第603章

第603章fourweekshadpassedsincepierrehadbeentakenprisoner.althoughthefrenchhadofferedtotransferhimfromthecommonprisoners’shedtotheofficers’,hehadremainedinthesameshedasatfirst.

inmoscow,wastedbyfireandpillage,pierrepassedthroughhardshipsalmostuptotheextremelimitofprivationthatamancanendure.but,owingtohisvigoroushealthandconstitution,ofwhichhehadhardlybeenawaretillthen;andstillmore,owingtothefactthattheseprivationscameuponhimsograduallythatitwasimpossibletosaywhentheybegan,hewasabletosupporthisposition,notonlywithease,butwithpositivegladness.anditwasjustatthistimethatheattainedthatpeaceandcontentwithhimself,forwhichhehadalwaysstriveninvainbefore.forlongyearsofhislifehehadbeenseekinginvariousdirectionsforthatpeace,thatharmonywithhimself,whichhadstruckhimsomuchinthesoldiersatborodino.hehadsoughtforitinphilanthropy,infreemasonry,inthedissipationsofsociety,inwine,inheroicfeatsofself-sacrifice,inhisromanticlovefornatasha;hehadsoughtitbythepathofthought;andallhisresearchesandallhiseffortshadfailedhim.andnowwithoutanythoughtofhisown,hehadgainedthatpeaceandthatharmonywithhimselfsimplythroughthehorrorofdeath,throughhardships,throughwhathehadseeninkarataev.thosefearfulmomentsthathehadlivedthroughduringtheexecutionhad,asitwere,washedforeverfromhisimaginationandhismemorythedisturbingideasandfeelingsthathadonceseemedtohimsoimportant.nothoughtcametohimofrussia,ofthewar,ofpolitics,orofnapoleon.itseemedobvioustohimthatallthatdidnotconcernhim,thathewasnotcalleduponandsowasnotabletojudgeofallthat.“russiaandsummerneverdowelltogether,”herepeatedkarataev’swords,andthosewordssoothedhimstrangely.hisprojectofkillingnapoleon,andhiscalculationsofthecabalisticnumbers,andofthebeastoftheapocalypsestruckhimnowasincomprehensibleandpositivelyludicrous.hisangerwithhiswife,andhisdreadofhisnamebeingdisgracedbyher,seemedtohimtrivialandamusing.whatbusinessofhiswasit,ifthatwomanchosetoleadsomewhereawayfromhimthelifethatsuitedhertastes？whatdiditmattertoanyone—leastofalltohim—whethertheyfoundoutornotthattheirprisoner’snamewascountbezuhov？