战争与和平(上)-第66章

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w；　and　to　receive　a　great　number　of　persons；　who　previously　had　not　cared　to　be　aware　of　his　existence；　but　now　would　have　been　hurt　and　offended　if　he　had　not　chosen　to　see　them。　All　these　various　people；　business　men；　relations；　acquaintances；　were　all　equally　friendly　and　well　disposed　towards　the　young　heir。　They　were　all　obviously　and　unhesitatingly　convinced　of　Pierre’s　noble　qualities。　He　was　continually　hearing　phrases；　such　as；　“With　your　exceptionally　kindly　disposition”；　or；　“Considering　your　excellent　heart”；　or；　“You　are　so　pure…minded　yourself；　count　…”　or；　“If　he　were　as　clever　as　you；”　and　so　on；　so　that　he　was　beginning　genuinely　to　believe　in　his　own　exceptional　goodness　and　his　own　exceptional　intelligence；　the　more　so；　as　at　the　bottom　of　his　heart　it　had　always　seemed　to　him　that　he　really　was　very　good…natured　and　very　intelligent。　Even　people；　who　had　before　been　spiteful　and　openly　hostile　to　him；　became　tender　and　affectionate。　The　hitherto　ill…tempered；　eldest　princess；　with　the　long　waist　and　the　hair　plastered　down　like　a　doll；　had　gone　into　Pierre’s　room　after　the　funeral。　Dropping　her　eyes　and　repeatedly　turning　crimson；　she　said　that　she　very　much　regretted　the　misunderstanding　that　had　arisen　between　them；　and　that　now　she　felt　she　had　no　right　to　ask　him　for　anything　except　permission；　after　the　blow　that　had　befallen　her；　to　remain　for　a　few　weeks　longer　in　the　house　which　she　was　so　fond　of；　and　in　which　she　had　made　such　sacrifices。　She　could　not　control　herself；　and　wept　at　these　words。　Touched　at　seeing　the　statue…like　princess　so　changed；　Pierre　took　her　by　the　hand　and　begged　her　pardon；　though　he　could　not　have　said　what　for。　From　that　day　the　princess　began　knitting　a　striped　scarf　for　Pierre；　and　was　completely　changed　towards　him。
“Do　this　for　my　sake；　my　dear　boy；　she　had　to　put　up　with　a　great　deal　from　the　deceased；　any　way；”　Prince　Vassily　said　to　him；　giving　him　some　deed　to　sign　for　the　princess’s　benefit。　Prince　Vassily　reflected　that　this　note　of　hand　for　thirty　thousand　was　a　sop　worth　throwing　to　the　poor　princess；　that　it　might　not　occur　to　her　to　gossip　about　Prince　Vassily’s　part　in　the　action　taken　with　the　inlaid　portfolio。　Pierre　signed　the　note；　and　from　that　time　the　princess　became　even　more　amiable。　The　younger　sisters　became　as　affectionate　too；　especially　the　youngest　one；　the　pretty　one　with　the　mole；　who　often　disconcerted　Pierre　with　her　smiles　and　her　confusion　at　the　sight　of　him。
To　Pierre　it　seemed　so　natural　that　every　one　should　be　fond　of　him；　it　would　have　seemed　to　him　so　unnatural　if　any　one　had　not　liked　him；　that　he　could　not　help　believing　in　the　sincerity　of　the　people　surrounding　him。　Besides；　he　had　no　time　to　doubt　their　sincerity　or　insincerity。　He　never　had　a　moment　of　leisure；　and　felt　in　a　continual　state　of　mild　and　agreeable　intoxication。　He　felt　as　though　he　were　the　centre　of　some　important　public　function；　felt　that　something　was　continually　being　expected　of　him；　that　if　he　did　this　and　that；　all　would　be　well；　and　he　did　what　was　expected　of　him；　but　still　that　happy　result　loomed　in　the　future。
In　these　early　days　Prince　Vassily；　more　than　all　the　rest；　took　control　of　Pierre’s　affairs；　and　of　Pierre　himself。　On　the　death　of　Count　Bezuhov　he　did　not　let　Pierre　slip　out　of　his　hands。　Prince　Vassily　had　the　air　of　a　man　weighed　down　by　affairs；　weary；　worried；　but　from　sympathetic　feeling；　unable　in　the　last　resort　to　abandon　this　helpless　lad；　the　son；　after　all；　of　his　friend；　and　the　heir　to　such　an　immense　fortune；　to　leave　him　to　his　fate　to　become　a　prey　to　plotting　knaves。　During　the　few　days　he　had　stayed　on　in　Moscow　after　Count　Bezuhov’s　death；　he　had　invited　Pierre　to　him；　or　had　himself　gone　to　see　Pierre；　and　had　dictated　to　him　what　he　was　to　do　in　a　tone　of　weariness　and　certainty　which　seemed　to　be　always　saying：　“You　know　that　I　am　overwhelmed　with　business　and　that　it　is　out　of　pure　charity　that　I　concern　myself　with　you；　and　moreover　you　know　very　well　that　what　I　propose　to　you　is　the　only　feasible　thing。”
