第515章

第515章petyawasstandingattheentrance,engagedingivingoutweaponstotheservants,whowereleavingmoscow.theloadedonswerestillstandingintheyards.twoofthemhadbeenuncorded,andontooneofthesethewoundedofficerwasclamberingwiththeassistanceofhisorderly.

“doyouknowwhatitwasabout？”petyaaskednatasha.（natashaknewthathemeant,whattheirfatherandmotherhadbeenquarrellingabout.）shedidnotanswer.

“itwasbecausepapawantedtogiveupalltheonstothewounded,”saidpetya.“vassilitchtoldme.andwhatithink…”

“whatithink,”natashasuddenlyalmostscreamed,turningafuriousfaceonpetya,“whatithinkis,thatit’ssovile,soloathsome…idon’tknow.arewealotoflowgermans？…”herthroatwasquiveringwithsobs,butafraidofbeingweak,orwastingtheforceofheranger,sheturnedandflewheadlongupthestairs.

bergwassittingbesidethecountess,tryingwithfilialrespectfulnesstoreassureher.thecountwaswalkingabouttheroomwithapipeinhishand,when,withafacedistortedbypassion,natashaburstlikeatempestintotheroom,andranwithrapidstepsuptohermother.

“it’svile！it’sloathsome！”shescreamed.“itcan’tbetruethatit’syourorder.”

bergandthecountessgazedatherinalarmandbewilderment.thecountstoodstillinthewindowlistening.

“mamma,it’simpossible;lookwhat’sbeingdoneintheyard！”shecried;“theyarebeingleft…”

“what’sthematter？whoarethey？whatdoyouwant？”

“thewounded！it’simpossible,mamma,it’soutrageous.…no,mamma,darling,it’sallwrong;forgiveme,please,darling…mamma,whatisittouswhatwetakeaway;youonlylookoutintotheyard.…mamma！…itcan’tbedone.…”

thecountstoodinthewindow,andlistenedtonatashawithoutturninghishead.allatoncehegaveasortofgulp,andputhisfaceclosertothewindow.

thecountessglancedatherdaughter,sawherfacefullofshameforhermother,sawheremotion,feltwhyherhusbandwouldnotlookathernow,andlookedaboutherwithadistractedair.

“oh,doasyouplease.amidoinganythingtohinderanyone？”shesaid,notgivingwayallatonce.

“mamma,darling,forgiveme.”

butthecountesspushedawayherdaughter,andwentuptothecount.

“mydear,youorderwhatisright.…idon’tunderstandaboutit,youknow,”shesaid,droppinghereyeswithaguiltyair.

“theeggs,…theeggsteachingthehen,…”thecountmurmuredthroughtearsofgladness,andheembracedhiswife,whowasgladtohideherashamedfaceonhisbreast.

“papa,mamma！mayigivetheorder？mayi？…”askednatasha.“we’lltakeallthat’squitenecessaryallthesame,”sheadded.

thecountnodded;andnatasha,withthesameswiftnesswithwhichsheusedtorunat“catch-catch,”flewacrossthehallintothevestibule,anddownthestepsintotheyard.

theservantsgatheredroundnatasha,andcouldhardlybelievethestrangeordershegavethem,tillthecounthimselfinhiswife’snameconfirmedtheorderthatalltheonsweretobeplacedatthedisposalofthewounded,andtheboxesweretobetakendowntothestore-rooms.whentheyunderstood,theservantsgleefullyandbusilysettothisnewtask.itnolongerseemedstrangetotheservants,itseemedtothem,indeed,thatnoothercoursewaspossible;justasaquarterofanhourbeforetheyhadnotthoughtitstrangetoleavethewoundedbehindandtakethefurniture;hadacceptedthattoo,infact,astheonlycoursepossible.

allthehouseholdsettoworkgettingthewoundedmenintotheonswiththegreatestzeal,asthoughtomakeupfornothavingespousedtheircauseearlier.thewoundedsoldierscamecreepingoutoftheirrooms,andcrowdedroundtheons,withpale,delightedfaces.thenewsspreadtotheneighbouringhouses,andwoundedmenbegantocomeintotheyardfromotherhousestoo.manyofthewoundedsoldiersedthemnottotakeouttheboxes,butonlytoletthemsitonthetopofthem.butwhenoncetheworkofunloadinghadbeguntherewasnostoppingit;itseemedoflittleconsequencewhetherallwereleftorhalf.thecasesofchina,ofbronzes,ofpicturesandlooking-glasses,whichhadbeensocarefullypackedduringthepreviousnightlayintheyard,andstilltheysoughtandfoundpossibilitiesoftakingoutmoreandmore,andleavingmoreandmore,forthewounded.

“wecantakefourmore,”saidthesteward.“i’llleavemyage,orelsewhatistobecomeofthem？”

“oh,letthemhaveourwardrobecart,”saidthecountess;“dunyashawillgowithmeinthecarriage.”

theonpackedwiththeladies’wardrobewasunloaded,andsenttofetchwoundedmenfromtwodoorsoff.allthefamilyandtheservantstoowereeagerandmerry.natashawasinastateofecstatichappiness,suchasshehadnotknownforaverylongwhile.

“wherearewetofastenthison？”saidtheservant,tryingtolayatrunkonthenarrowfootboardbehindinthecarriage.“wemustkeepjustonecartforit.”

“whatisit？”askednatasha.

“thecount’sbooks.”

“leaveit.vassilitchwillputitaway.that’snotnecessary.”

thecoveredgigwasfullofpeople;theywereonlyindoubtwherepyotrilyitchwastosit.

“he’llgoonthebox.you’llgoonthebox,won’tyou,petya？”criednatasha.

sonya,too,workedwithingzeal;buttheaimofherexertionswastheoppositeofnatasha’s.shesawtothestoringawayofallthatwasleftbehind,madealistofthematthecountess’sdesire,andtriedtogetasmuchaspossibletakenwiththem.