第423章

第423章princessmaryawasnotinmoscowandoutofdangerasprinceandreysupposed.

afteralpatitch’sreturnfromsmolensk,theoldprinceseemedasthoughhehadsuddenlywakedoutofasleep.hegaveordersforthemilitiamentoassembleoutofthevillages,andtobearmed;andwrotealettertothecommander-in-chief,inwhichheinformedhimofhisintentiontoremainatbleakhillstothelastandtodefendhimself,leavingittohisdiscretiontotakestepsornotforthedefenceofbleakhills,wherehesaidoneoftheoldestrussiangeneralswouldbetakenprisonerordie.heannouncedtohishouseholdthatheshouldremainatbleakhills.

butthoughresolvedhimselftoremain,theprincemadearrangementsforsendingtheprincesswithdessalleandthelittleprincetobogutcharovo,andfromthereontomoscow.frightenedatherfather’sfeverish,sleeplessenergy,followingonhispreviousapathy,princessmaryacouldnotbringherselftoleavehimalone,andforthefirsttimeinherlifeventurednottoobeyhim.sherefusedtogo,andafearfultempestofwrathburstuponher.theprinceremindedherofeverypreviousinstanceofinjusticetoher.tryingtofindpretextsforrevilingher,hesaidshehaddoneeverythingtoworryhim,thatshehadestrangedhimfromhisson,thatsheharbouredthevilestsuspicionsofhim,thatshemadeittheobjectofherlifetopoisonhisexistence.hedroveheroutofhisstudy,tellingherthathedidnotcareifshedidnotgoaway.hetoldherthathedidnotwanttohearofherexistence,butgaveherfairwarningnottodareshowherselfbeforehim.princessmaryawasrelievedthathehadnot,asshehaddreaded,orderedhertobeforciblyremovedfrombleakhills,buthadsimplycommandedhernottoshowherself.sheknewthatthismeantthatinthesecretrecessesofhissoulhewasgladshewasstayingathome.

thedayafternikolushkahadleft,theoldprincedressedhimselfinthemorninginfulluniform,andpreparedtomakeacallonthecommander-in-chief.thecarriagewasstandingready.princessmaryasawhiminhisuniform,withallhisordersonhisbreast,walkoutofthehouseandgodownthegardentoinspectthearmedpeasantsandhouseserfs.princessmaryasatatthewindowlisteningtohisvoiceresoundingfromthegarden.suddenlyseveralmencamerunninguptheavenuewithpanic-strickenfaces.

princessmaryaranoutontothesteps,alongtheflower-bedpath,andintotheavenue.agreatcrowdofmilitiamenandservantswerecomingdownittowardsher,andinthemiddleofthatcrowdseveralmenwereholdingupandingalongalittleoldmaninauniformanddecorations.princessmaryarantowardshim,andinthedancing,tinyringsoflightthatfilteredthroughtheshadeofthelime-treeavenue,shecouldformnodistinctimpressionofthechangeinhisface.theonlythingshecouldseewasthatthesternanddeterminedexpressionofhisfacehadchangedtoalookoftimidityandsubmission.onseeinghisdaughter,hetriedtomovehispowerlesslips,andutteredahoarsesound.itwasimpossibletounderstandwhathemeant.hewasliftedup,carriedintohisstudy,andlaidonthecouch,whichhadbeensuchanobjectofdreadtohimoflate.

thedoctor,whowasbroughtoverthesamenight,bledhim,anddeclaredthattheprincehadhadastroke,paralysinghisrightside.

toremainatbleakhillswasbecomingmoreandmoredangerous,andthenextdaytheymovedtheprincetobogutcharovo.thedoctortravelledwithhim.

whentheyreachedbogutcharovo,theyfounddessallehadalreadysetoffformoscowwiththelittleprince.

forthreeweekstheoldprincelaystrickenwithparalysis,gettingneitherbetternorworse,inthenewhouseprinceandreyhadplannedatbogutcharovo.theoldprincewasunconscious;helaylikeadeformedcorpse.hemutteredincessantly,twitchinghiseyebrowsandlips,anditwasimpossibletotellwhetherheunderstoodhissurroundingsornot.onlyonethingcouldbesaidforcertain：thatwas,thathewassuffering,andhadacravingtoexpresssomething.butwhatthatwasnoonecouldtell：whetheritweresomesickandhalf-crazywhim;whetheritrelatedtopublicaffairsorfamilycircumstances.

thedoctorsaidthatthisuneasinessmeantnothing;thatitwasduetophysicalcauses.butprincessmaryabelieved（andthefactthatherpresenceseemedtointensifytherestlessness,confirmedhersupposition）thathewantedtotellhersomething.

hewasevidentlysufferingbothphysicallyandmentally.therewasnohopeofrecovery.itwasimpossibletomovehim.whatifheweretodieontheroad？“wouldn’titbebetterifitwereover,ifallwereover？”princessmaryathoughtsometimes.dayandnight,almostwithoutsleep,shewatchedhim,and,terribletosay,shewatchedhim,notinthehopeoffindingsymptomsofachangeforthebetter,butofteninthehopeofseeingsymptomsoftheapproachingend.