战争与和平(上)-第246章

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cess’s　sorrow；　making　herself　a　partner　in　that　sorrow。　She　said　that　her　only　consolation　in　her　sorrow　was　that　the　princess　permitted　her　to　share　it　with　her。　She　said　that　all　their　former　misunderstandings　must　sink　into　nothing　before　their　great　sorrow：　that　she　felt　herself　guiltless　in　regard　to　every　one；　and　that　he　from　above　saw　her　love　and　gratitude。　The　princess　heard　her　without　heeding　her　words；　though　she　looked　at　her　now　and　then　and　listened　to　the　sound　of　her　voice。
“Your　position　is　doubly　dreadful；　dear　princess；”　said　Mademoiselle　Bourienne。　“I　know　you　could　not　and　cannot　think　of　yourself；　but　with　my　love　for　you　I　am　bound　to　do　so。…Has　Alpatitch　been　with　you？　Has　he　spoken　to　you　of　moving？”　she　asked。
Princess　Marya　did　not　answer。　She　did　not　understand　who　was　to　move　and　where。　“Was　it　possible　to　undertake　anything　now；　to　think　of　anything？　Could　anything　matter？”　she　wondered。　She　made　no　reply。
“Do　you　know；　chère　Marie；”　said　Mademoiselle　Bourienne；　“that　we　are　in　danger；　that　we　are　surrounded　by　the　French；　it　is　dangerous　to　move　now。　If　we　move；　we　are　almost　certain　to　be　taken　prisoner；　and　God　knows　…”
Princess　Marya　looked　at　her　companion；　with　no　notion　what　she　was　saying。
“Oh；　if　any　one　knew　how　little　anything　matters　to　me　now；”　she　said。　“Of　course；　I　would　not　on　any　account　move　away　from　him…Alpatitch　said　something　about　going　away。…You　talk　to　him　…　I　can’t　do　anything；　and　I　don’t　want　…”
“I　have　been　talking　to　him。　He　hopes　that　we　may　manage　to　get　away　to…morrow；　but　I　think　it　would　be　better　now　to　remain　here；”　said　Mademoiselle　Bourienne。　“Because　you　will　agree；　chère　Marie；　that　to　fall　into　the　hands　of　the　soldiers　or　of　rioting　peasants　on　the　road　would　be　awful。”
Mademoiselle　Bourienne　took　out　of　her　reticule　a　document；　not　on　the　usual　Russian　paper。　It　was　the　proclamation　of　General　Rameau；　announcing　that　protection　would　be　given　by　the　French　commanders　to　all　inhabitants　who　did　not　abandon　their　homes。　She　handed　it　to　the　princess。
“I　imagine　the　best　thing　would　be　to　appeal　to　this　general；”　said　Mademoiselle　Bourienne。　“I　am　convinced　that　all　proper　respect　would　be　shown　you。”
Princess　Marya　read　the　document　and　her　face　worked　with　tearless　sobs。
“Through　whom　did　you　get　this？”　she　asked。
“They　probably　found　out　I　was　French　from　my　name；”　said　Mademoiselle　Bourienne；　flushing。
With　the　proclamation　in　her　hand；　Princess　Marya　got　up　from　the　window；　and　with　a　pale　face　walked　out　of　the　room　into　Prince　Andrey’s　former　study。
“Dunyasha！　send　Alpatitch　to　me；　Dronushka；　or　somebody！”　said　Princess　Marya。　“And　tell　Amalya　Karlovna　not　to　come　to　me；”　she　added；　hearing　Mademoiselle　Bourienne’s　voice。　“To　set　off　at　once！　as　quick　as　possible！”　said　Princess　Marya；　appalled　at　the　idea　that　she　might　be　left　in　the　power　of　the　French。
“That　Prince　Andrey　should　know　that　she　was　in　the　power　of　the　French！　That　she；　the　daughter　of　Prince　Nikolay　Andreitch　Bolkonsky；　should　stoop　to　ask　General　Rameau　to　grant　her　his　protection；　and　should　take　advantage　of　his　good　offices。”　The　idea　appalled　her；　made　her　shudder　and　turn　crimson。　She　felt　a　rush　of　vindictive　wrath　and　pride　of　which　she　had　had　no　conception。　All　the　bitterness；　and　still　more　the　humiliation　of　her　position　rose　vividly　to　her　imagination。　“They；　the　French；　would　take　up　their　quarters　in　the　house：　M。　le　Général　Rameau　would　occupy　Prince　Andrey’s　study；　would　amuse　himself　by　looking　through　and　reading　his　letters　and　papers；　Mademoiselle　Bourienne　would　do　the　honours　of　Bogutcharovo；　I　should　be　given　a　room　as　a　favour；　the　soldiers　would　break　open　my　father’s　newly　dug　grave　to　take　his　crosses　and　decorations；　they　would　tell　me　of　their　victories　over　the　Russians；　would　affect　hypocritical　sympathy　with　my　grief；　…”　thought　Princess　Marya；　thinking　not　the　thoughts　natural　to　her；　but　feeling　it　a　duty　to　think　as　her　father　and　brother　would　have　done。　To　her　personally　it　did　not　matter　where　she　stayed　and　what　happened　to　her；　but；　at　the　same　time；　she　felt　herself　the　representative　of　her　dead　father　and　Prince　Andrey。　Unconsciously　she　thought　their　thoughts　and　felt　their　feelings。　What　they　would　have　said；　what　they　would　have　done　now；　she　felt　it　incumbent　upon　her　to　do。　She　went　into　Prince　Andrey’s　study；　and　trying　to　enter　completely　into　his　ideas；　thought　over　her　situation。
