第565章

第565章hadprincessmaryabeencapableofreflectionatthatmoment,shewouldhavebeenevenmoreastonishedthanmademoisellebourienneatthechangethathadtakenplaceinher.fromthemomentsheseteyesonthatsweet,lovedface,somenewforceoflifeseemedtotakepossessionofher,andtodrivehertospeakandactapartfromherownwill.fromthetimerostoventeredtheroom,herfacewastransformed.justaswhenalightiskindledwithinacarvedandpaintedlantern,thedelicate,intricate,artistictracerycomesoutinunexpectedandimpressivebeauty,whereallseemedcoarse,dark,andmeaninglessbefore;sowasprincessmarya’sfacetransformed.forthefirsttimeallthepure,spiritual,innertravailinwhichshehadlivedtillthencameoutinherface.allherinnersearchingsofspirit,herself-reproach,hersufferings,herstrivingforgoodness,herresignation,herlove,herself-sacrifice—allthiswasradiantnowinthoseluminouseyes,inthedelicatesmile,ineveryfeatureofhertenderface.

rostovsawallthisasclearlyasthoughhehadknownherwholelife.hefeltthathewasinthepresenceofacreatureutterlydifferentfromandbetterthanallthosehehadmetuptothatmoment,and,aboveall,farbetterthanhewashimself.

theconversationwasofthesimplestandmostinsignificantkind.theytalkedofthewar,unconsciously,likeeveryoneelse,eratingtheirsadnessonthatsubject;theytalkedoftheirlastmeeting—andnikolaythentriedtoturnthesubject;theytalkedofthekind-heartedgovernor’swife,ofnikolay’srelations,andofprincessmarya’s.

princessmaryadidnottalkofherbrother,butturnedtheconversation,assoonasherauntmentionedprinceandrey.itwasevidentthatofthetroublesofrussiashecouldspeakartificially,butherbrotherwasasubjecttoonearherheart,andsheneitherwouldnorcouldspeaklightlyofhim.nikolaynoticedthis,asindeedwithakeennessofobservationnotusualwithhim,henoticedeveryshadeofprincessmarya’scharacter,andeverythingconfirmedhimintheconvictionthatshewasanaltogetherrareandoriginalbeing.

nikolay,likeprincessmarya,hadblushedandbeenembarrassed,whenheheardtheprincessspokenof,andevenwhenhethoughtofher;butinherpresencehefeltperfectlyatease,andhesaidtohernotatallwhathehadpreparedbeforehandtosaytoher,butwhatcameintohismindatthemoment,andalwaysquiteappropriately.

asvisitorsalwaysdowheretherearechildren,nikolay,inamomentarysilenceduringhisbriefvisit,hadrecoursetoprinceandrey’slittleson,caressinghim,andaskinghimifhewouldliketobeanhussar.hetookthelittleboyinhisarms,begangailywhirlinghimround,andglancedatprincessmarya.withsoftened,happy,shyeyes,shewaswatchingthechildshelovedinthearmsofthemansheloved.nikolaycaughtthatlooktoo,andasthoughhedivineditssignificance,flushedwithdelight,andfelltokissingthechildwithsimple-heartedgaiety.

princessmaryawasnotgoingintosocietyatallonaccountofhermourning,andnikolaydidnotthinkittheproperthingtocallonthemagain.butthegovernor’swifestillpersistedinhermatch-making,andrepeatingtonikolaysomethingflatteringprincessmaryahadsaidofhim,andviceversa,kepturgingthatrostovshoulddeclarehimselftoprincessmarya.withthisobject,shearrangedthattheyoungpeopleshouldmeetatthereverendfather’sbeforemass.

thoughrostovdidtellthegovernor’swifethatheshouldmakenosortofdeclarationtoprincessmarya,hepromisedtobethere.

justasattilsitrostovhadnotallowedhimselftodoubtwhetherwhatwasacceptedbyeveryoneasrightwerereallyright,sonowafterabriefbutsincerelebetweentheefforttoorderhislifeinaccordancewithhisownsenseofright,andhumblesubmissiontocircumstances,hechosethelatter,andyieldedhimselftothepower,which,hefelt,wasirresistiblycarryinghimaway.heknewthattodeclarehisfeelingstoprincessmaryaafterhispromisetosonyawouldbewhathecalledbase.andheknewthathewouldneverdoabasething.butheknewtoo（itwasnotwhatheknew,butwhathefeltatthebottomofhisheart）,thatingivingwaynowtotheforceofcircumstancesandofthepeopleguidinghim,hewasnotonlydoingnothingwrong,butwasdoingsomethingvery,verygrave,somethingofmoregravitythananythinghehaddoneinhislife.

afterseeingprincessmarya,thoughhismannerofliferemainedexternallythesame,allhisformerpleasureslosttheircharmforhim,andheoftenthoughtofher.butheneverthoughtofher,ashehadthoughtofalltheyounggirlshehadmetinsociety,norashehadlong,andsometimeswithenthusiasm,thoughtofsonya.likealmosteveryhonest-heartedyoungman,hehadthoughtofeveryyounggirlasofapossiblefuturewife,hadadaptedtotheminhisimaginationallthepicturesofdomesticfelicity：thewhitemorningwrapper,thewifebehindthesamovar,thewife’scarriage,thelittleones,mammaandpapa,theirattitudetooneanother,andsoon,andsoon.andthesepicturesofthefutureaffordedhimgratification.butwhenhethoughtofprincessmarya,towhomthematch-makersweretryingtobetrothhim,hecouldneverformanypictureofhisfuturemarriedlifewithher.evenifhetriedtodoso,itallseemedincoherentandfalse.anditonlyfilledhimwithdread.