第403章

第403章pierresuddenlyfoundtherightoutletforhisexcitement.hefeltexasperatedwiththesenator，whointroducedthisconventionalandnarrowviewofthedutiesthatlaybeforethenobility.pierresteppedforwardandcuthimshort.hedidnotknowhimselfwhathewasgoingtosay，buthebeganeagerly，usingbookishrussian，andoccasionallyrelapsingintofrench.

“excuseme，yourexcellency，”hebegan（pierrewaswellacquaintedwiththissenator，buthefeltitnecessaryonthisoccasiontoaddresshimformally），“thoughidifferfromthegentleman…”（pierrehesitated；hewouldhavelikedtosaymontrèshonorablepréopinante）“withthegentleman…whomihavenotthehonourofknowing；butiimaginetheestateofthenobility，apartfromtheexpressionofitssympathyandenthusiasm，hasbeenconvokedalsotodeliberateuponthemeasuresbywhichwecanassistourcountry.iimagine，”saidpierre，growingwarmer，“thatthetsarwouldhimselfbedispleasedifheshouldfindinusonlytheownersofpeasants，whomwegiveuptohim，andchairàcanon，whichweofferinourselves—andshouldnotfindinusco…co…counsel.…”

manypersonsmovedalittleawayfromthecircle，noticingthedisdainfulsmileofthesenatorandthefreedomofpierre’swords.ilyaandreitchwastheonlypersonpleasedatwhatpierresaid，justashehadbeenpleasedwiththenavalofficer’sspeechandthesenator’s，ashealwayswaswiththelastspeechhehadheard.

“iconsiderthatbeforediscussingthesequestions，”pierrecontinued，“weoughttoasktheemperor，mostrespectfullytoaskhismajesty，tocommunicatetouswhatforceswehave，whatisthepositionofourmenandourarmy，andthen…”

pierrehadhardlyutteredthesewordswhenhewaspromptlyattackedonthreesidesatonce.themostviolentonslaughtwasmadeuponhimbyanoldacquaintanceandpartneratboston，whohadalwaysbeenonthefriendliesttermswithhim，stepanstepanovitchadraksin.stepanstepanovitchwas，ofcourse，inuniform，andwhetheritwasduetotheuniformortoothercauses，pierresawbeforehimquiteachangedman.stepanstepanovitch，withanoldman’sangerinhisface，screamedatpierre：

“inthefirstplace，letmetellyouthatwehavenorighttoasksuchquestionsoftheemperor；andsecondly，ifthenobilityhadanysuchright，theemperorcouldnotanswersuchquestions.themovementsofthetroopsdependonthemovementsoftheenemy；thetroopsareaugmentedanddecreased…”

anothervoiceinterruptedadraksin.thespeakerwasamanofforty，ofmediumheight，whompierrehadseeninformerdaysatthegypsies’entertainments，andknewasabadcard-player.butnowhe，too，wasquitetransformedbyhisuniform，ashemoveduptopierre.

“yes，andit’snotthetimefordeliberation，”saidthisnobleman.