战争与和平(上)-第5章

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ad　come　now　to　try　and　obtain　the　appointment　of　her　only　son　to　the　Guards。　It　was　simply　in　order　to　see　Prince　Vassily　that　she　had　invited　herself　and　come　to　Anna　Pavlovna’s　party；　simply　for　that　she　had　listened　to　the　vicomte’s　story。　She　was　dismayed　at　Prince　Vassily’s　words；　her　once　handsome　face　showed　exasperation；　but　that　lasted　only　one　moment。　She　smiled　again　and　grasped　Prince　Vassily’s　arm　more　tightly。
“Hear　what　I　have　to　say；　prince；”　she　said。　“I　have　never　asked　you　a　favour；　and　never　will　I　ask　one；　I　have　never　reminded　you　of　my　father’s　affection　for　you。　But　now；　for　God’s　sake；　I　beseech　you；　do　this　for　my　son；　and　I　shall　consider　you　my　greatest　benefactor；”　she　added　hurriedly。　“No；　don’t　be　angry；　but　promise　me。　I　have　asked　Galitsin；　he　has　refused。　Be　as　kind　as　you　used　to　be；”　she　said；　trying　to　smile；　though　there　were　tears　in　her　eyes。
“Papa；　we　are　late；”　said　Princess　Ellen；　turning　her　lovely　head　on　her　statuesque　shoulders　as　she　waited　at　the　door。
But　influence　in　the　world　is　a　capital；　which　must　be　carefully　guarded　if　it　is　not　to　disappear。　Prince　Vassily　knew　this；　and　having　once　for　all　reflected　that　if　he　were　to　beg　for　all　who　begged　him　to　do　so；　he　would　soon　be　unable　to　beg　for　himself；　he　rarely　made　use　of　his　influence。　In　Princess　Drubetskoy’s　case；　however；　he　felt　after　her　new　appeal　something　akin　to　a　conscience…prick。　She　had　reminded　him　of　the　truth；　for　his　first　step　upwards　in　the　service　he　had　been　indebted　to　her　father。　Besides　this；　he　saw　from　her　manner　that　she　was　one　of　those　women—especially　mothers—who　having　once　taken　an　idea　into　their　heads　will　not　give　it　up　till　their　wishes　are　fulfilled；　and　till　then　are　prepared　for　daily；　hourly　persistence；　and　even　for　scenes。　This　last　consideration　made　him　waver。
“Chère　Anna　Mihalovna；”　he　said；　with　his　invariable　familiarity　and　boredom　in　his　voice；　“it’s　almost　impossible　for　me　to　do　what　you　wish；　but　to　show　you　my　devotion　to　you；　and　my　reverence　for　your　dear　father’s　memory；　I　will　do　the　impossible—your　son　shall　be　transferred　to　the　Guards；　here　is　my　hand　on　it。　Are　you　satisfied？”
“My　dear　prince；　you　are　our　benefactor。　I　expected　nothing　less　indeed；　I　know　how　good　you　are—”　He　tried　to　get　away。　“Wait　a　moment；　one　word。　Once　in　the　Guards　…”　She　hesitated。　“You　are　on　friendly　terms　with　Mihail　Ilarionovitch　Kutuzov；　recommend　Boris　as　his　adjutant。　Then　my　heart　will　be　set　at　rest；　then　indeed　…”
Prince　Vassily　smiled。　“That　I　can’t　promise。　You　don’t　know　how　Kutuzov　has　been　besieged　ever　since　he　has　been　appointed　commander…in…chief。　He　told　me　himself　that　all　the　Moscow　ladies　were　in　league　together　to　give　him　all　their　offspring　as　adjutants。”
“No；　promise　me；　I　can’t　let　you　off；　kind；　good　friend；　benefactor　…”
“Papa；”　repeated　the　beauty　in　the　same　tone；　“we　are　late。”
“Come；　au　revoir；　good…bye。　You　see　how　it　is。”
“To…morrow　then　you　will　speak　to　the　Emperor？”
“Certainly；　but　about　Kutuzov　I　can’t　promise。”
“Yes；　do　promise；　promise；　Basile；”　Anna　Mihalovna　said；　pursuing　him　with　the　smile　of　a　coquettish　girl；　once　perhaps　characteristic；　but　now　utterly　incongruous　with　her　careworn　face。　Evidently　she　had　forgotten　her　age　and　from　habit　was　bringing　out　every　feminine　resource。　But　as　soon　as　he　had　gone　out　her　face　assumed　once　more　the　frigid；　artificial　expression　it　had　worn　all　the　evening。　She　went　back　to　the　group　in　which　the　vicomte　was　still　talking；　and　again　affected　to　be　listening；　waiting　for　the　suitable　moment　to　get　away；　now　that　her　object　had　been　attained。
“And　what　do　you　think　of　this　latest　farce　of　the　coronation　at　Milan？”　said　Anna　Pavlovna。　“And　the　new　comedy　of　the　people　of　Lucca　and　Genoa　coming　to　present　their　petitions　to　Monsieur　Buonaparte。　Monsieur　Buonaparte　sitting　on　a　throne　and　granting　the　petitions　of　nations！　Adorable！　Why；　it　is　enough　to　drive　one　out　of　one’s　senses！　It　seems　as　though　the　whole　world　had　lost　its　head。”
