第4章

第4章soonafterthelittleprincess，therewalkedinamassivelybuilt，stoutyoungmaninspectacles，withacroppedhead，lightbreechesinthemodeoftheday，withahighlaceruffleandaginger-colouredcoat.thisstoutyoungmanwastheillegitimatesonofacelebrateddandyofthedaysofcatherine，countbezuhov，whowasnowdyingatmoscow.hehadnotyetenteredanybranchoftheservice；hehadonlyjustreturnedfromabroad，wherehehadbeeneducated，andthiswashisfirstappearanceinsociety.annapavlovnagreetedhimwithanodreservedforpersonsoftheverylowesthierarchyinherdrawing-room.but，inspiteofthisgreeting，annapavlovna’scountenanceshowedsignsonseeingpierreofuneasinessandalarm，suchasisshownatthesightofsomethingtoobigandoutofplace.thoughpierrecertainlywassomewhaterthananyoftheothermenintheroom，thisexpressioncouldonlyhavereferencetotheclever，thoughshy，observantandnaturallookthatdistinguishedhimfromeveryoneelseinthedrawing-room.

“itisverykindofyou，m.pierre，tohavecometoseeapoorinvalid，”annapavlovnasaidtohim，exchanginganxiousglanceswithheraunt，towhomshewasconductinghim.

pierremurmuredsomethingunintelligible，andcontinuedsearchingforsomethingwithhiseyes.hesmiledgleefullyanddelightedly，bowingtothelittleprincessasthoughshewereanintimatefriend，andwentuptotheaunt.annapavlovna’salarmwasnotwithoutgrounds，forpierrewalkedawayfromtheauntwithoutwaitingtotheendofherremarksabouthermajesty’shealth.annapavlovnastoppedhimindismaywiththewords：“youdon’tknowabbémorio？he’saveryinterestingman，”shesaid.

“yes，ihaveheardofhisschemeforperpetualpeace，andit’sveryinteresting，buthardlypossible…”

“youthinkso？”saidannapavlovnainordertosaysomethingandtogetawayagaintoherdutiesashostess，butpierrecommittedtheoppositeincivility.justnowhehadwalkedoffwithoutlisteningtotheladywhowasaddressinghim；nowhedetainedbyhistalkaladywhowantedtogetawayfromhim.withheadbentandlegsplantedwideapart，hebeganexplainingtoannapavlovnawhyheconsideredtheabbé’sschemechimerical.

“wewilltalkofitlater，”saidannapavlovna，smiling.

andgettingridofthisunmannerlyyoungmanshereturnedtoherduties，keepinghereyesandearsopen，readytoflytotheassistanceatanypointwheretheconversationwasing.justastheforemanofaspinning-millsettlesthework-peopleintheirplaces，walksupanddowntheworks，andnotinganystoppageorunusualcreakingortooloudawhirinthespindles，goesuphurriedly，slackensthemachineryandsetsitgoingproperly，soannapavlovna，walkingaboutherdrawing-room，wentuptoanycirclethatwaspausingortooloudinconversationandbyasinglewordorchangeofpositionsettheconversationalmachinegoingagaininitsregular，decorousway.butinthemidstofthesecaresaspecialanxietyonpierre’saccountcouldstillbediscernedinher.shekeptananxiouswatchonhimashewentuptolistentowhatwasbeingsaidnearmortemart，andwalkedawaytoanothergroupwheretheabbéwastalking.pierrehadbeeneducatedabroad，andthispartyatannapavlovna’swasthefirstatwhichhehadbeenpresentinrussia.heknewalltheintellectuallightsofpetersburggatheredtogetherhere，andhiseyesstrayedaboutlikeachild’sinatoy-shop.hewasafraidateverymomentofmissingsomeintellectualconversationwhichhemighthaveheard.gazingattheself-confidentandrefinedexpressionsofthepersonagesassembledhere，hewascontinuallyexpectingsomethingexceptionallyclever.atlasthemoveduptoabbémorio.theconversationseemedinteresting，andhestoodstillwaitingforanopportunityofexpressinghisownideas，asyoungpeoplearefondofdoing.