第398章

第398章atdinnertheydrankchampagnetothehealthofthenewcavalierofst.george,andshinshintoldthemofthenewsofthetown,oftheillnessoftheoldgeorgianprincess,andofthedisappearanceofmetivierfrommoscow,anddescribedhowagermanhadbeenbroughtbeforerastoptchinbythepeople,whodeclared（socountrastoptchintoldthestory）thathewasachampignon,andhowcountrastoptchinhadbadethemletthechampignongo,ashewasreallynothingbutanoldgermanmushroom.

“theykeeponseizingpeople,”saidthecount.“itellthecountesssheoughtnottospeakfrenchsomuch.now’snotthetimetodoit.”

“anddidyouhear,”saidshinshin,“princegalitzinhasengagedarussianteacher—he’slearningrussian.itbeginstobedangeroustospeakfrenchinthestreets.”

“well,countpyotrkirillitch,nowiftheyraiseageneralmilitia,youwillhavetomountahorsetoo,ah？”saidtheoldcountaddressingpierre.

pierrewasdreamyandsilentalldinner-time.helookedatthecountasthoughnotunderstanding.

“yes,yes,forthewar,”hesaid.“no！afinesoldierishouldmake！andyeteverything’ssostrange;sostrange！why,idon’tunderstanditmyself.idon’tknow,iamfarfrombeingmilitaryinmytaste,butinthesedaysnoonecananswerforhimself.”

afterdinnerthecountsettledhimselfcomfortablyinalowchair,andwithaseriousfaceaskedsonya,whoenjoyedthereputationofagoodreader,toreadthetsar’sappeal.

“toourmetropolitancapitalmoscow.theenemyhasenteredourborderwithanimmensehostandcomestolaywasteourbelovedcountry,”sonyareadconscientiouslyinherthinvoice.thecountlistenedwithclosedeyes,heavingabruptsighsatcertainpassages.

natashasaterect,lookinginquisitivelyanddirectlyfromherfathertopierre.

pierrefelthereyesonhimandtriednottolookround.thecountessshookherheaddisapprovinglyandwrathfullyateverysolemnexpressioninthemanifesto.inallthesewordsshesawnothingbutthatthedangermenacinghersonwouldnotsoonbeover.shinshin,pursinghislipsupintoasarcasticsmile,wasclearlypreparingtomakeajokeatthefirstsubjectthatpresenteditself：atsonya’sreading,thecount’snextremark,oreventhemanifestoitself,ifnobetterpretextshouldbefound.

afterreadingofthedangersthreateningrussia,thehopesthetsarresteduponmoscow,andparticularlyonitsillustriousnobility,sonya,withaquiverinhervoice,dueprincipallytotheattentionwithwhichtheywerelisteningtoher,readthelastwords：“weshallwithoutdelaybeinthemidstofourpeopleinthecapital,andinotherpartsofourempire,fordeliberation,andfortheguidanceofallourmilitialeviesboththosewhicharealreadybarringtheprogressofthefoe,andthosetobeformedforconflictwithhim,whereverhemayappear.andmaytheruinwithwhichhethreatensusrecoilonhisownhead,andmayeurope,deliveredfrombondage,glorifythenameofrussia！”

“that’sright！”criedthecount,openinghisweteyes,andseveraltimesinterruptedbyasniff,asthoughhehadputabottleofstrongsmelling-saltstohisnose.hewenton,“onlyletoursovereignsaytheword,wewillsacrificeeverythingwithoutgrudging.”