战争与和平(上)-第321章

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nd　her　eyes　shone　with　a　new；　radiant　light。
“You　have　seen　him；　aunt？”　said　Princess　Marya；　in　a　composed　voice；　not　knowing　herself　how　she　could　be　externally　so　calm　and　natural。
When　Rostov　came　into　the　room；　the　princess　dropped　her　head　for　an　instant；　as　though　to　give　time　for　their　visitor　to　greet　her　aunt；　and　then　at　the　very　moment　when　Nikolay　turned　to　her；　she　raised　her　head　and　met　his　gaze　with　shining　eyes。　With　a　movement　full　of　dignity　and　grace；　she　rose　with　a　joyous　smile；　held　out　her　delicate；　soft　hand　to　him；　and　spoke　in　a　voice　in　which　for　the　first　time　there　was　the　thrill　of　deep；　womanly　chest　notes。　Mademoiselle　Bourienne；　who　was　in　the　drawing…room；　gazed　at　Princess　Marya　with　bewildered　surprise。　The　most　accomplished　coquette　herself；　she　could　not　have　man？uvred　better　on　meeting　a　man　whom　she　wanted　to　attract。
“Either　black　suits　her　wonderfully；　or　she　really　has　grown　better　looking　without　my　noticing　it。　And　above　all；　such　tact　and　grace！”　thought　Mademoiselle　Bourienne。
Had　Princess　Marya　been　capable　of　reflection　at　that　moment；　she　would　have　been　even　more　astonished　than　Mademoiselle　Bourienne　at　the　change　that　had　taken　place　in　her。　From　the　moment　she　set　eyes　on　that　sweet；　loved　face；　some　new　force　of　life　seemed　to　take　possession　of　her；　and　to　drive　her　to　speak　and　act　apart　from　her　own　will。　From　the　time　Rostov　entered　the　room；　her　face　was　transformed。　Just　as　when　a　light　is　kindled　within　a　carved　and　painted　lantern；　the　delicate；　intricate；　artistic　tracery　comes　out　in　unexpected　and　impressive　beauty；　where　all　seemed　coarse；　dark；　and　meaningless　before；　so　was　Princess　Marya’s　face　transformed。　For　the　first　time　all　the　pure；　spiritual；　inner　travail　in　which　she　had　lived　till　then　came　out　in　her　face。　All　her　inner　searchings　of　spirit；　her　self…reproach；　her　sufferings；　her　striving　for　goodness；　her　resignation；　her　love；　her　self…sacrifice—all　this　was　radiant　now　in　those　luminous　eyes；　in　the　delicate　smile；　in　every　feature　of　her　tender　face。
Rostov　saw　all　this　as　clearly　as　though　he　had　known　her　whole　life。　He　felt　that　he　was　in　the　presence　of　a　creature　utterly　different　from　and　better　than　all　those　he　had　met　up　to　that　moment；　and；　above　all；　far　better　than　he　was　himself。
The　conversation　was　of　the　simplest　and　most　insignificant　kind。　They　talked　of　the　war；　unconsciously；　like　every　one　else；　exaggerating　their　sadness　on　that　subject；　they　talked　of　their　last　meeting—and　Nikolay　then　tried　to　turn　the　subject；　they　talked　of　the　kind…hearted　governor’s　wife；　of　Nikolay’s　relations；　and　of　Princess　Marya’s。
Princess　Marya　did　not　talk　of　her　brother；　but　turned　the　conversation；　as　soon　as　her　aunt　mentioned　Prince　Andrey。　It　was　evident　that　of　the　troubles　of　Russia　she　could　speak　artificially；　but　her　brother　was　a　subject　too　near　her　heart；　and　she　neither　would　nor　could　speak　lightly　of　him。　Nikolay　noticed　this；　as　indeed　with　a　keenness　of　observation　not　usual　with　him；　he　noticed　every　shade　of　Princess　Marya’s　character；　and　everything　confirmed　him　in　the　conviction　that　she　was　an　altogether　rare　and　original　being。
Nikolay；　like　Princess　Marya；　had　blushed　and　been　embarrassed；　when　he　heard　the　princess　spoken　of；　and　even　when　he　thought　of　her；　but　in　her　presence　he　felt　perfectly　at　ease；　and　he　said　to　her　not　at　all　what　he　had　prepared　beforehand　to　say　to　her；　but　what　came　into　his　mind　at　the　moment；　and　always　quite　appropriately。
As　visitors　always　do　where　there　are　children；　Nikolay；　in　a　momentary　silence　during　his　brief　visit；　had　recourse　to　Prince　Andrey’s　little　son；　caressing　him；　and　asking　him　if　he　would　like　to　be　an　hussar。　He　took　the　little　boy　in　his　arms；　began　gaily　whirling　him　round；　and　glanced　at　Princess　Marya。　With　softened；　happy；　shy　eyes；　she　was　watching　the　child　she　loved　in　the　arms　of　the　man　she　loved。　Nikolay　caught　that　look　too；　and　as　though　he　divined　its　significance；　flushed　with　delight；　and　fell　to　kissing　the　child　with　simple…hearted　gaiety。
