战争与和平(上)-第374章

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And　Pierre　had　won　the　Italian’s　passionate　devotion　simply　by　drawing　out　what　was　best　in　his　soul　and　admiring　it。
During　the　latter　part　of　Pierre’s　stay　in　Orel；　he　received　a　visit　from　an　old　acquaintance；　Count　Villarsky；　the　freemason；　who　had　introduced　him　to　the　lodge　in　1807。　Villarsky　had　married　a　Russian　heiress；　who　had　great　estates　in　the　Orel　province；　and　he　was　filling　a　temporary　post　in　the　commissariat　department　in　the　town。
Though　Villarsky　had　never　been　very　intimately　acquainted　with　Bezuhov；　on　hearing　that　he　was　in　Orel；　he　called　upon　him　with　those　demonstrations　of　friendliness　and　intimacy　that　men　commonly　display　on　meeting　one　another　in　the　desert。　Villarsky　was　dull　in　Orel；　and　was　delighted　to　meet　a　man　of　his　own　circle；　who　had；　as　he　supposed；　the　same　interests　as　he　had。
But　to　his　surprise；　Villarsky　noticed　soon　that　Pierre　had　quite　dropped　behind　the　times；　and　had；　as　he　defined　it　himself　to　Pierre；　sunk　into　apathy　and　egoism。
“You　are　stagnating；”　he　said　to　him。
But　in　spite　of　that；　Villarsky　felt　much　more　at　home　with　Pierre　now　than　he　had　done　in　the　past；　and　came　every　day　to　see　him。　As　Pierre　watched　Villarsky；　and　listened　to　him　now；　it　seemed　strange　and　incredible　to　him　to　think　that　he　had　very　lately　been　the　same　sort　of　person　himself。
Villarsky　was　a　married　man　with　a　family；　whose　time　was　taken　up　in　managing　his　wife’s　property；　in　performing　his　official　duties；　and　in　looking　after　his　family。　He　regarded　all　these　duties　as　a　drawback　in　his　life；　and　looked　on　them　all　with　contempt；　because　they　were　all　directed　to　securing　his　own　personal　welfare　and　that　of　his　family。　Military；　administrative；　political；　and　masonic　questions　were　continually　engrossing　his　attention。　And　without　criticising　this　view　or　attempting　to　change　it；　Pierre　watched　this　phenomenon—so　strange；　yet　so　familiar　to　him—with　the　smile　of　gentle；　delighted　irony　that　was　now　habitual　with　him。
In　Pierre’s　relations　with　Villarsky；　with　his　cousin；　with　the　doctor；　and　with　all　the　people　he　met　now；　there　was　a　new　feature　that　gained　him　the　good…will　of　all。　This　was　the　recognition　of　the　freedom　of　every　man　to　think；　to　feel；　and　to　look　at　things　in　his　own　way；　the　recognition　of　the　impossibility　of　altering　a　man’s　conviction　by　words。　This　legitimate　individuality　of　every　man’s　views；　which　had　in　old　days　troubled　and　irritated　Pierre；　now　formed　the　basis　of　the　sympathetic　interest　he　felt　in　people。　The　inconsistency；　sometimes　the　complete　antagonism　of　men’s　views　with　their　own　lives　or　with　one　another；　delighted　Pierre；　and　drew　from　him　a　gentle　and　mocking　smile。
In　practical　affairs　Pierre　suddenly　felt　now　that　he　had　the　centre　of　gravity　that　he　had　lacked　in　former　days。　In　the　past　every　money　question；　especially　requests　for　money；　to　which　as　a　very　wealthy　man　he　was　particularly　liable；　had　reduced　him　to　a　state　of　helpless　agitation　and　perplexity。　“Ought　I　to　give　or　not　to　give？”　he　used　to　ask　himself。　“I　have　money　and　he　needs　it。　But　some　one　else　needs　it　more。　Who　needs　it　more？　And　perhaps　both　are　impostors？”　And　of　all　these　suppositions　he　had　in　old　days　found　no　satisfactory　solution；　and　gave　to　all　as　long　as　he　had　anything　to　give。　In　old　days　he　had　been　in　the　same　perplexity　over　every　question　relating　to　his　property　when　one　person　told　him　he　ought　to　act　in　one　way　and　another　advised　something　else。
Now　to　his　own　surprise　he　found　that　he　had　no　more　doubt　or　hesitation　on　all　such　questions。　Now　there　was　a　judge　within　him　settling　what　he　must　do　and　what　he　must　not；　by　some　laws　of　which　he　was　himself　unaware。
