第543章

第543章thelastepisodewasoneinpoland,stillfreshinthecaptain’smemory,anddescribedbyhimwithrapidgesturesandaglowingface.thestorywasthathehadsavedthelifeofapole—theepisodeofsavinglifewascontinuallycroppingupinthecaptain’sanecdotes—andthatpolehadintrustedtohiscarehisbewitchingwife,aparisianinheart,whilehehimselfenteredthefrenchservice.thecaptainhadbeenhappy,thebewitchingpolishladyhadwantedtoelopewithhim;butmovedbyamagnanimousimpulse,thecaptainhadrestoredthewifetothehusbandwiththewords：“isavedyourlife,andisaveyourhonour.”

asherepeatedthesewords,thecaptainwipedhiseyesandshookhimself,asthoughtoshakeofftheweaknessthatovercamehimatthistouchingrecollection.

asmenoftendoatalatehouratnight,andundertheinfluenceofwine,pierrelistenedtothecaptain’sstories,andwhilehefollowedandunderstoodallhetoldhim,hewasalsofollowingatrainofpersonalreminiscenceswhichhadforsomereasonrisentohisimagination.ashelistenedtothoseloveaffairs,hisownlovefornatashasuddenlycameintohismind,andgoingoverallthepicturesofthatloveinhisimagination,hementallycomparedthemwithramballe’sstories.asheheardtheaccountoftheconflictbetweenloveandduty,pierresawbeforehimeverydetailofthemeetingwiththeobjectofhisloveatthesuharevtower.thatmeetinghadnotatthetimemademuchimpressiononhim;hehadnotoncethoughtofitsince.butnowitseemedtohimthattherewassomethingverysignificantandromanticinthatmeeting.

“pyotrkirillitch,comehere,irecogniseyou”;hecouldhearherwordsnow,couldseehereyes,hersmile,hertravellingcap,andthecurlpeepingoutbelowit…andhefeltthattherewassomethingmoving,touchinginallthat.

whenhehadfinishedhistaleaboutthebewitchingpolishlady,thecaptainturnedtopierrewiththeinquirywhetherhehadhadanysimilarexperienceofself-sacrificeforloveandenvyofalawfulhusband.

pierre,rousedbythisquestion,liftedhisheadandfeltanirresistibleimpulsetogiveexpressiontotheideasinhismind.hebegantoexplainthathelookeduponloveforwomansomewhatdifferently.hesaidhehadallhislifelonglovedonewoman,andstilllovedher,andthatthatwomancouldneverbehis.

“tiens！”saidthecaptain.

thenpierreexplainedthathehadlovedthiswomanfromhisearliestyouth,buthadnotdaredtothinkofherbecauseshewastooyoung,andhehadbeenanillegitimateson,withnonameofhisown.thenwhenhehadreceivedanameandwealth,hehadnotdaredthinkofherbecausehelovedhertoomuch,becausehesethertoohighabovealltheworld,andsoevenmoreabovehimself.onreachingthispoint,pierreaskedthecaptain,didheunderstandthat.

thecaptainmadeagestureexpressingthatwhetherheunderstooditornot,heedhimtoproceed.

“platoniclove;moonshine…”hemuttered.thewinehehaddrunk,oranimpulseoffrankness,orthethoughtthatthismandidnotknowandneverwouldknow,anyofthepersonsconcernedinhisstory,oralltogetherloosenedpierre’stongue.withfalteringlipsandwithafarawaylookinhismoisteye,hetoldallhisstory;hismarriageandthestoryofnatasha’sloveforhisdearestfriendandherbetrayalofhim,andallhisownsimplerelationswithher.inresponsetoquestionsfromramballe,hetoldhim,too,whathehadatfirstconcealed—hispositioninsociety—andevendisclosedhisname.

whatimpressedthecaptainmorethananythingelseinpierre’sstorywasthefactthatpierrewasverywealthy,thathehadtwopalatialhousesinmoscow,andthathehadabandonedeverything,andyethadnotleftmoscow,butwasstayinginthetownconcealinghisnameandstation.

lateinthenighttheywentouttogetherintothestreet.thenightwaswarmandclear.onthelefttherewastheglowofthefirstfirethatbrokeoutinmoscow,inpetrovka.ontherightayoungcrescentmoonstoodhighinthesky,andintheoppositequarteroftheheavenshungthebrilliantcometwhichwasconnectedinpierre’sheartwithhislove.atthegatesoftheyardstoodgerasim,thecook,andtwofrenchmen.pierrecouldheartheirlaughterandtalk,incomprehensibletooneanother.theywerelookingattheglowofthefireburninginthetown.

therewasnothingalarminginasmallremotefireintheimmensecity.

gazingatthelofty,starlitsky,atthemoon,atthecometandtheglowofthefire,pierrefeltathrillofjoyousandtenderemotion.“howfairitallis！whatmoredoesonewant？”hethought.andallatonce,whenherecalledhisdesign,hisheadseemedgoinground;hefeltsogiddythatheleanedagainstthefencesoasnottofall.

withouttakingleaveofhisnewfriend,pierreleftthegatewithunsteadysteps,andgoingbacktohisroomlaydownonthesofaandatoncefellasleep.