第481章

第481章hisearliest,remotestchildhoodcamebacktoprinceandrey,whentheassistant,withtucked-upsleeves,hurriedlyunbuttonedhisbuttons,andtookoffhisclothes.thedoctorbentclosedownoverthewound,feltit,andsigheddeeply.thenhemadeasigntosomeone.andtheexcruciatingpaininsidehisstomachmadeprinceandreyloseconsciousness.whenheregainedconsciousness,thebrokensplintersofhisthighbonehadbeenremoved,thebitsofedfleshhadbeencutoff,andthewoundboundup.waterwassprinkledonhisface.assoonasprinceandreyopenedhiseyes,thedoctorbentoverhim,kissedhimonthelipswithoutspeaking,andhurriedaway.

aftertheagonyhehadpassedthrough,princeandreyfeltablissfulpeace,suchashehadnotknownforverylong.allthebestandhappiestmomentsofhislife,especiallyhisearliestchildhood,whenhehadbeenundressedandputtobed,whenhisnursehadsunglullabiesoverhim,when,buryinghisheadinthepillows,hehadfelthappyinthemereconsciousnessoflife,rosebeforehisimagination,notlikethepasteven,butasthoughitweretheactualpresent.

thedoctorswerebusilyengagedwiththewoundedman,whoseheadhadseemedsomehowfamiliartoprinceandrey：theywereliftinghimupandtryingtosoothehim.

“showittome…ooo！o！ooo！”hecouldhearhisfrightened,abjectlysufferingmoans,brokenbysobs.hearinghismoans,princeandreywantedtocry.eitherbecausehewasdyingthuswithoutglory,orbecausehewassorrytopartwithlife,orfromthesememoriesofachildhoodthatcouldneverreturn,orbecausehewasinpain,orbecauseothersweresuffering,andthatmanwasmoaningsopiteously,helongedtoweepchildlike,good,almosthappy,tears.

theyshowedthewoundedmanthelegthathadbeenamputated,wearingaboot,andcoveredwithdrygore.“o！oooo！”hesobbedlikeawoman.thedoctorwhohadbeenstandingnearhim,screeninghisface,movedaway.

“mygod！how’sthis？whyishehere？”princeandreywondered.

inthemiserable,sobbing,abjectcreature,whoseleghadjustbeencutoff,herecognisedanatolekuragin.itwasanatoletheywereholdingupintheirarmsandofferingaglassofwater,theedgeofwhichhecouldnotcatchwithhistrembling,swollenlips.anatoledrewasobbing,convulsivebreath.“yes,itishe;yes,thatmanissomehowcloselyandpainfullyboundupwithme,”thoughtprinceandrey,withnoclearunderstandingyetofwhatwasbeforehim.“whatistheconnectionbetweenthatmanandmychildhood,mylife？”heaskedhimself,unabletofindtheclue.andallatonceanew,unexpectedmemoryfromthatchildlikeworldofpurityandloveroseupbeforeprinceandrey.herememberednatasha,ashehadseenherforthefirsttimeattheballin1810,withherslenderneckandslenderarms,andherfrightened,happyface,readyforecstaticenjoyment,andaloveandtendernessawokeinhisheartforherstrongerandmorelovingthanever.herecallednowthebondthatexistedbetweenhimandthisman,whowaslookingvaguelyathimthroughthetearsthatfilledhisswolleneyes.princeandreyrememberedeverything,andapassionatepityandloveforthatsufferingmanfilledhishappyheart.

princeandreycouldrestrainhimselfnomoreandwepttearsofloveandtendernessoverhisfellow-men,overhimself,andovertheirerrorsandhisown.“sympathy,loveforourbrothers,forthosewholoveus,loveforthosewhohateus,loveforourenemies;yes,thelovethatgodpreacheduponearth,thatmariesoughttoteachme,andididnotunderstand,thatiswhyiamsorrytopartwithlife,thatiswhatwasleftmeifihadlived.butnowitistoolate.iknowthat！”