第579章

第579章onhearingfromnikolaythatherbrotherwasatyaroslavlwiththerostovs,princessmarya,inspiteofheraunt’seffortstodissuadeher,preparedatoncetogotohimandtogonotalone,butwithhernephew;whetherthisweredifficultornot,whetheritwerepossibleornot,shedidnotinquire,anddidnotcaretoknow：itwasherdutynotonlytobeherselfatthesideofher—perhapsdying—brother,buttodoeverythingpossibletotakehissontohim,andshepreparedtosetoff.ifprinceandreyhadnothimselfcommunicatedwithher,princessmaryaputthatdowneithertohisbeingtooweaktowrite,ortohisconsideringthelongjourneytoodifficultanddangerousforherandhisson.

withinafewdaysprincessmaryawasreadyforthejourney.herequipageconsistedofherimmensetravellingcoachinwhichshehadcometovoronezh,andacoveredtrapandaon.shewasaccompaniedbymademoisellebourienne,nikolushka,withhistutor,theoldnurse,threemaids,tihon,ayoungvalet,andacourier,whomherauntwassendingwithher.

totravelbytheusualroutetomoscowwasnottobethoughtof,andthecircuitousroutewhichprincessmaryawasobligedtotakebylipetsk,ryazan,vladimir,andshuyawasverylong;fromlackofpostinghorsesdifficult;andintheneighbourhoodofryazan,wheretheyweretoldthefrenchhadbeguntoappear,positivelydangerous.

duringthisdifficultjourney,mademoisellebourienne,dessalle,andprincessmarya’sservantswereastonishedatthetenacityofherwillandherenergy.shewasthelasttogotorest,thefirsttorise,andnodifficultycoulddaunther.thankstoheractivityandenergy,whichinfectedhercompanions,shewastowardstheendofthesecondweekcloseuponyaroslavl.

thelatterpartofherstayinvoronezhhadbeenthehappiestperiodinprincessmarya’slife.herloveforrostovwasnotthenasourceoftormentoragitationtoher.thatlovehadbythenfilledherwholesoulandbecomeaninseparablepartofherself,andshenolongerledagainstit.oflateprincessmaryawasconvinced—thoughsheneverclearlyinsomanywordsadmittedittoherself—thatshelovedandwasbeloved.shehadbeenconvincedofthisbyherlastinterviewwithnikolaywhenhecametotellherthatherbrotherwaswiththerostovs.nikolaydidnotbyonewordhintatthepossibilitynow（incaseofprinceandrey’srecovery）ofhisengagementtonatashabeingrenewed,butprincessmaryasawbyhisfacethatheknewandthoughtofit.andinspiteofthat,hisattitudetoher—solicitous,tender,andloving—wassofarfrombeingchanged,thatheseemedoverjoyedindeedthatnowasortofkinshipbetweenhimandprincessmaryaallowedhimtogivefreerexpressiontohislovingfriendship,asprincessmaryasometimesthoughtit.princessmaryaknewthatshelovedforthefirstandlasttimeinherlife,andfeltthatshewasloved,andshewashappyandatpeaceinthatrelation.

butthishappinessononesideofherspiritualnaturewasfarfromhinderingherfromfeelingintensegriefonherbrother’saccount.onthecontrary,herspiritualpeaceonthatsideenabledhertogiveherselfmorecompletelytoherfeelingforherbrother.thisfeelingwassostrongatthemomentofsettingoutfromvoronezhthatallherretinuewerepersuaded,lookingathercareworn,despairingface,thatshewouldcertainlyfallillonthejourney.buttheverydifficultiesandanxietiesofthejourney,whichprincessmaryatackledwithsuchenergy,savedherforthetimefromhersorrowandgaveherstrength.

asisalwaysthecaseonajourney,princessmaryathoughtofnothingbutthejourneyitself,forgettingwhatwasitsobject.butonapproachingyaroslavl,whenwhatmightawaither—andnotnowattheendofmanydays,butthatveryevening—becamecleartohermindagain,heragitationreacheditsutmostlimits.

whenthecourier,whomshehadsentonaheadtofindoutinyaroslavlwheretherostovswerestaying,andinwhatconditionprinceandreywas,metthegreattravellingcoachatthecitygatehewasfrightenedattheterriblypalefacethatlookedoutathimfromthewindow.

“ihavefoundouteverything,yourexcellency：therostovsarestayinginthesquare,inthehouseofamerchant,bronnikov.notfaroff,rightabovethevolga,”saidthecourier.

princessmaryalookedintohisfacewithfrightenedinquiry,notunderstandingwhyhedidnotanswerherchiefquestion.howwasherbrother？mademoisellebourienneputthisquestionfortheprincess.

“howistheprince？”sheasked.

“hisexcellencyisstayinginthesamehousewiththem.”

“heisliving,then,”thoughttheprincess;andshesoftlyasked,“howishe？”

“theservantssay,‘nochange.’”

whatwasmeantby“nochange”theprincessdidnotinquire,andwithapassing,hardlyperceptible,glanceatlittleseven-year-oldnikolushka,sittingbeforeher,delightedatthesightofthetown,shebowedherhead,anddidnotraiseitagaintilltheheavycarriage—rumbling,jolting,andswayingfromsidetoside—cametoastandstill.thecarriage-stepswereletdownwithacrash.

thecarriage-doorwasopened.ontheleftwaswater—abroadriver;ontheright,entrancesteps.attheentrancewerepeople,servants,andarosy-facedgirlwithathickcoilofblackhair,whosmiledatherinanunpleasantlyaffectedway,asitseemedtoprincessmarya（itwassonya）.theprincessranupthesteps;thegirl,smilingaffectedly,said,“thisway！thisway！”andtheprincessfoundherselfinthevestibule,facinganelderlywomanofanorientaltypeofface,whocamerapidlytomeether,lookingmoved.itwasthecountess.sheembracedprincessmaryaandproceededtokissher.