第443章

第443章“caustique,iadmit,”shesaid,“andi’llpayforthepleasureoftellingyouthetruth.iamreadytopayevenmore;butiamnotresponsibleforgallicisms,”shesaidtothewriter.“ihaveneitherthetimenorthemoneytoengageateacherandlearnrussianlikeprincegalitzin.ah,hereheis！”addedjulie.“quandon…no,no,”sheprotestedtothevolunteer,“you’renotgoingtocatchme.whenonespeaksofthesun,oneseesitsrays.wewerejusttalkingofyou,”shesaid,smilingaffablytopierre,andadding,withtheeasylyingcharacteristicofsocietywomen,“weweresayingyourregimentwascertaintobeafineronethanmamonov’s.”

“oh,don’ttalktomeaboutmyregiment,”answeredpierre,kissinghishostess’shand,andsittingdownbesideher.“iamsoheartilysickofit！”

“youwilltakethecommandofityourself,ofcourse？”saidjuliewithaslyandsarcasticlooktowardsthevolunteer.

thelatterwasbynomeanssoreadytobecausticinpierre’spresence,andhiscountenancebetokenedperplexityastowhatjulie’ssmilecouldsignify.inspiteofhisabsent-mindednessandgoodnature,pierre’spresenceneverfailedtocutshortanyattemptatridiculeathisexpense.

“no,”answeredpierre,laughingandlookingathishuge,bulkyfigure;“ishouldmaketoogoodatargetforthefrench,andindeedi’mafraidicouldhardlyscrambleontoahorse’sback.”

amongthepeoplepickedoutassubjectsforgossip,julie’sfriendshappenedtopitchontherostovs.“theirpecuniarypositionisveryserious,iamtold,”saidjulie.“andthecountissounreasonable.therazumovskyswantedtobuyhishouseandhisestateintheenvirons,andthematterisstillingon.hewillasktoomuch.”

“no,ifancypurchasewillbeconcludedinafewdays,”saidsomeone.“thoughit’smadnesstobuyanythinginmoscowjustnow.”

“whyso？”saidjulie.“surelyyoudon’tsupposethatmoscowisinanydanger.”

“whyareyouleavingitthen？”

“i？that’sastrangequestion.iamgoingbecause…well,becauseeverybody’sgoing,andiamnotajeanned’arcnoranamazon.”

“oh,oh！givemeanotherstripoflinentoscrape.”

“heoughttobeabletopayoffallhisdebts,ifhesetsaboutitproperly,”thevolunteerobservedofcountrostov.

“he’sagood-heartedoldfellow,butveryfoolish.”

“andwhyaretheystayingonheresolong？theyweremeaningtoleaveforthecountrylongago.natalieisquitewellagainnow,isuppose？”julieaskedpierre,withaslysmile.

“theyarewaitingfortheiryoungerson,”saidpierre.“hewentintoobolensky’scossacks,andwassentofftobyelatserkov.theregimentisbeingformedthere.butnowtheyhavetransferredhimtomyregiment,andheisexpectedeveryday.thecountwantedtogetawaylongago,butnothingwouldinducethecountesstoleavemoscowtillherson’sreturn.”

“isawthemthedaybeforeyesterdayatthearharovs’.nataliehasquiterecoveredherlooksandherspirits.shesangasong.howeasilysomepeoplegetovereverything！”

“getoverwhat？”pierreasked,lookingdispleased.

juliesmiled.

“ocount,youknow,suchchivalrousknightsasyouareonlytobefoundinmadamesuza’snovels.”

“knights！whatdoyoumean？”pierreaskedblushing.

“comenow,mydearcount.c’estlafabledetoutmoscou.jevousadmire,maparoled’honneur.”

“forfeit！forfeit！”saidthevolunteer.

“oh,verywell.onecannottalk,whataboreitis！”

“whatisthetalkofallmoscow？”saidpierreangrily,risingtohisfeet.

“nonsense,count,youknow！”

“iknownothingaboutit,”saidpierre.

“iknowwhatgreatfriendsyouhavealwaysbeenwithnatalie,andso…but,iwasalwaysmorefriendlywithvera.thatdarlingvera.”

“no,madam,”pierrepersistedinatoneofannoyance.“ihavebynomeanstakenuponmyselfther？leofcountessrostov’sknight;indeed,it’salmostamonthsinceihavebeennearthem.buticannotunderstandthecruelty…”

“quis’excuses’accuse,”criedjulie,smiling,andwavingthelinttriumphantly,andthatshemighthavethelastword,shepromptlychangedthesubject.“bytheway,ihaveheardpoormariebolkonskyarrivedinmoscowyesterday.haveyouheardshehaslostherfather？”

“really？whereisshe？ishouldliketoseeher,”saidpierre.

“ispenttheeveningwithheryesterday.sheisgoingonto-dayorto-morrowmorningtotheirestateintheprovincewithhernephew.”

“well,howisshe？tellme,”saidpierre.

“oh,sheiswell,butverysad.butdoyouknowwhorescuedher？itisquitearomance.nikolayrostov.shewassurrounded;theytriedtokillherandwoundedherservants.herushedinandsavedher.…”

“anotherromance,”saidthevolunteer.“thisgeneralflightisevidentlyintendedtomarryoffalltheoldmaids.katishisone,princessbolkonskyanother.”

“youknow,ireallydobelieveshe’sunpetitpeuamoureusedujeunebomme.”

无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看！

“forfeit！forfeit！forfeit！”

“buthowisonetosaythatinrussian？”