He　was　just　as　unconcerned　about　money　matters　as　before；　but　now　he　unhesitatingly　knew　what　he　ought　to　do　and　what　he　ought　not　to　do。　The　first　application　of　that　new　power　within　him　was　in　the　case　of　a　prisoner；　a　French　colonel；　who　called　on　him；　talked　very　freely　of　his　own　great　exploits；　and　finally　delivered　himself　of　a　request　that　was　more　like　a　demand；　that　he　should　give　him　four　thousand　francs　to　send　to　his　wife　and　children。　Pierre　refused　to　do　so　without　the　slightest　difficulty　or　effort；　and　wondered　himself　afterwards　that　it　had　been　so　easy　and　simple　to　do　what　had　in　old　days　seemed　so　hopelessly　difficult。　At　the　same　time　as　he　refused　the　French　colonel；　he　made　up　his　mind　that　he　must　certainly　resort　to　some　stratagem　when　he　left　Orel　to　induce　the　Italian　officer　to　accept　assistance；　of　which　he　stood　in　evident　need。　A　fresh　proof　to　Pierre　of　his　greater　certainty　in　regard　to　practical　matters　was　the　settlement　of　the　question　of　his　wife’s　debts；　and　of　the　rebuilding　of　his　Moscow　house　and　villas　in　the　suburbs。
His　head　steward　came　to　him　in　Orel；　and　with　him　Pierre　went　into　a　general　review　of　his　financial　position。　The　fire　of　Moscow　had　cost　Pierre；　by　the　steward’s　account；　about　two　millions。
The　chief　steward　to　console　him　for　these　losses　presented　a　calculation　he　had　made；　that　Pierre’s　income；　far　from　being　diminished；　would　be　positively　increased　if　he　were　to　refuse　to　pay　the　debts　left　by　the　countess—which　he　could　not　be　forced　to　pay—and　if　he　were　not　to　restore　his　Moscow　houses　and　the　villa　near　Moscow；　which　had　cost　him　eight　thousand　to　keep　up；　and　brought　in　nothing。
“Yes；　yes；　that’s　true；”　said　Pierre；　with　a　beaming　smile。
“Yes；　yes；　I　don’t　need　any　of　them。　I　have　been　made　much　richer　by　the　destruction　of　the　city。”
But　in　January　Savelitch　came　from　Moscow；　talked　to　him　of　the　position　of　the　city；　of　the　estimate　the　architect　had　sent　in　for　restoring　the　house；　and　the　villa　in　the　suburbs；　speaking　of　it　as　a　settled　matter。　At　the　same　time　Pierre　received　letters　from　Prince　Vassily　and　other　acquaintances　in　Petersburg；　in　which　his　wife’s　debts　were　mentioned。　And　Pierre　decided　that　the　steward’s　plan　that　he　had　liked　so　much　was　not　the　right　one；　and　that　he　must　go　to　Petersburg　to　wind　up　his　wife’s　affairs；　and　must　rebuild　in　Moscow。　Why　he　ought　to　do　so；　he　could　not　have　said；　but　he　was　convinced　that　he　ought。　His　income　was　diminished　by　one…fourth　owing　to　this　decision。　But　it　had　to　be　so；　he　felt　that。
Villarsky　was　going　to　Moscow；　and　they　agreed　to　make　the　journey　together。
During　the　whole　period　of　his　convalescence　in　Orel；　Pierre　had　enjoyed　the　feeling　of　joyful　freedom　and　life。　But　when　he　found　himself　on　this　journey　on　the　open　road；　and　saw　hundreds　of　new　faces；　that　feeling　was　intensified。　During　the　journey　he　felt　like　a　schoolboy　in　the　holidays。　All　the　people　he　saw—the　driver；　the　overseer　of　the　posting　station；　the　peasants　on　the　road；　or　in　the　village—all　had　a　new　significance　for　him。　The　presence　and　the　observations　of　Villarsky；　who　was　continually　deploring　the　poverty　and　the　ignorance　and　the　backwardness　of　Russia；　compared　with　Europe；　only　heightened　Pierre’s　pleasure　in　it。　Where　Villarsky　saw　deadness；　Pierre　saw　the　extraordinary　mighty　force　of　vitality；　the　force　which　sustained　the　life　of　that　homogeneous；　original；　and　unique　people　over　that　immense　expanse　of　snow。　He　did　not　contest　Villarsky’s　opinions；　and　smiled　gleefully；　as　he　listened；　appearing　to　agree　with　him　as　the　easiest　means　of　avoiding　arguments　which　could　lead　to　nothing。


Chapter　14
JUST　AS　IT　IS　DIFFICULT　to　explain　why　the　ants　hurry　back　to　a　scattered　ant…hill；　some　dragging　away　from　it　bits　of　refuse；　eggs；　and　corpses；　while　others　run　back　again；　and　what　is　their　object　in　crowding　together；　overtaking　one　another；　fighting　with　each　other；　so　it　would　be　hard　to　give　the　reasons　that　induced　the　Russians；　after　the　departure　of　the　French；　to　flock　back　to　the　place　which　had　been　known　as　Moscow。　But　just　as　looking　at　the　ants　hurrying　about　a　ruined　ant…heap；　one　can　see　by　the　tenacity；　the　energy；　and　the　multitude　of　the　busy　insects　that　though　all　else　is　utterly　destroyed；　there　is　left　something　indestructible　and　immaterial　that　was　the　whole　strength　of　the　colony；　so　too　Moscow　in　the　month　of　October；　though　without　its　governing　authorities；　without　its　churches；　without　its　holy　thin