战争与和平(上)-第68章

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omething　not　legitimate。　I　have　been　told　that　her　brother；　Anatole；　was　in　love　with　her；　and　she　in　love　with　him；　that　there　was　a　regular　scandal；　and　that’s　why　Anatole　was　sent　away。　Her　brother　is　Ippolit。…Her　father　is　Prince　Vassily。…That’s　bad；”　he　mused；　and　at　the　very　moment　that　he　was　reflecting　thus　（the　reflections　were　not　followed　out　to　the　end）　he　caught　himself　smiling；　and　became　conscious　that　another　series　of　reflections　had　risen　to　the　surface　across　the　first；　that　he　was　at　the　same　time　meditating　on　her　worthlessness；　and　dreaming　of　how　she　would　be　his　wife；　how　she　might　love　him；　how　she　might　become　quite　different；　and　how　all　he　had　thought　and　heard　about　her　might　be　untrue。　And　again　he　saw　her；　not　as　the　daughter　of　Prince　Vassily；　but　saw　her　whole　body；　only　veiled　by　her　grey　gown。　“But；　no；　why　didn’t　that　idea　ever　occur　to　me　before？”　And　again　he　told　himself　that　it　was　impossible；　that　there　would　be　something　nasty；　unnatural；　as　it　seemed　to　him；　and　dishonourable　in　this　marriage。　He　recalled　her　past　words　and　looks；　and　the　words　and　looks　of　people；　who　had　seen　them　together。　He　remembered　the　words　and　looks　of　Anna　Pavlovna；　when　she　had　spoken　about　his　house；　he　recollected　thousands　of　such　hints　from　Prince　Vassily　and　other　people；　and　he　was　overwhelmed　with　terror　that　he　might　have　bound　himself　in　some　way　to　do　a　thing　obviously　wrong；　and　not　what　he　ought　to　do。　But　at　the　very　time　that　he　was　expressing　this　to　himself；　in　another　part　of　his　mind　her　image　floated　to　the　surface　in　all　its　womanly　beauty。


Chapter　2
IN　THE　NOVEMBER　of　1805　Prince　Vassily　was　obliged　to　go　on　a　tour　of　inspection　through　four　provinces。　He　had　secured　this　appointment　for　himself；　in　order　to　be　able　at　the　same　time　to　visit　his　estates；　which　were　in　a　neglected　state。　He　intended　to　pick　up　his　son；　Anatole；　on　the　way　（where　his　regiment　was　stationed）；　and　to　pay　a　visit　to　Prince　Nikolay　Andreivitch　Bolkonsky；　with　a　view　to　marrying　his　son　to　the　rich　old　man’s　daughter。　But　before　going　away　and　entering　on　these　new　affairs；　Prince　Vassily　wanted　to　settle　matters　with　Pierre；　who　had；　it　was　true；　of　late　spent　whole　days　at　home；　that　is；　at　Prince　Vassily’s；　where　he　was　staying；　and　was　as　absurd；　as　agitated；　and　as　stupid　in　Ellen’s　presence；　as　a　young　man　in　love　should　be；　but　still　made　no　offer。
“This　is　all　very　fine；　but　the　thing　must　come　to　a　conclusion；”　Prince　Vassily　said　to　himself　one　morning；　with　a　melancholy　sigh；　recognising　that　Pierre；　who　was　so　greatly　indebted　to　him　（But　there！　God　bless　the　fellow！）；　was　not　behaving　quite　nicely　to　him　in　the　matter。　“Youth…frivolity…well；　God　be　with　him；”　thought　Prince　Vassily；　enjoying　the　sense　of　his　own　goodness　of　heart；　“but　the　thing　must　come　to　a　conclusion。　The　day　after　to…morrow　is　Ellen’s　nameday；　I’ll　invite　some　people；　and　if　he　doesn’t　understand　what　he’s　to　do；　then　it　will　be　my　affair　to　see　to　it。　Yes；　my　affair。　I’m　her　father。”
Six　weeks　after　Anna　Pavlovna’s　party；　and　the　sleepless　and　agitated　night　after　it；　in　which　Pierre　had　made　up　his　mind　that　a　marriage　with　Ellen　would　be　a　calamity；　and　that　he　must　avoid　her　and　go　away；　six　weeks　after　that　decision　Pierre　had　still　not　left　Prince　Vassily’s；　and　felt　with　horror　that　every　day　he　was　more　and　more　connected　with　her　in　people’s　minds；　that　he　could　not　go　back　to　his　former　view　of　her；　that　he　could　not　tear　himself　away　from　her　even；　that　it　would　be　an　awful　thing；　but　that　he　would　have　to　unite　his　life　to　hers。　Perhaps　he　might　have　mastered　himself；　but　not　a　day　passed　without　a　party　at　Prince　Vassily’s　（where　receptions　had　not　been　frequent）；　and　Pierre　was　bound　to　be　present　if　he　did　not　want　to　disturb　the　general　satisfaction　and　disappoint　every　one。　At　the　rare　moments　when　Prince　Vassily　was　at　home；　he　took　Pierre’s　hand　if　he　passed　him；　carelessly　offered　him　his　shaven；　wrinkled　cheek　for　a　kiss；　and　said；　“till　to…morrow；”　or　“be　in　to　dinner；　or　I　shan’t　see　you；”　or　“I　shall　stay　at　home　on　your　account；”　or　some　such　remark。　