战争与和平(上)-第324章

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“But　what　does　it　mean？”　said　Natasha　dreamily。
“Ah；　I　don’t　know；　how　extraordinary　it　all　is！”　said　Sonya；　clutching　at　her　head。
*　*　*
A　few　minutes　later；　Prince　Andrey　rang　his　bell；　and　Natasha　went　in　to　him；　while　Sonya；　in　a　state　of　excitement　and　emotion　such　as　she　had　rarely　experienced；　remained　in　the　window；　pondering　over　all　the　strangeness　of　what　was　happening。
That　day　there　was　an　opportunity　of　sending　letters　to　the　army；　and　the　countess　wrote　a　letter　to　her　son。
“Sonya；”　said　the　countess；　raising　her　head　from　her　letter；　as　her　niece　passed　by　her。　“Sonya；　won’t　you　write　to　Nikolenka？”　said　the　countess；　in　a　soft　and　trembling　voice；　and　in　the　tired　eyes；　that　looked　at　her　over　the　spectacles；　Sonya　read　all　that　the　countess　meant　by　those　words。　Those　eyes　expressed　entreaty　and　dread　of　a　refusal　and　shame　at　having　to　beg；　and　readiness　for　unforgiving　hatred　in　case　of　refusal。
Sonya　went　up　to　the　countess；　and　kneeling　down；　kissed　her　hand。
“I　will　write；　mamma；”　she　said。
Sonya　was　softened；　excited；　and　moved　by　all　that　had　passed　that　day；　especially　by　the　mysterious　fulfilment　of　her　divination；　which　she　had　just　seen。　Now；　when　she　knew　that　in　case　of　the　renewal　of　Natasha’s　engagement　to　Prince　Andrey；　Nikolay　could　not　be　married　to　Princess　Marya；　she　felt　with　delight　a　return　of　that　self…sacrificing　spirit　in　which　she　was　accustomed　and　liked　to　live。　And　with　tears　in　her　eyes；　and　with　a　glad　sense　of　performing　a　magnanimous　action；　she　sat　down；　and　several　times　interrupted　by　the　tears　that　dimmed　her　velvety　black　eyes；　she　wrote　the　touching　letter　the　reception　of　which　had　so　impressed　Nikolay。


