第667章

第667章villarskywasamarriedmanwithafamily,whosetimewastakenupinmanaginghiswife’sproperty,inperforminghisofficialduties,andinlookingafterhisfamily.heregardedallthesedutiesasadrawbackinhislife,andlookedonthemallwithcontempt,becausetheywerealldirectedtosecuringhisownpersonalwelfareandthatofhisfamily.military,administrative,political,andmasonicquestionswerecontinuallyengrossinghisattention.andwithoutcriticisingthisvieworattemptingtochangeit,pierrewatchedthisphenomenon—sostrange,yetsofamiliartohim—withthesmileofgentle,delightedironythatwasnowhabitualwithhim.

inpierre’srelationswithvillarsky,withhiscousin,withthedoctor,andwithallthepeoplehemetnow,therewasanewfeaturethatgainedhimthegood-willofall.thiswastherecognitionofthefreedomofeverymantothink,tofeel,andtolookatthingsinhisownway;therecognitionoftheimpossibilityofalteringaman’sconvictionbywords.thislegitimateindividualityofeveryman’sviews,whichhadinolddaystroubledandirritatedpierre,nowformedthebasisofthesympatheticinteresthefeltinpeople.theinconsistency,sometimesthecompleteantagonismofmen’sviewswiththeirownlivesorwithoneanother,delightedpierre,anddrewfromhimagentleandmockingsmile.

inpracticalaffairspierresuddenlyfeltnowthathehadthecentreofgravitythathehadlackedinformerdays.inthepasteverymoneyquestion,especiallyrequestsformoney,towhichasaverywealthymanhewasparticularlyliable,hadreducedhimtoastateofhelplessagitationandperplexity.“oughtitogiveornottogive？”heusedtoaskhimself.“ihavemoneyandheneedsit.butsomeoneelseneedsitmore.whoneedsitmore？andperhapsbothareimpostors？”andofallthesesuppositionshehadinolddaysfoundnosatisfactorysolution,andgavetoallaslongashehadanythingtogive.inolddayshehadbeeninthesameperplexityovereveryquestionrelatingtohispropertywhenonepersontoldhimheoughttoactinonewayandanotheradvisedsomethingelse.

nowtohisownsurprisehefoundthathehadnomoredoubtorhesitationonallsuchquestions.nowtherewasajudgewithinhimsettlingwhathemustdoandwhathemustnot,bysomelawsofwhichhewashimselfunaware.

hewasjustasunconcernedaboutmoneymattersasbefore;butnowheunhesitatinglyknewwhatheoughttodoandwhatheoughtnottodo.thefirstapplicationofthatnewpowerwithinhimwasinthecaseofaprisoner,afrenchcolonel,whocalledonhim,talkedveryfreelyofhisowngreatexploits,andfinallydeliveredhimselfofarequestthatwasmorelikeademand,thatheshouldgivehimfourthousandfrancstosendtohiswifeandchildren.pierrerefusedtodosowithouttheslightestdifficultyoreffort,andwonderedhimselfafterwardsthatithadbeensoeasyandsimpletodowhathadinolddaysseemedsohopelesslydifficult.atthesametimeasherefusedthefrenchcolonel,hemadeuphismindthathemustcertainlyresorttosomestratagemwhenheleftoreltoinducetheitalianofficertoacceptassistance,ofwhichhestoodinevidentneed.afreshprooftopierreofhisgreatercertaintyinregardtopracticalmatterswasthesettlementofthequestionofhiswife’sdebts,andoftherebuildingofhismoscowhouseandvillasinthesuburbs.

hisheadstewardcametohiminorel,andwithhimpierrewentintoageneralreviewofhisfinancialposition.thefireofmoscowhadcostpierre,bythesteward’saccount,abouttwomillions.

thechiefstewardtoconsolehimfortheselossespresentedacalculationhehadmade,thatpierre’sincome,farfrombeingdiminished,wouldbepositivelyincreasedifheweretorefusetopaythedebtsleftbythecountess—whichhecouldnotbeforcedtopay—andifhewerenottorestorehismoscowhousesandthevillanearmoscow,whichhadcosthimeightthousandtokeepup,andbroughtinnothing.

“yes,yes,that’strue,”saidpierre,withabeamingsmile.

“yes,yes,idon’tneedanyofthem.ihavebeenmademuchricherbythedestructionofthecity.”

butinjanuarysavelitchcamefrommoscow,talkedtohimofthepositionofthecity,oftheestimatethearchitecthadsentinforrestoringthehouse,andthevillainthesuburbs,speakingofitasasettledmatter.atthesametimepierrereceivedlettersfromprincevassilyandotheracquaintancesinpetersburg,inwhichhiswife’sdebtswerementioned.andpierredecidedthatthesteward’splanthathehadlikedsomuchwasnottherightone,andthathemustgotopetersburgtowinduphiswife’saffairs,andmustrebuildinmoscow.whyheoughttodoso,hecouldnothavesaid;buthewasconvincedthatheought.hisincomewasdiminishedbyone-fourthowingtothisdecision.butithadtobeso;hefeltthat.

villarskywasgoingtomoscow,andtheyagreedtomakethejourneytogether.

duringthewholeperiodofhisconvalescenceinorel,pierrehadenjoyedthefeelingofjoyfulfreedomandlife.butwhenhefoundhimselfonthisjourneyontheopenroad,andsawhundredsofnewfaces,thatfeelingwasintensified.duringthejourneyhefeltlikeaschoolboyintheholidays.allthepeoplehesaw—thedriver,theoverseerofthepostingstation,thepeasantsontheroad,orinthevillage—allhadanewsignificanceforhim.thepresenceandtheobservationsofvillarsky,whowascontinuallydeploringthepovertyandtheignoranceandthebackwardnessofrussia,comparedwitheurope,onlyheightenedpierre’spleasureinit.wherevillarskysawdeadness,pierresawtheextraordinarymightyforceofvitality,theforcewhichsustainedthelifeofthathomogeneous,original,anduniquepeopleoverthatimmenseexpanseofsnow.hedidnotcontestvillarsky’sopinions,andsmiledgleefully,ashelistened,appearingtoagreewithhimastheeasiestmeansofavoidingargumentswhichcouldleadtonothing.