第546章

第546章“ohyes…i’llgotobedatonce,atonce,”saidnatasha,hurriedlyundressing,andbreakingthestringsofherpetticoats.droppingoffherdress,andputtingonadressing-jacket,shesatdownonthebedmadeuponthefloor,tuckingherfeetunderher,andflinginghershort,finehairoverhershoulder,beganplaitingit.herthin,long,practisedfingersrapidlyanddeftlydivided,plaited,andtiedupherhair.natasha’sheadturnedfromsidetosideasusualasshedidthis,buthereyes,feverishlywide,lookedstraightbeforeherwiththesamefixedstare.whenhertoiletforthenightwasover,natashasanksoftlydownontothesheetlaidonthehaynearestthedoor.

“natasha,youlieinthemiddle,”saidsonya.

“i’llstayhere,”saidnatasha.“anddogotobed,”sheaddedinatoneofannoyance.andsheburiedherfaceinthepillow.

thecountess,madameschoss,andsonyahurriedlyundressedandwenttobed.thelampbeforetheholyimageswastheonlylightleftintheroom.butoutofdoorsthefireatlittlemytishtchylightedthecountryupfortwoverstsround,andtherewasanoisyclamourofpeasantsshoutingatthetavernacrossthestreet,whichmamonov’scossackshadbrokeninto,andthemoanoftheadjutantcouldbeheardunceasinglythrougheverything.

foralongwhilenatashalistenedtothesoundsthatreachedherfromwithinandwithout,andshedidnotstir.sheheardatfirsthermother’sprayersandsighs,thecreakingofherbedunderher,madameschoss’sfamiliar,whistlingsnore,sonya’ssoftbreathing.thenthecountesscalledtonatasha.natashadidnotanswer.

“ithinkshe’sasleep,mamma,”answeredsonya.

thecountess,afterabriefsilence,spokeagain,butthistimenooneansweredher.

soonafterthisnatashacaughtthesoundofhermother’sevenbreathing.natashadidnotstir,thoughherlittlebarefoot,pokingoutbelowthequilt,feltfrozenagainsttheuncoveredfloor.

acricketchirpedinacrack,asthoughcelebratingavictoryoveralltheworld.acockcrowedfaraway,andanotheransweredcloseby.theshoutshaddiedawayinthetavern,buttheadjutant’smoaningwentonstillthesame.natashasatup.

“sonya！areyouasleep？mamma！”shewhispered.nooneanswered.slowlyandcautiously,natashagotup,crossedherself,andsteppedcautiouslywithherslender,supple,barefeetontothedirty,coldfloor.theboardscreaked.withnimblefeetsheranlikeakittenafewsteps,andtookholdofthecolddoor-handle.

itseemedtoherthatsomethingwithheavy,rhythmicalstrokeswasbangingonallthewallsofthehut;itwasthebeatingofherownheart,tornwithdread,withloveandterror.

sheopenedthedoor,steppedoverthelintel,andontothedamp,coldearthofthepassageoutside.thecoldallaboutherrefreshedher.herbarefootfeltamanasleep;shesteppedoverhim,andopenedthedoorofthehutinwhichprinceandreywaslying.

inthathutitwasdark.atallowcandlewithagreat,smoulderingwickstoodonabenchinthefurthercorner,byabed,onwhichsomethingwaslying.

eversinceshehadbeentoldinthemorningofprinceandrey’swoundandhispresencethere,natashahadresolvedthatshemustseehim.shecouldnothavesaidwhythismustbe,butsheknewtheirmeetingwouldbeanguishtoher,andthatmadeherthemorecertainthatitmustbeinevitable.

alldaylongshehadlivedinthehopethatatnightshewouldseehim.butnowwhenthemomenthadcome,aterrorcameoverherofwhatshewouldsee.howhadhebeendisfigured？whatwasleftofhim？washelikethatunceasingmoanoftheadjutant？yes,hewasalloverlikethat.inherimaginationhewasthatawfulmoanofpainpersonified.whenshecaughtsightofanundefinedmassinthecorner,andtookhisraisedkneesunderthequiltforhisshoulders,shepicturedsomefearfulbodythere,andstoodstillinterror.butanirresistibleforcedrewherforward.shemadeonecautiousstep,another,andfoundherselfinthemiddleofthesmallhut,cumberedupwithage.onthebench,undertheholyimages,layanotherman（thiswastimohin）,andonthefloorweretwomorefigures（thedoctorandthevalet）.

thevaletsatupandmutteredsomething.timohin,inpainfromawoundinhisleg,wasnotasleep,andgazed,alleyes,atthestrangeapparitionofagirlinawhitenight-gown,dressing-jacket,andnightcap.thevalet’ssleepyandfrightenedwords“whatisit？whatdoyouwant？”onlymadenatashahastentowardsthefigurelyinginthecorner.howeverfearfullyunlikeahumanshapethatfiguremightbenow,shemustseehim.shepassedbythevalet,thesmoulderingcandleflickeredup,andshesawclearlyprinceandrey,lyingwithhisarmsstretchedoutonthequilt,lookingjustasshehadalwaysseenhim.

hewasjustthesameasever;buttheflushonhisface,hisshiningeyes,gazingpassionatelyather,andespeciallythesoft,childlikeneck,showingabovethelay-downcollarofthenightshirt,gavehimapeculiarlyinnocent,childlikelook,suchasshehadneverseeninhimbefore.sheranuptohimandwithaswift,supple,youthfulmovementdroppedonherknees.

hesmiled,andheldouthishandtoher.