第351章

第351章pierredrovetomaryadmitryevna’storeporttohertheexecutionofhercommands，astokuragin’sbanishmentfrommoscow.thewholehousewasinexcitementandalarm.natashawasveryill；andasmaryadmitryevnatoldhiminsecret，shehadonthenightaftershehadbeentoldanatolewasmarried，takenarsenic，whichshehadprocuredbystealth.afterswallowingalittle，shehadbeensofrightenedthatshewakedsonya，andtoldherwhatshehaddone.antidoteshadbeengivenintime，andnowshewasoutofdanger；butshewasstillsoweak，thattheycouldnotdreamofmovinghertothecountry，andthecountesshadbeensentfor.pierresawthecountingreattrouble，andsonyaintears，buthecouldnotseenatasha.

thatdaypierredinedattheclub，andheardoneverysidegossipabouttheattemptedabductionoftheyoungcountessrostov，andpersistentlydeniedthestory，assuringeveryonethattheonlyfoundationforitwasthathisbrother-in-lawhadmadetheyoungladyanofferandhadbeenrefused.itseemedtopierrethatitwaspartofhisdutytoconcealthewholeaffair，andtosavetheyoungcountess’sreputation.

hewaslookingforwardwithterrortoprinceandrey’sreturn，anddroveroundeverydaytoaskfornewsofhimfromtheoldprince.

princenikolayandreitchheardalltherumourscurrentinthetownthroughmademoisellebourienne；andhehadreadthenotetoprincessmarya，inwhichnatashahadbrokenoffherengagement.heseemedinbetterspiritsthanusual，andlookedforwardwithimpatiencetoseeinghisson.

afewdaysafteranatole’sdeparture，pierrereceivedanotefromprinceandreytoinformhimthathehadarrived，andtobeghimtogoandseehim.

thefirstminuteofprinceandrey’sarrivalinmoscow，hewashandedbyhisfathernatasha’snotetoprincessmarya，inwhichshebrokeoffherengagement（thenotehadbeenstolenfromprincessmarya，andgiventotheoldprincebymademoisellebourienne）.heheardfromhisfather’slipsthestoryofnatasha’selopement，withadditions.

princeandreyhadarrivedintheevening；pierrecametoseehimthefollowingmorning.pierrehadexpectedtofindprinceandreyalmostinthesamestateasnatasha，andhewasthereforesurprisedwhenasheenteredthedrawing-roomheheardthesoundofprinceandrey’svoiceinthestudy，loudlyandeagerlydiscussingsomepetersburgintrigue.theoldprinceandsomeothervoiceinterruptedhimfromtimetotime.princessmaryacameouttomeetpierre.shesighed，turninghereyestowardsthedooroftheroom，whereprinceandreywas，plainlyintendingtoexpresshersympathywithhissorrow；butpierresawbyprincessmarya’sfacethatshewasgladbothatwhathadhappenedandatthewayherbrotherhadtakenthenewsofhisfiancée’streachery.

“hesaidhehadexpectedit，”shesaid.“iknowhispridewillnotallowhimtoexpresshisfeelings；butanyway，hehasborneitbetter，farbetter，thanihadexpected.itseemsitwastobeso…”

“butisitallreallyatanend？”saidpierre.

princessmaryalookedathimwithsurprise.shecouldnotunderstandhowonecouldasksuchaquestion.pierrewentintothestudy.princeandreywasverymuchchanged，andvisiblymuchmorerobust，buttherewasanewhorizontallinebetweenhisbrows.hewasinciviliandress，andstandingfacinghisfatherandprincemeshtchersky，hewashotlyarguing，makingvigorousgesticulations.

thesubjectwassperansky，ofwhosesuddendismissalandsupposedtreasonnewshadjustreachedmoscow.