The　exigencies　of　life；　which　she　had　regarded　as　of　no　consequence　since　her　father’s　death；　all　at　once　rose　up　about　Princess　Marya　with　a　force　she　had　known　nothing　of　before；　and　swept　her　away　with　them。
Flushed　and　excited　she　walked　about　the　room；　sending　first　for　Alpatitch；　then　for　Mihail　Ivanitch；　then　for　Tihon；　then　for　Dron。　Dunyasha；　the　old　nurse；　and　the　maids　could　not　tell　her　how　far　Mademoiselle　Bourienne’s　statements　had　been　correct。　Alpatitch　was　not　in　the　house；　he　had　gone　to　the　police　authorities。　Mihail　Ivanitch；　the　architect；　came　with　sleepy　eyes　on　being　sent　for；　but　could　tell　Princess　Marya　nothing。　With　the　same　smile　of　acquiescence　with　which　he　had　been　accustomed　during　the　course　of　fifteen　years　to　meet　the　old　prince’s　remarks　without　committing　himself；　he　now　met　the　princess’s　questions；　so　that　there　was　no　getting　any　definite　answer　out　of　him。　The　old　valet；　Tihon；　whose　wan　and　sunken　face　wore　the　stamp　of　inconsolable　grief；　answered　“Yes；　princess；”　to　all　Princess　Marya’s　questions；　and　could　scarcely　restrain　his　sobs　as　he　looked　at　her。
Lastly；　the　village　elder；　Dron；　came　into　the　room；　and　bowing　low　to　the　princess；　took　up　his　position　near　the　doorway。
Princess　Marya　walked　up　and　down　the　room　and　stood　still　facing　him。
“Dronushka；”　she　said；　seeing　in　him　a　staunch　friend；　the　Dronushka　who　had　every　year　brought　back　from　the　fair　at　Vyazma　the　same　gingerbreads　she　connected　with　him；　and　had　presented　them　to　her　with　the　same　smile；　“Dronushka；　now；　after　our　misfortune；”　…　she　began；　and　paused；　unable　to　proceed。
“We　are　all　in　God’s　hands；”　he　said；　with　a　sigh。
They　were　silent。
“Dronushka；　Alpatitch　has　gone　off　somewhere；　I　have　no　one　to　turn　to。　Is　it　true；　as　I’m　told；　that　it　is　impossible　for　me　to　go　away？”
“Why　shouldn’t　you　go　away；　your　excellency？　You　can　go；”　said　Dron。
“I　have　been　told　there　is　danger　from　the　enemy。　My　good　friend；　I　can　do　nothing；　I　know　nothing　about　it；　I　have　nobody。　I　want　to　set　off　without　fail　to…night　or　to…morrow　morning　early。”
Dron　did　not　speak。　He　looked　up　from　under　his　brows　at　Princess　Marya。
“There　are　no　horses；”　he　said。　“I　have　told　Yakov　Alpatitch　so　already。”
“How　is　that？”　said　the　princess。
“It’s　all　the　visitation　of　the　Lord；”　said　Dron。　“Some　horses　have　been　carried　off　for　the　troops；　and　some　are　dead；　it’s　a　bad　year；　it　is。　If　only　we　don’t　die　of　hunger　ourselves；　let　alone　feeding　the　horses！　Here　they’ve　been　three　days　without　a　bit　of　bread。　There’s　nothing；　they　have　been　plundered　to　the　last　bit。”
Princess　Marya　listened　attentively　to　what　he　said　to　her。
“The　peasants　have　been　plundered？　They　have　no　bread？”　she　asked。
“They　are　dying　of　hunger；”　said　Dron；　“no　use　talking　of　horses　and　carts。”
“But　why　didn’t　you　say　so；　Dronushka？　Can’t　they　be　helped？　I’ll　do　everything　I　can　…”　It　was　strange　to　Princess　Marya　to　think　that　at　such　a　moment；　when　her　heart　was　overflowing　with　such　a　sorrow；　there　could　be　rich　people　and　poor；　and　that　the　rich　could　possibly　not　help　the　poor。　She　vaguely　knew　that　there　was　a　store　of　“seignorial　corn；”　and　that　it　was　sometimes　given　to　the　peasants。　She　knew；　too；　that　neither　her　brother　nor　her　father　would　refuse　the　peasants　in　their　need；　she　was　only　afraid　of　making　some　mistake　in　the　wording　of　the　order　for　this　distribution。　She　was　glad　that　she　had　an　excuse　for　doing　something　in　which　she　could；　without　scruple；　forget　her　own　grief。　She　began　to　question　Dronushka　about　the　peasants’　needs；　and　to　ask　whether　there　was　a　“seignorial　store”　at　Bogutcharovo。
“I　suppose　we　have　a　store　of　wheat　of　my　brothe