of　the　Bogutcharovo　fields。
This　peasant　Dron　it　was　for　whom　Alpatitch　sent　on　coming　from　the　plundered　estate　at　Bleak　Hills。　He　ordered　him　to　get　ready　twelve　horses　for　the　princess’s　carriages；　and　eighteen　conveyances　for　the　move　which　was　to　be　made　from　Bogutcharovo。　Though　the　peasants　paid　rent　instead　of　working　as　serfs；　Alpatitch　expected　to　meet　no　difficulty　on　their　part　in　carrying　out　this　order；　since　there　were　two　hundred　and　thirty　efficient　families　in　Bogutcharovo；　and　the　peasants　were　well…to…do。　But　Dron；　on　receiving　the　order；　dropped　his　eyes　and　made　no　reply。　Alpatitch　mentioned　the　names　of　peasants　from　whom　he　told　him　to　take　the　carts。
Dron　replied　that　the　horses　belonging　to　those　peasants　were　away　on　hire。　Alpatitch　mentioned　the　names　of　other　peasants。　They　too；　according　to　Dron；　had　no　horses　available：　some　were　employed　in　government　transport；　others　had　gone　lame；　and　others　had　died　through　the　shortness　of　forage。　In　Dron’s　opinion；　there　was　no　hope　of　getting　horses　enough　for　the　princess’s　carriages；　not　to　speak　of　the　transport　of　baggage。
Alpatitch　looked　intently　at　Dron　and　scowled。　Dron　was　a　model　village　elder；　but　Alpatitch　had　not　been　twenty　years　managing　the　prince’s　estates　for　nothing；　and　he　too　was　a　model　steward。　He　possessed　in　the　highest　degree　the　faculty　of　divining　the　needs　and　instincts　of　the　peasants；　with　whom　he　had　to　deal；　and　was　consequently　an　excellent　steward。　Glancing　at　Dron；　he　saw　at　once　that　his　answers　were　not　the　expression　of　his　own　ideas；　but　the　expression　of　the　general　drift　of　opinion　in　the　Bogutcharovo　village；　by　which　the　elder　had　already　been　carried　away。　At　the　same　time；　he　knew　that　Dron；　who　had　saved　money　and　was　detested　by　the　village；　must　be　hesitating　between　two　camps—the　master’s　and　the　peasants’。　He　detected　the　hesitation　in　his　eyes；　and　so　frowning　he　came　closer　to　Dron。
“Now；　Dronushka；”　he　said；　“you　listen　to　me！　Don’t　you　talk　nonsense　to　me。　His　excellency；　Prince　Andrey　Nikolaevitch；　himself　gave　me　orders　to　move　the　folk　away；　and　not　leave　them　with　the　enemy；　and　the　Tsar　has　issued　a　decree　that　it　is　to　be　so。　Any　one　that　stays　is　a　traitor　to　the　Tsar。　Do　you　hear？”
“I　hear；”　answered　Dron；　not　raising　his　eyes。
Alpatitch　was　not　satisfied　with　his　reply。
“Ay；　Dron；　there’ll　be　trouble！”　said　Alpatitch；　shaking　his　head。
“It’s　for　you　to　command！”　said　Dron　dejectedly。
“Ay；　Dron；　drop　it！”　repeated　Alpatitch；　taking　his　hand　out　of　the　bosom　of　his　coat；　and　pointing　with　a　solemn　gesture　to　the　ground　under　Dron’s　feet。　“I　can　see　right　through　you；　and　more　than　that；　I　can　see　three　yards　into　the　earth　under　you；”　he　said；　looking　at　the　ground　under　Dron’s　feet。
Dron　was　disconcerted；　he　looked　furtively　at　Alpatitch；　and　dropped　his　eyes　again。
“You　drop　this　nonsense；　and　tell　the　folks　to　pack　up　to　leave　their　homes　and　go　to　Moscow；　and　to　get　ready　carts　to…morrow　morning　for　the　princess’s　luggage；　and　don’t　you　go　to　the　meeting。　Do　you　hear？”
All　at　once　Dron　threw　himself　at　his　feet。
“Yakov　Alpatitch；　discharge　me！　Take　the　keys　from　me；　discharge　me；　for　Christ’s　sake！”
“Stop　that！”　said　Alpatitch　sternly。　“I　can　see　through　you　three　yards　into　the　earth；”　he　repeated；　knowing　that　his　skill　in　beekeeping；　his　knowledge　of　the　right　day　to　sow　the　oats；　and　his　success　in　pleasing　the　old　prince　for　twenty　years　had　long　ago　gained　him　the　reputation　of　a　wizard；　and　that　the　power　of　seeing　for　three　yards　under　a　man　is　ascribed　to　wizards。
Dron　got　up；　and　would　have　said　something；　but　Alpatitch　interrupted　him。
“What’s　this　you’ve　all　got　in　your　head？　Eh？　…　What　are　you　thinking　about？　Eh？”
“What　am　I　to　do　with　the　people？”　said　Dron。　“They’re　all　in　a　ferment。　I　do　tell　them　…”
“Oh；　I　dare　say　you　do；”　said　Alpatitch。　“Are　they　drinking？”　he　asked　briefly。