Chapter　9
IN　THE　GUARD…ROOM　to　which　Pierre　had　been　taken；　the　officer　and　soldiers　in　charge　treated　him　with　hostility；　but　at　the　same　time　with　respect。　Their　attitude　to　him　betrayed　both　doubt　who　he　might　be—perhaps　a　person　of　great　importance—and　hostility；　in　consequence　of　the　personal　conflict　they　had　so　recently　had　with　him。
But　when　on　the　morning　of　the　next　day　the　guard　was　relieved；　Pierre　felt　that　for　his　new　guard—both　officers　and　soldiers—he　was　no　longer　an　object　of　the　same　interest　as　he　had　been　to　those　who　had　taken　him　prisoner。　And；　indeed；　in　the　big；　stout　man　in　a　peasant’s　coat；　the　sentinels　in　charge　next　day　saw　nothing　of　the　vigorous　person　who　had　fought　so　desperately　with　the　pillaging　soldier　and　the　convoy；　and　had　uttered　that　solemn　phrase　about　saving　a　child；　they　saw　in　him　only　number　seventeen　of　the　Russian　prisoners　who　were　to　be　detained　for　some　reason　by　order　of　the　higher　authorities。　If　there　were　anything　peculiar　about　Pierre；　it　lay　only　in　his　undaunted　air　of　concentrated　thought；　and　in　the　excellent　French　in　which；　to　the　surprise　of　the　French；　he　expressed　himself。　In　spite　of　that；　Pierre　was　put　that　day　with　the　other　suspicious　characters　who　had　been　apprehended；　since　the　room　he　had　occupied　was　wanted　for　an　officer。
All　the　Russians　detained　with　Pierre　were　persons　of　the　lowest　class。　And　all　of　them；　recognising　Pierre　as　a　gentleman；　held　aloof　from　him　all　the　more　for　his　speaking　French。　Pierre　mournfully　heard　their　jeers　at　his　expense。
On　the　following　evening；　Pierre　learned　that　all　the　prisoners　（and　himself　probably　in　the　number）　were　to　be　tried　for　incendiarism。　The　day　after；　Pierre　was　taken　with　the　rest　to　a　house　where　were　sitting　a　French　general　with　white　moustaches；　two　colonels；　and　other　Frenchmen　with　scarfs　on　their　shoulders。　With　that　peculiar　exactitude　and　definiteness；　which　is　always　employed　in　the　examination　of　prisoners　and　is　supposed　to　preclude　all　human　weaknesses；　they　put　questions　to　Pierre　and　the　others；　asking　who　he　was；　where　he　had　been；　with　what　object；　and　so　on。
These　questions；　leaving　on　one　side　the　essence　of　the　living　fact；　and　excluding　all　possibility　of　that　essence　being　discovered；　like　all　questions；　indeed；　in　legal　examinations；　aimed　only　at　directing　the　channel　along　which　the　examining　officials　desired　the　prisoner’s　answers　to　flow；　so　as　to　lead　him　to　the　goal　of　the　inquiry—that　is；　to　conviction。　So　soon　as　he　began　to　say　anything　that　was　not　conducive　to　this　aim；　then　they　pulled　up　the　channel；　and　the　water　might　flow　where　it　would。　Moreover；　Pierre　felt；　as　the　accused　always　do　feel　at　all　trials；　a　puzzled　wonder　why　all　these　questions　were　asked　him。　He　had　a　feeling　that　it　was　only　out　of　condescension；　out　of　a　sort　of　civility；　that　this　trick　of　directing　the　channel　of　their　replies　was　made　use　of。　He　knew　he　was　in　the　power　of　these　men；　that　it　was　only　by　superior　force　that　he　had　been　brought　here；　that　it　was　only　superior　force　that　gave　them　the　right　to　exact　answers　to　their　questions；　that　the　whole　aim　of　the　proceeding　was　to　convict　him。　And；　therefore；　since　they　had　superior　force；　and　they　had　the　desire　to　convict　him；　there　seemed　no　need　of　the　network　of　questions　and　the　trial。　It　was　obvious　that　all　the　questions　were　bound　to　lead　up　to　his　conviction。　To　the　inquiry　what　he　was　doing　when　he　was　apprehended；　Pierre　replied　with　a　certain　tragic　dignity　that　he　was　carrying　back　to　its　parents　a　child　he　had　“rescued　from　the　flames。”　Why　was　he　fighting　with　the　soldiers？　Pierre　replied　that　he　was　defending　a　woman；　that　the　defence　of　an　insulted　woman　was　the　duty　of　every　man；　and　so　on　…　He　was　pulled　up；　this　was　irrelevant。　With　what　object　had　he　been　in　the　courtyard　of　a　burning　house　where　he　had　been　seen　by　several　witnesses？　He　answered　that　he　was　going　out　to　see　what　was　going　on　in　Moscow。　He　was　pulled　up　again。　He　had　not　been　asked；　he　was　told；　where　he　was　going；　but　with　what　object　he　was　near　the　fire。　Who　was　he？　The　first　question　was　repeated；　to　which　he　had　said　he　did　not　want　to　answer。　Again　he　replied　that　he　could　not　answer　that。
“Write　that　down；　that’s　bad。　Very　bad；”　the　general　with　the　white　whiskers　and　the　red；　flushed　face　said　to　him　sternly。
On　the　fourth　day；　fire　broke　out　on　the　Zubovsky　rampart。
Pierre　was　moved　with　thirteen　of　the　others　to　a　coach…house　belonging　to　a　merchant’s　house　on　the　Crimean　Ford。　As　he　passed　through　the　street；　Pierre　could　hardly　breathe　for　the　smoke；　which　seemed　hanging　over　the　whole　city。　Fires　could　be　seen　in　various　directions。　Pierre　did　not　at　that　time　grasp　what　was　implied　by　the　burning　of　Moscow；　and　he　gazed　with　horror　at　the　fires。
In　a　coach…house　behind　a　house　in　the　Crimean　Ford；　Pierre　spent　another　four　days；　and　in　the　course　of　those　four　days　he　learned；　from　the　conversation　of　the　French　soldiers；　that　all　the　prisoners　in　detention　here　were　every　day　awaiting　the　decision　of　their　fate　by　a　marshal。　Of　what　marshal；　Pierre　could　not　ascertain　from　the　soldiers。　For　the　soldiers；　this　marshal　was　evidently　the　highest　and　somewhat　mysterious　symbol　of　power。
These　first　days；　up　to　the　8th　of　September；　when　the　prisoners　were　brought　up　for　a　second　examination；　were　the　most　painful　for　Pierre。


Chapter　10
ON　THE　8TH　of　September；　there　came　into　the　prisoners’　coach…house　an　officer　of　very　great　consequence；　judging　by　the　respectfulness　with　which　he　was　addressed　by　the　soldiers　on　guard。　This　officer；　probably　some　one　on　the　staff；　held　a　memorandum　in　his　hand；　and　called　over　all　the　Russians’　names；　giving　Pierre　the　title　of　“the　one　who　will　not　give　his　name。”　And　with　an　indolent　and　indifferent　glance　at　all　the　prisoners；　he　gave　the　officer　on　guard　orders　to　have　them　decently　dressed　and　in　good　order　before　bringing　them　before　the　marshal。　In　an　hour　a　company　of　soldiers　arrived；　and　Pierre　with　the　thirteen　others　was　taken　to　the　Virgin’s　Meadow。　It　was　a　fine　day；　sunny　after　rain；　and　the　air　was　exceptionally　clear。　The　smoke　did　not　hang　low　over　the　town　as　on　the　day　when　Pierre　had　been　taken　from　the　guard…room　of　the　Zubovsky　rampart；　the　smoke　rose　up　in　columns　into　the　pure　air。　Flames　were　nowhere　to　be　seen；　but　columns　of　smoke　were　rising　up　on　all　sides；　and　all　Moscow；　all　that　Pierre　could　see；　was　one　conflagration。　On　all　sides　he　saw　places　laid　waste；　wi