第370章

第370章beforejoiningthearmyofthewest,whichwasinmayencampedatdrissa,princeandreywenttobleakhills,whichwasdirectlyinhisroad,onlythreeverstsfromthesmolenskhigh-road.thelastthreeyearsofprinceandrey’slifehadbeensofullofvicissitudes,hehadpassedthroughsuchchangesofthoughtandfeeling,andseensuchvariedlife（hehadtravelledbothintheeastandthewest）,thatitstruckhimasstrangeandamazingtofindatbleakhillslifegoingoninpreciselythesameroutineasever.herodeuptheavenuetothestonegatesofthehouse,feelingasthoughitweretheenchanted,sleepingcastle.thesamesedateness,thesamecleanliness,thesamesilencereignedinthehouse;therewasthesamefurniture,thesamewalls,thesamesounds,thesamesmell,andthesametimidfaces,onlyalittleolder.princessmaryawasjustthesametimid,plaingirl,nolongerinherfirstyouth,wastingthebestyearsofherlifeincontinualdreadandsuffering,andgettingnobenefitorhappinessoutofherexistence.mademoisellebouriennewasjustthesameself-satisfied,coquettishgirl,enjoyingeverymomentofherlife,andfilledwiththemostjoyoushopesforthefuture.sheseemedonlytohavegainedboldness,soprinceandreythought.thetutorhehadbroughtbackfromswitzerland,dessalle,waswearingacoatofrussiancut,andtalkedbrokenrussiantotheservants,buthewasjustthesamenarrow-minded,cultivated,conscientious,pedanticpreceptor.theonlyphysicalchangeapparentintheoldprincewasthelossofatooth,thatleftagapatthesideofhismouth.incharacterhewasthesameasever,onlyshowingevenmoreirritabilityandscepticismastoeverythingthathappenedintheworld.nikolushkawastheonlyonewhohadchanged：hehadgrowntaller,androsy,andhadcurlydarkhair.whenhewasmerryandlaughing,heunconsciouslyliftedtheupperlipofhisprettylittlemouth,justashisdeadmother,thelittleprincess,usedtodo.hewastheonlyonenotinbondagetothelawofsamenessthatreignedinthatspellboundsleepingcastle.butthoughexternallyallwasexactlyasofold,theinnerrelationsofallthepersonsconcernedhadchangedsinceprinceandreyhadseenthemlast.thehouseholdwassplitupintotwohostilecamps,whichheldalooffromoneanother,andonlynowcametogetherinhispresence,abandoningtheirordinaryhabitsonhisaccount.toonecampbelongedtheoldprince,mademoisellebourienne,andthearchitect;totheother—princessmarya,dessalle,nikolushka,andallthenurses.

duringhisstayatbleakhillsallthefamilydinedtogether,buteveryonewasillatease,andprinceandreyfeltthathewasbeingtreatedasaguestforwhomanexceptionwasbeingmade,andthathispresencemadeallofthemfeelawkward.thefirstdayprinceandreycouldnothelpbeingawareofthisatdinner,andsatinsilence.theoldprincenoticedhisunnaturaldumbness,andhe,too,preservedasullensilence,andimmediatelyafterdinnerwithdrewtohisownroom.laterintheeveningwhenprinceandreywentintohim,andbegantellinghimaboutthecampaignoftheyoungprincekamenskytotryandrousehim,theoldprince,tohissurprise,begantalkingaboutprincessmarya,grumblingathersuperstitiousness,andherdislikeofmademoisellebourienne,whowas,hesaid,theonlypersonreallyattachedtohim.

theoldprincedeclaredthatitwasallprincessmarya’sdoingifhewereill;thatsheplaguedandworriedhimonpurpose,andthatshewasspoilinglittleprincenikolaybythewayshepettedhim,andthesillytalesshetoldhim.theoldprinceknewverywellthathetormentedhisdaughter,andthatherlifewasaveryhardone.butheknew,too,thathecouldnothelptormentingher,andconsideredthatshedeservedit.“whyisitandrey,whoseesit,saysnothingabouthissister？”theoldprincewondered.“why,doeshesupposei’mascoundreloranoldfooltobealienatedfrommydaughterandfriendlywiththisfrenchwomanfornogoodreason？hedoesn’tunderstand,andsoimustexplainittohim;hemusthearwhatihavetosayaboutit,”thoughttheoldprince,andsohebegantoexplainthereasonwhyhecouldnotputupwithhisdaughter’sunreasonablecharacter.

“ifyouaskme,”saidprinceandrey,notlookingathisfather（itwasthefirsttimeinhislifethathehadblamedhisfather）,“ididnotwishtospeakofit—but,ifyouaskme,i’lltellyoumyopinionfranklyinregardtothewholematter.ifthereisanymisunderstandingandestrangementbetweenyouandmasha,ican’tblameherforit—iknowhowshelovesandrespectsyou.ifyouaskme,”princeandreycontinued,losinghistemper,asheveryreadilydidintheselatterdays,“icanonlysayonething;iftherearemisunderstandings,thecauseofthemisthatworthlesswoman,whoisnotfittobemysister’scompanion.”

theoldmanstaredforamomentathisson,andaforcedsmilerevealedthelossofatooth,towhichprinceandreycouldnotgetaccustomed,inhisface.

“whatcompanion,mydearfellow？eh！soyou’vetalkeditoveralready！eh？”