第666章

第666章pierrewashardlychangedinhisexternalhabits.inappearancehewasjustthesameasbefore.hewas,ashehadalwaysbeen,absent-minded,andseemedupiedwithsomethingofhisown,somethingapartfromwhatwasbeforehiseyes.thedifferencewasthatinolddays,whenhewasunconsciousofwhatwasbeforehiseyes,orwhatwasbeingsaidtohim,hewouldseemwithpainfullyknittedbrowstobestrivingessfullytodiscernsomethingfarawayfromhim.hewasjustasunconsciousnowofwhatwassaidtohim,orofwhatwasbeforehim.butnowwithafaint,apparentlyironicalsmile,hegazedatwhatwasbeforehim,orlistenedtowhatwassaid,thoughhewasobviouslyseeingandhearingsomethingquitedifferent.inolddayshehadseemedagood-heartedman,butunhappy.andsopeoplehadunconsciouslyheldalittlealooffromhim.nowasmileofjoyinlifewascontinuallyplayingabouthismouth,andhiseyeswerebrightwithsympathyforothers,andthequestion：weretheyallashappyashe？andpeoplefeltateaseinhispresence.

inolddayshehadtalkedagreatdeal,andhadgothotwhenhetalked,andhehadlistenedverylittle.nowhewasrarelycarriedawayinconversation,andknewhowtolisten,sothatpeoplewereveryreadytotellhimtheinmostsecretsoftheirhearts.

theprincess,whohadneverlikedpierre,andhadcherishedaparticularlyhostilefeelingtowardshim,sinceaftertheoldcount’sdeathshehadfeltherselfunderobligationtohim,hadcometoorelwiththeintentionofprovingtohimthatinspiteofhisingratitudeshefeltitherdutytonursehim,butafterashorttimeshefelt,toherownsurpriseandannoyance,thatshewasgrowingfondofhim.pierredidnothingtotryandwinhiscousin’sfavour;hesimplylookedatherwithcuriosity.inolddaysshehadfeltthattherewasmockeryandindifferenceinhiseyes,andshehadshrunkintoherselfbeforehim,asshedidbeforeotherpeople,andhadshownhimonlyheraggressiveside.nowshefeltonthecontraryasthoughheweredelvingintothemostsecretrecessesofherlife.itwasatfirstmistrustfully,andthenwithgratitude,thatshelethimseenowthelatentgoodsideofhercharacter.

themostartfulpersoncouldnothavestolenintotheprincess’sconfidencemorecunningly,byarousingherrecollectionsofthebesttimeofheryouth,andshowingsympathywiththem.andyetallpierre’sartfulnessconsistedinseekingtopleasehimselfbydrawingouthumanqualitiesinthebitter,hard,and,inherownway,proudprincess.

“yes,heisavery,verygood-heartedfellowwhenheisnotunderbadinfluence,butundertheinfluenceofpeoplelikeme,”thoughttheprincess.

thechangethathadtakenplaceinpierrewasnoticedintheirownwaybyhisservantstoo—terentyandvaska.theyconsideredthathehadgrownmuchmoregood-natured.oftenafterundressinghismaster,andwishinghimgoodnight,terentywouldlingerwithhisbootsandhisclothesinhishand,inthehopethathismasterwouldbeginaconversationwithhim.andasarulepierrekeptterenty,seeinghewaslongingforachat.

“come,tellme,then…howdidyoumanagetogetanythingtoeat？”hewouldask.andterentywouldbeginhistalesofthedestructionofmoscowandofthelatecount,andwouldstandalongwhilewiththeclothes,talkingawayorlisteningtopierre;anditwaswithapleasantsenseofhismaster’scloseintimacywithhimandaffectionforhimthathefinallywithdrew.

thedoctor,whowasattendingpierre,andcametoseehimeveryday,thoughhethoughtithisdutyasadoctortoposeasamaneveryminuteofwhosetimeisofvalueforsufferinghumanity,usedtositonwithhimforhourstogether,repeatinghisfavouriteanecdotesandobservationsonthepeculiaritiesofpatientsingeneral,andofladiesinparticular.

“yes,it’sapleasuretotalktoamanlikethat;it’snotwhatweareusedtointheprovinces,”hewouldsay.

inoreltherehappenedtobeseveralfrenchprisoners,andthedoctorbroughtoneofthem,ayoungitalianofficer,toseepierre.

thisofficerbecameafrequentvisitor,andtheprincessusedtolaughatthetenderfeelingstheitalianexpressedforpierre.

itwasobviousthattheitalianwasneverhappybutwhenhecouldseepierre,andtalktohim,andtellhimallabouthisownpast,hishomelife,andhislove,andpourouthisindignationagainstthefrench,andespeciallyagainstnapoleon.

“ifallrussiansaretheleastbitlikeyou,”heusedtosaytopierre,“itissacrilegetomakewaronapeoplelikeyours.youwhohavesufferedsomuchatthehandsofthefrench,havenotevenagrudgeagainstthem.”

andpierrehadwontheitalian’spassionatedevotionsimplybydrawingoutwhatwasbestinhissoulandadmiringit.

duringthelatterpartofpierre’sstayinorel,hereceivedavisitfromanoldacquaintance,countvillarsky,thefreemason,whohadintroducedhimtothelodgein1807.villarskyhadmarriedarussianheiress,whohadgreatestatesintheorelprovince,andhewasfillingatemporarypostinthecommissariatdepartmentinthetown.

thoughvillarskyhadneverbeenveryintimatelyacquaintedwithbezuhov,onhearingthathewasinorel,hecalleduponhimwiththosedemonstrationsoffriendlinessandintimacythatmencommonlydisplayonmeetingoneanotherinthedesert.villarskywasdullinorel,andwasdelightedtomeetamanofhisowncircle,whohad,ashesupposed,thesameinterestsashehad.

buttohissurprise,villarskynoticedsoonthatpierrehadquitedroppedbehindthetimes,andhad,ashedefinedithimselftopierre,sunkintoapathyandegoism.

“youarestagnating,”hesaidtohim.

butinspiteofthat,villarskyfeltmuchmoreathomewithpierrenowthanhehaddoneinthepast,andcameeverydaytoseehim.aspierrewatchedvillarsky,andlistenedtohimnow,itseemedstrangeandincredibletohimtothinkthathehadverylatelybeenthesamesortofpersonhimself.