第672章

第672章pierrewasconductedintothebig,lighted-updining-room.inafewminutesheheardfootstepsandtheprincessandnatashacameintotheroom.natashawascalm,thoughthestern,unsmilingexpressionhadcomebackagainnowintoherface.princessmarya,natasha,andpierreallequallyexperiencedthatfeelingofawkwardnesswhichusuallyfollowswhenaseriousanddeeplyfeltconversationisover.tocontinueonthesamesubjectisimpossible;tospeakoftrivialmattersseemsdesecration,andtobesilentisunpleasant,becauseonewantstotalk,andthissilenceseemsasortofaffectation.insilencetheycametothetable.thefootmendrewbackandpushedupthechairs.pierreunfoldedhiscolddinnernapkin,andmakinguphismindtobreakthesilenceheglancedatnatashaandatprincessmarya.bothhadplainlyreachedthesamedecisionatthesamemoment;intheeyesofboththeregleamedasatisfactionwithlife,andanadmissionthattherewasgladnessinitaswellassorrow.

“doyoudrinkvodka？”saidprincessmarya,andthosewordsatoncedispelledtheshadowsofthepast.

“tellusaboutyourself,”saidprincessmarya;“suchincrediblymarvellousstoriesarebeingtoldaboutyou.”

“yes,”answeredpierre,withthegentlesmileofironythathadnowbecomehabitualwithhim.“imyselfamtoldofmarvelsthatineverdreamedof.maryaabramovnainvitedmetocomeandseeherandkepttellingmewhathadhappenedtome,oroughttohavehappened.stepanstepanovitchtooinstructedmehowiwastotellmystory.altogetherihavenoticedthattobeaninterestingpersonisaveryeasyposition（iamnowaninterestingperson）;peopleinvitemeandthentellmeallaboutit.”

natashasmiledandwasabouttosaysomething.

“wehavebeentoldthatyoulosttwomillionsinmoscow.isthattrue？”

“oh,iamthreetimesasrich,”saidpierre.inspiteofthestrainonhisfortune,ofhiswife’sdebts,andthenecessityofrebuilding,pierrestillsaidthathehadbecomethreetimesasrich.

“whatihaveundoubtedlygained,”hesaid,“isfreedom…”hewasbeginningseriously;butonsecondthoughtshedidnotcontinue,feelingthatitwastooegoisticasubject.

“andyouarebuilding？”

“yes,sucharesavelitch’sorders.”

“tellme,youhadnotheardofthecountess’sdeathwhenyoustayedinmoscow？”saidprincessmarya;andsheflushedcrimsonatonce,consciousthatinputtingthisquestiontohimafterhismentionof“freedom,”shewasascribingasignificancetohiswordswhichwaspossiblynotintended.

“no,”answeredpierre,obviouslyunconsciousofanyawkwardnessintheinterpretationprincessmaryahadputonhisallusiontohisfreedom.“iheardofitinorel,andyoucannotimaginehowitaffectedme.wewerenotanexemplarycouple,”hesaidquickly,glancingatnatashaanddetectinginherfacecuriosityastohowhewouldspeakofhiswife.“butherdeathaffectedmegreatly.whentwopeoplequarrel,botharealwaysinfault.andonebecomesterriblyawareofone’sshortcomingstowardsanyonewhoisnomore.andthensuchadeath…apartfromfriendsandconsolation.ifeltverysorryforher,”heconcluded,andnoticedwithsatisfactionagladlookofapprovalonnatasha’sface.

“andsoyouareoncemoreaneligibleparti,”saidprincessmarya.

pierreflushedsuddenlycrimson;andforalongwhilehetriednottolookatnatasha.whenhedidventuretoglanceather,herfacewascoldandsevere,even,hefancied,disdainful.

“butdidyoureallyseeandtalktonapoleon,aswehavebeentold？”saidprincessmarya.

pierrelaughed.

“notonce,never.everyonealwaysimaginesthattobeaprisonerisequivalenttobeingonavisittonapoleon.ineversaw,neverevenheardanythingabouthim.iwasinmuchlowercompany.”

supperwasover,andpierre,whohadatfirstrefusedtotalkabouthiscaptivity,wasgraduallydrawnintotellingthemaboutit.

“butitistruethatyoustayedbehindtokillnapoleon？”natashaaskedhimwithaslightsmile.“iguessedthatatthetimewhenwemetyoubythesuharevtower：doyouremember？”

pierreownedthatitwasso;andfromthatquestionwasledonbyprincessmarya’s,andstillmorebynatasha’s,questionstogiveadetailedaccountofhisadventures.

atfirsthetoldhisstorywiththattoneofgentleironythathealwayshadnowtowardsmenandespeciallytowardshimself.butashecametodescribethehorrorsandsufferingshehadseen,hewasdrawnonunawares,andbegantospeakwiththesuppressedemotionofamanlivingagaininimaginationthroughtheintenseimpressionsofthepast.

princessmaryalookedfrompierretonatashawithagentlesmile.inallhetoldthemshesawonlypierreandhisgoodness.natasha,herheadsupportedinherhand,andherfacechangingcontinuallywiththestory,watchedpierre,nevertakinghereyesoffhim,andwasinimaginationpassingthroughallhetoldherwithhim.notonlyhereyes,butherexclamationsandthebriefquestionssheputshowedpierrethatsheunderstoodfromhiswordsjustwhathewastryingtoconveybythem.itwasevidentthatsheunderstood,notonlywhathesaid,butalsowhathewouldhavelikedtosayandcouldnotexpressinwords.theepisodeofthechildandofthewomaninwhosedefencehewastakenprisoner,pierredescribedinthisway.“itwasanawfulscene,childrenabandoned,someinthemidstofthefire…childrenwereedoutbeforemyeyes…andwomen,whohadtheirthingspulledoffthem,earringstornoff…”