“They’re　all　in　a　ferment；　Yakov　Alpatitch；　they　have　got　hold　of　another　barrel。”
“Then　you　listen　to　me。　I’ll　go　to　the　police…captain　and　you　tell　them　so；　and　tell　them　to　drop　all　this　and　get　the　carts　ready。”
“Certainly；”　answered　Dron。
Yakov　Alpatitch　did　not　insist　further。　He　had　much　experience　in　managing　the　peasants；　and　knew　that　the　chief　means　for　securing　obedience　was　not　to　show　the　slightest　suspicion　that　they　could　do　anything　but　obey。　Having　wrung　from　Dron　a　submissive　“certainly；”　Yakov　Alpatitch　rested　content　with　it；　though　he　had　more　than　doubts—he　had　a　conviction—that　the　carts　would　not　be　provided　without　the　intervention　of　the　military　authorities。
And　as　a　fact　when　evening　came；　the　carts　had　not　been　provided。　There　had　been　again　a　village　meeting　at　the　tavern；　and　at　the　meeting　it　had　been　resolved　to　drive　the　horses　out　into　the　forest　and　not　to　provide　the　conveyances。　Without　saying　a　word　of　all　this　to　the　princess；　Alpatitch　ordered　his　own　baggage　to　be　unloaded　from　the　waggons　that　had　come　from　Bleak　Hills　and　the　horses　to　be　taken　from　them　for　the　princess’s　carriage；　while　he　rode　off　himself　to　the　police　authorities。


Chapter　10
AFTER　HER　FATHER’S　FUNERAL　Princess　Marya　locked　herself　in　her　room　and　would　not　let　any　one　come　near　her。　A　maid　came　to　the　door　to　say　that　Alpatitch　had　come　to　ask　for　instructions　in　regard　to　the　journey。　（This　was　before　Alpatitch　had　talked　to　Dron。）　Princess　Marya　got　up　from　the　sofa　on　which　she　was　lying；　and　through　the　closed　door　replied　that　she　was　never　going　away；　and　begged　to　be　left　in　peace。
The　windows　of　the　room　in　which　Princess　Marya　lay　looked　to　the　west。　She　lay　on　the　sofa　facing　the　wall；　and　fingering　the　buttons　on　the　leather　bolster；　she　saw　nothing　but　that　bolster；　and　her　thoughts　were　concentrated　obscurely　on　one　subject。　She　thought　of　the　finality　of　death　and　of　her　spiritual　baseness；　of　which　she　had　had　no　idea　till　it　showed　itself　during　her　father’s　illness。　She　longed　to　pray；　but　dared　not；　dared　not；　in　the　spiritual　state　she　was　in；　turn　to　God。　For　a　long　while　she　lay　in　that　position。
The　sun　was　setting；　and　the　slanting　rays　lighted　up　the　room　through　the　open　window；　and　threw　a　glow　on　part　of　the　morocco　cushion　at　which　Princess　Marya　was　looking。　The　current　of　her　thoughts　was　suddenly　arrested。　She　unconsciously　sat　up；　smoothed　her　hair；　stood　up；　and　walked　to　the　window；　involuntarily　drawing　a　deep　breath　of　the　refreshing　coolness　of　the　clear；　windy　evening。
“Yes；　now　you　can　admire　the　sunset　at　your　ease！　He　is　not　here；　and　there　is　no　one　to　hinder　you；”　she　said　to　herself；　and　sinking　into　a　chair；　she　let　her　head　fall　on　the　window…sill。
Some　one　spoke　her　name　in　a　soft　and　tender　voice　from　the　garden　and　kissed　her　on　the　head。　She　looked　up。　It　was　Mademoiselle　Bourienne　in　a　black　dress　and　pleureuses。　She　softly　approached　Princess　Marya；　kissed　her　with　a　sigh；　and　promptly　burst　into　tears。　Princess　Marya　looked　round　at　her。　All　her　old　conflicts　with　her；　her　jealousy　of　her；　recurred　to　Princess　Marya’s　mind。　She　remembered　too　that　he　had　changed　of　late　to　Mademoiselle　Bourienne；　could　not　bear　the　sight　of　her；　and　therefore　how　unjust　had　been　the　censure　that　she　had　in　her　heart　passed　upon　her。　“Yes；　and　is　it　for　me；　for　me；　after　desiring　his　death；　to　pass　judgment　on　any　one？”　she　thought。
Princess　Marya　pictured　vividly　to　herself　Mademoiselle　Bourienne’s　position；　estranged　from　her　of　late；　though　dependent　on　her；　and　living　among　strangers。　And　she　felt　sorry　for　her。　She　looked　at　her　in　gentle　inquiry　and　held　out　her　hand　to　her。　Mademoiselle　Bourienne　at　once　began　kissing　her　hand　with　tears　and　talking　of　the　princess’s　sorrow；　making　herself　a　partner　in　that　sorrow。　She　said　that　her　only　consolation　in　her　s