Prince　Andrey　smiled　sarcastically；　looking　straight　into　Anna　Pavlovna’s　face。
“God　gives　it　me；　let　man　beware　of　touching　it；”　he　said　（Bonaparte’s　words　uttered　at　the　coronation）。　“They　say　that　he　was　very　fine　as　he　spoke　those　words；”　he　added；　and　he　repeated　the　same　words　in　Italian：　“Dio　me　l’ha　data；　e　quai　a　chi　la　tocca。”
“I　hope　that　at　last；”　pursued　Anna　Pavlovna；　“this　has　been　the　drop　of　water　that　will　make　the　glass　run　over。　The　sovereigns　cannot　continue　to　endure　this　man　who　is　a　threat　to　everything。”
“The　sovereigns！　I　am　not　speaking　of　Russia；”　said　the　vicomte　deferentially　and　hopelessly。　“The　sovereigns！　…　Madame！　What　did　they　do　for　Louis　the　Sixteenth；　for　the　queen；　for　Madame　Elisabeth？　Nothing；”　he　went　on　with　more　animation；　“and　believe　me；　they　are　undergoing　the　punishment　of　their　treason　to　the　Bourbon　cause。　The　sovereigns！　…　They　are　sending　ambassadors　to　congratulate　the　usurper。”
And　with　a　scornful　sigh　he　shifted　his　attitude　again。　Prince　Ippolit；　who　had　for　a　long　time　been　staring　through　his　eyeglass　at　the　vicomte；　at　these　words　suddenly　turned　completely　round；　and　bending　over　the　little　princess　asked　her　for　a　needle；　and　began　showing　her　the　coat…of…arms　of　the　Condé　family；　scratching　it　with　the　needle　on　the　table。　He　explained　the　coat…of…arms　with　an　air　of　gravity；　as　though　the　princess　had　asked　him　about　it。　“Staff；　gules；　engrailed　with　gules　of　azure—house　of　Condé；”　he　said。　The　princess　listened　smiling。
“If　Bonaparte　remains　another　year　on　the　throne　of　France；”　resumed　the　vicomte；　with　the　air　of　a　man　who；　being　better　acquainted　with　the　subject　than　any　one　else；　pursues　his　own　train　of　thought　without　listening　to　other　people；　“things　will　have　gone　too　far。　By　intrigue　and　violence；　by　exiles　and　executions；　French　society—I　mean　good　society—will　have　been　destroyed　for　ever；　and　then…”
He　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　made　a　despairing　gesture　with　his　hand。　Pierre　wanted　to　say　something—the　conversation　interested　him　—but　Anna　Pavlovna；　who　was　keeping　her　eye　on　him；　interposed。
“And　the　Emperor　Alexander；”　she　said　with　the　pathetic　note　that　always　accompanied　all　her　references　to　the　imperial　family；　“has　declared　his　intention　of　leaving　it　to　the　French　themselves　to　choose　their　own　form　of　government。　And　I　imagine　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　whole　nation；　delivered　from　the　usurper；　would　fling　itself　into　the　arms　of　its　lawful　king；”　said　Anna　Pavlovna；　trying　to　be　agreeable　to　an　émigré　and　loyalist。
“That’s　not　certain；”　said　Prince　Andrey。　“M。　le　vicomte　is　quite　right　in　supposing　that　things　have　gone　too　far　by　now。　I　imagine　it　would　not　be　easy　to　return　to　the　old　régime。”
“As　far　as　I　could　hear；”　Pierre；　blushing；　again　interposed　in　the　conversation；　“almost　all　the　nobility　have　gone　over　to　Bonaparte。”
“That’s　what　the　Bonapartists　assert；”　said　the　vicomte　without　looking　at　Pierre。　“It’s　a　difficult　matter　now　to　find　out　what　public　opinion　is　in　France。”
“Bonaparte　said　so；”　observed　Prince　Andrey　with　a　sarcastic　smile。　It　was　evident　that　he　did　not　like　the　vicomte；　and　that　though　he　was　not　looking　at　him；　he　was　directing　his　remarks　against　him。
“　‘I　showed　them　the　path　of　glory；　they　would　not　take　it；’　”　he　said　after　a　brief　pause；　again　quoting　Napoleon’s　words。　“　‘I　opened　my　anterooms　to　them；　they　crowded　in。’　…　I　do　not　know　in　what　degree　he　had　a　right　to　say　so。”
“None！”　retorted　the　vicomte。　“Since　the　duc’s　murder　even　his　warmest　partisans　have　ceased　to　regard　him　as　a　hero。　If　indeed　some　people　made　a　hero　of　him；”　said　the　vicomte　addressing　Anna　Pavlovna；　“since　the　duke’s　assassination　there　has　been　a　martyr　more　in　heaven；　and　a　hero　less　on　earth。”
Anna　Pavlovna　and　the　rest　of　the　company　hardly　had　time　to　smile　their　appreciation　of　the　vicomte’s　words；　when　Pierre　again　broke　into　the　conversation；　and　though　Anna　Pavlovna　had　a　foreboding　he　would　say　something　inappropriate；　this　time　she　was　unable　to　stop　him。
“The　execution　of　the　duc　d’Enghien；”　sai