第674章

第674章foralongwhilepierrecouldnotsleepthatnight.hewalkedupanddownhisroom,atonemomentfrowningdeepinsomedifficulttrainofthought,atthenextinghisshouldersandshakinghimselfandatthenextsmilingblissfully.

hethoughtofprinceandrey,ofnatasha,oftheirlove,andatonemomentwasjealousofherpast,andatthenextreproachedhimself,andthenforgavehimselfforthefeeling.itwassixo’clockinthemorning,andstillhepacedtheroom.

“well,whatisonetodo,ifthere’snoescapingit？whatisonetodo？itmustbetherightthing,then,”hesaidtohimself;andhurriedlyundressing,hegotintobed,happyandagitated,butfreefromdoubtandhesitation.

“howeverstrange,howeverimpossiblesuchhappiness,imustdoeverythingthatwemaybemanandwife,”hesaidtohimself.

severaldayspreviouslypierrehadfixedonthefollowingfridayasthedateonwhichhewouldsetofftopetersburg.whenhewakedupnextdayitwasthursday,andsavelitchcametohimforordersaboutpackingthethingsforthejourney.

“topetersburg？whatispetersburg？whoisinpetersburg？”heunconsciouslyasked,thoughonlyofhimself.“yes,somelongwhileago,beforethishappened,iwasmeaningforsomereasontogotopetersburg,”herecalled.“whywasit？andishallgo,perhaps.howkindheis,andhowattentive,howherememberseverything！”hethought,lookingatsavelitch’soldface.“andwhatapleasantsmile！”hethought.

“well,anddoyoustillnotwantyourfreedom,savelitch？”askedpierre.

“whatshouldiwantmyfreedomfor,yourexcellency？withthelatecount—thekingdomofheaventohim—wegotonverywell,andunderyou,wehaveneverknownanyunkindness.”

“well,butyourchildren？”

“mychildrentoowilldoverywell,yourexcellency;undersuchmastersonecangetonallright.”

“well,butmyheirs？”saidpierre.“allofasuddenishallgetmarried…itmighthappen,youknow,”headded,withaninvoluntarysmile.

“andimakeboldtosay,agoodthingtoo,yourexcellency.”

“howeasyhethinksit,”thoughtpierre.“hedoesnotknowhowterribleitis,howperilous.toolateortooearly…itisterrible！”

“whatareyourorders？willyoubepleasedtogoto-morrow？”askedsavelitch.

“no;iwillputitoffalittle.iwilltellyoulater.youmustexcusethetroubleigiveyou,”saidpierre,andwatchingsavelitch’ssmile,hethoughthowstrangeitwas,though,thatheshouldnotknowtherewasnosuchthingaspetersburg,andthatthatmustbesettledbeforeeverything.

“hereallydoesknow,though,”hethought;“heisonlypretending.shallitellhim？whatdoeshethinkaboutit？no,anothertime.”

atbreakfast,pierretoldhiscousinthathehadbeenthepreviouseveningatprincessmarya’s,andhadfoundthere—couldshefancywhom—natasharostov.

theprincesslookedasthoughshesawnothingmoreextraordinaryinthatfactthanifpierrehadseensomeannasemyonovna.

“youknowher？”askedpierre.

“ihaveseentheprincess,”sheanswered,“andihadheardtheyweremakingamatchbetweenherandyoungrostov.thatwouldbeaveryfinethingfortherostovs;iamtoldtheyareutterlyruined.”

“no,imeant,doyouknownatasharostov？”

“iheardatthetimeallaboutthatstory.verysad.”

“shedoesnotunderstand,orsheispretending,”thoughtpierre.“betternottellhereither.”

theprincess,too,hadpreparedprovisionsforpierre’sjourney.

“howkindtheyallare,”thoughtpierre,“totroubleaboutallthisnow,whenitcertainlycanbeofnointeresttothem.andallformysake;thatiswhat’ssomarvellous.”

thesamedayapoliceofficercametoseepierre,withanoffertosendatrustyagenttothepolygonalpalacetoreceivethethingsthatwereto-daytoberestoredamongtheowners.

“andthismantoo,”thoughtpierre,lookingintothepoliceofficer’sface,“whatanice,good-lookingofficer,andhowgood-natured！totroubleaboutsuchtriflesnow.andyettheysayheisnothonest,andtakesbribes.whatnonsense！thoughafterallwhyshouldn’thetakebribes？hehasbeenbroughtupinthatway.theyalldoit.butsuchapleasant,good-humouredface,andhesmileswhenhelooksatme.”

pierrewenttoprincessmarya’stodinner.ashedrovethroughthestreetsbetweenthecharredwrecksofhouses,headmiredthebeautyofthoseruins.thechimneysofstoves,andthetumbledownwallsofhousesstretchedinlongrows,hidingoneanother,allthroughtheburntquartersofthetown,andrecalledtohimthepicturesqueruinsoftherhineandofthecolosseum.thesledge-driversandmenonhorseback,thecarpentersatworkontheframesofthehouses,thehawkersandshopkeepersalllookedatpierrewithcheerful,beamingfaces,andseemedtohimtosay：“oh,hereheis！weshallseewhatcomesofit.”

onreachingprincessmarya’shouse,pierrewasbesetbyasuddendoubtwhetheritweretruethathehadbeentherethedaybefore,andhadreallyseennatashaandtalkedtoher.“perhapsitwasallmyowninvention,perhapsishallgoinandseenoone.”butnosoonerhadheenteredtheroomthaninhiswholebeing,fromhisinstantaneouslossoffreedom,hewasawareofherpresence.shewaswearingthesameblackdress,thathunginsoftfolds,andhadherhairarrangedinthesameway,butshewasutterlydifferent.hadshelookedlikethiswhenhecameinyesterday,hecouldnothavefailedtorecogniseher.