Princess　Marya　was　not　going　into　society　at　all　on　account　of　her　mourning；　and　Nikolay　did　not　think　it　the　proper　thing　to　call　on　them　again。　But　the　governor’s　wife　still　persisted　in　her　match…making；　and　repeating　to　Nikolay　something　flattering　Princess　Marya　had　said　of　him；　and　vice　versa；　kept　urging　that　Rostov　should　declare　himself　to　Princess　Marya。　With　this　object；　she　arranged　that　the　young　people　should　meet　at　the　reverend　father’s　before　Mass。
Though　Rostov　did　tell　the　governor’s　wife　that　he　should　make　no　sort　of　declaration　to　Princess　Marya；　he　promised　to　be　there。
Just　as　at　Tilsit　Rostov　had　not　allowed　himself　to　doubt　whether　what　was　accepted　by　every　one　as　right　were　really　right；　so　now　after　a　brief　but　sincere　struggle　between　the　effort　to　order　his　life　in　accordance　with　his　own　sense　of　right；　and　humble　submission　to　circumstances；　he　chose　the　latter；　and　yielded　himself　to　the　power；　which；　he　felt；　was　irresistibly　carrying　him　away。　He　knew　that　to　declare　his　feelings　to　Princess　Marya　after　his　promise　to　Sonya　would　be　what　he　called　base。　And　he　knew　that　he　would　never　do　a　base　thing。　But　he　knew　too　（it　was　not　what　he　knew；　but　what　he　felt　at　the　bottom　of　his　heart）；　that　in　giving　way　now　to　the　force　of　circumstances　and　of　the　people　guiding　him；　he　was　not　only　doing　nothing　wrong；　but　was　doing　something　very；　very　grave；　something　of　more　gravity　than　anything　he　had　done　in　his　life。
After　seeing　Princess　Marya；　though　his　manner　of　life　remained　externally　the　same；　all　his　former　pleasures　lost　their　charm　for　him；　and　he　often　thought　of　her。　But　he　never　thought　of　her；　as　he　had　thought　of　all　the　young　girls　he　had　met　in　society；　nor　as　he　had　long；　and　sometimes　with　enthusiasm；　thought　of　Sonya。　Like　almost　every　honest…hearted　young　man；　he　had　thought　of　every　young　girl　as　of　a　possible　future　wife；　had　adapted　to　them　in　his　imagination　all　the　pictures　of　domestic　felicity：　the　white　morning　wrapper；　the　wife　behind　the　samovar；　the　wife’s　carriage；　the　little　ones；　mamma　and　papa；　their　attitude　to　one　another；　and　so　on；　and　so　on。　And　these　pictures　of　the　future　afforded　him　gratification。　But　when　he　thought　of　Princess　Marya；　to　whom　the　match…makers　were　trying　to　betroth　him；　he　could　never　form　any　picture　of　his　future　married　life　with　her。　Even　if　he　tried　to　do　so；　it　all　seemed　incoherent　and　false。　And　it　only　filled　him　with　dread。


Chapter　7
THE　TERRIBLE　NEWS　of　the　battle　of　Borodino；　of　our　losses　in　killed　and　wounded；　and　the　even　more　terrible　news　of　the　loss　of　Moscow　reached　Voronezh　in　the　middle　of　September。　Princess　Marya；　learning　of　her　brother’s　wound　only　from　the　newspapers；　and　having　no　definite　information　about　him；　was　preparing　（so　Nikolay　heard；　though　he　had　not　seen　her）　to　set　off　to　try　and　reach　Prince　Andrey。
On　hearing　the　news　of　the　battle　of　Borodino　and　of　the　abandonment　of　Moscow；　Rostov　felt；　not　despair；　rage；　revenge；　nor　any　such　feeling；　but　a　sudden　weariness　and　vexation　with　everything　at　Voronezh；　and　a　sense　of　awkwardness　and　uneasy　conscience。　All　the　conversations　he　listened　to　seemed　to　him　insincere；　he　did　not　know　what　to　think　of　it　all；　and　felt　that　only　in　the　regiment　would　all　become　clear　to　him　again。　He　made　haste　to　conclude　the　purchase　of　horses；　and　was　often　without　good　cause　ill…tempered　with　his　servant　and　quarter…master。
Several　days　before　Rostov’s　departure　there　was　a　thanksgiving　service　in　the　cathedral　for　the　victory　gained　by　the　Russian　troops；　and　Nikolay　went　to　the　service。　He　was　a　little　behind　the　governor；　and　was　standing　through　the　service　meditating　with　befitting　sedateness　on　the　most　various　subjects。　When　the　service　was　concluding；　the　governor’s　wife　beckoned　him　to　her。
“Did　you　see　the　princess？”　she　said；　with　a　motion　of　her　hand　towards　a　lady　in　black　standing　behind　the　choir。
Nikolay　recognised　Princess　Marya　at　once；　not　so　much　from　the　profile　he　saw　under　her　hat　as　from　the　feeling　of　watchful　solicitude；　awe；　and　pity　which　came　over　him　at　once。　Princess　Marya；　obvio