“Well；　my　dear　boy；　to…morrow　we　are　off　at　last；”　he　said　one　day；　closing　his　eyes；　drumming　his　fingers　on　his　elbow；　and　speaking　as　though　the　matter　had　long　ago　been　settled　between　them；　and　could　not　be　settled　in　any　other　way。
“To…morrow　we　set　off；　I’ll　give　you　a　place　in　my　coach。　I’m　very　glad。　Here　all　our　important　business　is　settled。　And　I　ought　to　have　been　back　long　ago。　Here；　I　have　received　this　from　the　chancellor。　I　petitioned　him　in　your　favour；　and　you　are　put　on　the　diplomatic　corps；　and　created　a　gentleman　of　the　bedchamber。　Now　a　diplomatic　career　lies　open　to　you。”
Notwithstanding　the　effect　produced　on　him　by　the　tone　of　weariness　and　certainty　with　which　these　words　were　uttered；　Pierre；　who　had　so　long　been　pondering　over　his　future　career；　tried　to　protest。　But　Prince　Vassily　broke　in　on　his　protest　in　droning；　bass　tones；　that　precluded　all　possibility　of　interrupting　the　flow　of　his　words；　it　was　the　resource　he　fell　back　upon　when　extreme　measures　of　persuasion　were　needed。
“But；　my　dear　boy；　I　have　done　it　for　my　own　sake；　for　my　conscience’　sake；　and　there　is　no　need　to　thank　me。　No　one　has　ever　complained　yet　of　being　too　much　loved；　and　then　you　are　free；　you　can　give　it　all　up　to…morrow。　You’ll　see　for　yourself　in　Petersburg。　And　it　is　high　time　you　were　getting　away　from　these　terrible　associations。”　Prince　Vassily　sighed。　“So　that’s　all　settled；　my　dear　fellow。　And　let　my　valet　go　in　your　coach。　Ah；　yes；　I　was　almost　forgetting；”　Prince　Vassily　added。　“You　know；　my　dear　boy；　I　had　a　little　account　to　settle　with　your　father；　so　as　I　have　received　something　from　the　Ryazan　estate；　I’ll　keep　that；　you　don’t　want　it。　We’ll　go　into　accounts　later。”
What　Prince　Vassily　called　“something　from　the　Ryazan　estate”　was　several　thousands　of　roubles　paid　in　lieu　of　service　by　the　peasants；　and　this　sum　he　kept　for　himself。
In　Petersburg；　Pierre　was　surrounded　by　the　same　atmosphere　of　affection　and　tenderness　as　in　Moscow。　He　could　not　decline　the　post；　or　rather　the　title　（for　he　did　nothing）　that　Prince　Vassily　had　obtained　for　him；　and　acquaintances；　invitations；　and　social　duties　were　so　numerous　that　Pierre　was　even　more　than　in　Moscow　conscious　of　the　feeling　of　stupefaction；　hurry　and　continued　expectation　of　some　future　good　which　was　always　coming　and　was　never　realised。
Of　his　old　circle　of　bachelor　acquaintances　there　were　not　many　left　in　Petersburg。　The　Guards　were　on　active　service；　Dolohov　had　been　degraded　to　the　ranks；　Anatole　had　gone　into　the　army　and　was　somewhere　in　the　provinces；　Prince　Andrey　was　abroad；　and　so　Pierre　had　not　the　opportunity　of　spending　his　nights　in　the　way　he　had　so　loved　spending　them　before；　nor　could　he　open　his　heart　in　intimate　talk　with　the　friend　who　was　older　than　himself　and　a　man　he　respected。　All　his　time　was　spent　at　dinners　and　balls；　or　at　Prince　Vassily’s　in　the　society　of　the　fat　princess；　his　wife；　and　the　beauty；　his　daughter　Ellen。
Like　every　one　else；　Anna　Pavlovna　Scherer　showed　Pierre　the　change　that　had　taken　place　in　the　attitude　of　society　towards　him。
In　former　days；　Pierre　had　always　felt　in　Anna　Pavlovna’s　presence　that　what　he　was　saying　was　unsuitable；　tactless；　not　the　right　thing；　that　the　phrases；　which　seemed　to　him　clever　as　he　formed　them　in　his　mind；　became　somehow　stupid　as　soon　as　he　uttered　them　aloud；　and　that；　on　the　contrary；　Ippolit’s　most　pointless　remarks　had　the　effect　of　being　clever　and　charming。　Now　everything　he　said　was　always　“delightful。”　Even　if　Anna　Pavlovna　did　not　say　so；　he　saw　she　was　longing　to　say　so；　and　only　refraining　from　doing　so　from　regard　for　his　modesty。
At　the　beginning　of　the　winter；　in　the　year　1805；　Pierre　received　one　of　Anna　Pavlovna’s　customary　pink　notes　of　invitation；　in　which　the　words　occurred：　“You　will　find　the　fair　Hélène　at　my　house；　whom　one　never　gets　tired　of　seeing。”
On　reading　that　passage；　Pierre　felt　for　the　first　time　that　there　was　being　formed　between　himself　and　Ellen　some　sort　of　tie；　recognised　by　other　people；　and　this　idea　at　once　alarmed　him；　as　though　an　obligation　were　being　laid　u