第516章

第516章bytwoo’clocktherostovs’fourcarriages,packedandreadytostart,stoodintheapproach.theon-loadsofwoundedwerefilingoneafteranotheroutoftheyard.

thecoachinwhichprinceandreywasbeingtakendrovebythefrontdoor,andattractedtheattentionofsonya,whowashelpingamaidtoarrangethecountess’sseatcomfortablyinherhuge,highcarriage.

“whosecarriageisthat？”askedsonya,poppingherheadoutofthecarriagewindow.

“why,haven’tyouheard,miss？”answeredthemaid.“thewoundedprince;hestayedthenightinthehouse,andisgoingonwithus.”

“oh,whoishe？what’shisname？”

“ourbetrothedthatwas…princebolkonskyhimself！”answeredthemaid,sighing.“theysayheisdying.”

sonyajumpedoutofthecarriageandranintothecountess.thecountess,dressedforthejourney,inherhatandshawl,waswalkingwearilyaboutthedrawing-room,waitingfortherestofthehouseholdtocomeinandsitdownwithcloseddoors,fortheusualsilentprayerbeforesettingout.natashawasnotintheroom.

“mamma,”saidsonya.“princeandreyishere,woundedanddying;heisgoingwithus.”

thecountessopenedhereyesindismay,andclutchingsonya’sarm,lookedabouther.

“natasha,”shesaid.

bothtosonyaandthecountessthisnewshadforthefirstmomentbutonesignificance.theyknewtheirnatasha,andalarmatthethoughtoftheeffectthenewsmighthaveonheroutweighedallsympathyfortheman,thoughtheybothlikedhim.

“natashadoesnotknowyet,butheisgoingwithus,”saidsonya.

“yousayheisdying？”

sonyanodded.

thecountessembracedsonyaandburstintotears.“thewaysofthelordarepastourfindingout！”shethought,feelingthatinallthatwaspassingnowthehandofthealmighty,hithertounseen,wasbeginningtobemanifest.

“well,mamma,it’sallready.whatisit？…”askednatasha,runningwithhereagerfaceintotheroom.

“nothing,”saidthecountess.“ifwe’reready,thendoletusstart.”andthecountessbentoverherreticuletohideheragitatedface.sonyaembracednatashaandkissedher.

natashalookedinquisitivelyather.

“whatisit？whathashappened？”

“nothing,…oh,no,…”

“somethingverybad,concerningme？…whatisit？”askedthekeen-wittednatasha.

sonyasighed,andmadenoreply.thecount,petya,madameschoss,mavrakuzminishna,andvassilitchcameintothedrawing-room;andclosingthedoors,theyallsatdown,andsatsoinsilence,withoutlookingateachotherforseveralseconds.

thecountwasthefirsttogetup.withaloudsighhecrossedhimselfbeforetheholypicture.alltheothersdidthesame.thenthecountproceededtoembracemavrakuzminishnaandvassilitch,whoweretoremaininmoscow;andwhiletheycaughtathishandandkissedhisshoulder,hepattedthemonthebackwithvaguelyaffectionateandreassuringphrases.thecountesswentofftothelittlechapel,andsonyafoundherthereonherkneesbeforetheholypictures,thatwerestilllefthereandthereonthewalls.alltheholypicturesmostpreciousthroughassociationwiththetraditionsofthefamilywerebeingtakenwiththem.

intheporchandintheyardtheservantswhoweregoing—allofwhomhadbeenarmedwithswordsandersbypetya—withtheirtrouserstuckedintheirboots,andtheirsashesorleatherbeltstightlybraced,tookleaveofthosewhowereleftbehind.

asisinvariablythecaseatstartingonajourney,agreatmanythingswerefoundtohavebeenforgotten,orpackedinthewrongplace;andtwogroomswerekeptalongwhilestanding,oneeachsideoftheopencarriagedoor,readytohelpthecountessupthecarriagesteps,whilemaidswereflyingwithpillowsandbagsfromthehousetothecarriages,thecoach,andthecoveredgig,andbackagain.

“theywillalwaysforgeteverythingaslongastheylive！”saidthecountess.“youknowthatican’tsitlikethat.”anddunyasha,withclenchedteethandanaggrievedlookonherface,rushedtothecarriagetoarrangethecushionsagainwithoutaword.

“ah,thoseservants,”saidthecount,shakinghishead.