But　although；　when　Prince　Vassily　did　stay　at　home　for　Pierre　（as　he　said）；　he　never　spoke　two　words　to　him；　Pierre　did　not　feel　equal　to　disappointing　him。　Every　day　he　said　the　same　thing　over　and　over　to　himself。　“I　must　really　understand　her　and　make　up　my　mind；　what　she　is。　Was　I　mistaken　before；　or　am　I　mistaken　now？　No；　she’s　not　stupid；　no；　she’s　a　good　girl；”　he　said　to　himself　sometimes。　“She　never　makes　a　mistake；　nor　has　said　anything　stupid。　She　says　very　little；　but　what　she　does　say　is　always　simple　and　clear。　So　she’s　not　stupid。　She　has　never　been　abashed；　and　she　is　not　abashed　now。　So　she　isn’t　a　bad　woman。”　It　often　happened　that　he　began　to　make　reflections；　to　think　aloud　in　her　company；　and　every　time　she　had　replied　either　by　a　brief；　but　appropriate　remark；　that　showed　she　was　not　interested　in　the　matter；　or　by　a　mute　smile　and　glance；　which　more　palpably　than　anything　proved　to　Pierre　her　superiority。　She　was　right　in　regarding　all　reflections　as　nonsense　in　comparison　with　that　smile。
She　always　addressed　him　now　with　a　glad；　confiding　smile—a　smile　having　reference　to　him　alone；　and　full　of　something　more　significant　than　the　society　smile　that　always　adorned　her　face。　Pierre　knew　that　every　one　was　only　waiting　for　him　to　say　one　word；　to　cross　a　certain　line；　and　he　knew　that　sooner　or　later　he　would　cross　it。　But　a　kind　of　uncomprehended　horror　seized　upon　him　at　the　mere　thought　of　this　fearful　step。　A　thousand　times　in　the　course　of　those　six　weeks；　during　which　he　felt　himself　being　drawn　on　further　and　further　toward　the　abyss　that　horrified　him；　Pierre　had　said　to　himself：　“But　what　does　it　mean？　I　must　act　with　decision！　Can　it　be　that　I　haven’t　any？”　He　tried　to　come　to　a　decision；　but　felt　with　dismay　that　he　had　not　in　this　case　the　strength　of　will　which　he　had　known　in　himself　and　really　did　possess。　Pierre　belonged　to　that　class　of　persons　who　are　only　strong　when　they　feel　themselves　perfectly　pure。　And　ever　since　the　day　when　he　had　been　overcome　by　the　sensation　of　desire；　that　he　had　felt　stooping　over　the　snuff…box　at　Anna　Pavlovna’s；　an　unconscious　sense　of　the　sinfulness　of　that　impulse　paralysed　his　will。
On　Ellen’s　name…day；　Prince　Vassily　was　giving　a　little　supper　party　of　just　their　own　people；　as　his　wife　said；　that　is；　of　friends　and　relations。　All　these　friends　and　relations　were　made　to　feel　that　the　day　was　to　be　a　momentous　one　in　the　young　lady’s　life。　The　guests　were　seated　at　supper。　Princess　Kuragin；　a　massive　woman　of　imposing　presence；　who　had　once　been　beautiful；　sat　in　the　hostess’　place；　with　the　most　honoured　guests　on　each　side　of　her—an　old　general　and　his　wife；　and　Anna　Pavlovna　Scherer。　Towards　the　bottom　of　the　table　sat　the　less　elderly　and　less　honoured　guests；　and　there　too　sat　as　members　of　the　family　Pierre　and　Ellen；　side　by　side。　Prince　Vassily　did　not　take　supper。　He　moved　to　and　fro　about　the　table；　in　excellent　spirits；　sitting　down　beside　one　guest　after　another。　To　every　one　he　dropped　a　few　careless　and　agreeable　words；　except　to　Pierre　and　Ellen；　whose　presence　he　seemed　not　to　notice。　Prince　Vassily　enlivened　the　whole　company。　The　wax　candles　burned　brightly；　there　was　a　glitter　of　silver　and　crystal　on　the　table；　of　ladies’　ornaments　and　the　gold　and　silver　of　epaulettes。　The　servants　threaded　their　way　in　and　out　round　the　table　in　their　red　coats。　There　was　a　clatter　of　knives；　glasses；　and　plates；　and　the　sound　of　eager　talk　from　several　separate　conversations　round　the　table。　The　old　kammerherr　at　one　end　could　be　heard　asseverating　to　an　elderly　baroness　his　ardent　love　for　her；　while　she　laughed。　At　the　other　end　an　anecdote　was　being　told　of　the　ill…success　of　some　Marya　Viktorovna。　In　the　centre　Prince　Vassily　concentrated　the　attention　on　himself。　With　a　playful　smile　on　his　lips；　he　was　telling　the　ladies　about　the　last　Wednesday’s　session　of　the　privy　council；　at　which　Sergey　Kuzmitch　Vyazmitinov；　the　new　military　governor…general　of　Petersburg；　had　received　and　read　a　rescript—much　talked　of　a