第348章

第348章pierre，withhunchedshouldersandopenmouth，listenedtowhatmaryadmitryevnawassaying，hardlyabletobelievehisears.thatprinceandrey’sfiancée，sopassionatelylovedbyhim，natasharostov，hithertosocharming，shouldgiveupbolkonskyforthatfoolanatole，whowasmarriedalready（pierreknewthesecretofhismarriage），andbesomuchinlovewithhimastoconsenttoelopewithhim—thatpierrecouldnotconceiveandcouldnotcomprehend.hecouldnotreconcilethesweetimpressionhehadinhissoulofnatasha，whomhehadknownfromchildhood，withthisnewconceptionofherbaseness，folly，andcruelty.hethoughtofhiswife.“theyareallalike，”hesaidtohimself，reflectinghewasnottheonlymanwhoseunhappyfateitwastobeboundtoalowwoman.butstillhefeltreadytoweepwithsorrowforprinceandrey，withsorrowforhispride.andthemorehefeltforhisfriend，thegreaterwasthecontemptandevenaversionwithwhichhethoughtofnatasha，whohadjustpassedhimwithsuchanexpressionofrigiddignity.hecouldnotknowthatnatasha’sheartwasfilledwithdespair，shame，andhumiliation，andthatitwasnotherfaultthatherfaceaccidentallyexpresseddignityandseverity.

“what！getmarried？”criedpierreatmaryadmitryevna’swords.“hecan’tgetmarried；heismarried.”

“worseandworse，”saidmaryadmitryevna.“he’saniceyouth.aperfectscoundrel.andshe’sexpectinghim；she’sbeenexpectinghimthesetwodays.wemusttellher；atleastshewillleaveoffexpectinghim.”

afterlearningfrompierrethedetailsofanatole’smarriage，andpouringoutherwrathagainsthiminabusiveepithets，maryadmitryevnainformedpierreofherobjectinsendingforhim.maryadmitryevnawasafraidthatthecountorbolkonsky，whomightarriveanymoment，mighthearoftheaffair，thoughsheintendedtoconcealitfromthem，andmightchallengekuragin，andshethereforeedpierretobidhisbrother-in-lawfromhertoleavemoscowandnottodaretoshowhimselfinherpresence.pierrepromisedtodoasshedesiredhim，onlythengraspingthedangermenacingtheoldcount，andnikolay，andprinceandrey.afterbrieflyandpreciselyexplainingtohimherwishes，shelethimgotothedrawing-room.

“mind，thecountknowsnothingofit.youbehaveasthoughyouknownothing，”shesaidtohim.“andi’llgoandtellherit’snouseforhertoexpecthim！andstaytodinner，ifyoucareto，”maryadmitryevnacalledafterpierre.

pierremettheoldcount.heseemedupsetandanxious.thatmorningnatashahadtoldhimthatshehadbrokenoffherengagementtobolkonsky.

“i’mintrouble，introuble，mydearfellow，”hesaidtopierre，“withthosegirlswithoutthemother.idoregretnowthaticame.iwillbeopenwithyou.haveyouheardshehasbrokenoffherengagementwithoutawordtoanyone？ineverdid，i’lladmit，feelverymuchpleasedatthemarriage.he’sanexcellentman，ofcourse，butstilltherecouldbenohappinessagainstafather’swill，andnatashawillneverwantforsuitors.stillithadbeengoingonsolong，andthensuchastep，withoutherfather’sorhermother’sknowledge！andnowshe’sill，andgodknowswhatitis.it’sabadthing，count，abadthingtohaveadaughterawayfromhermother.…”pierresawthecountwasgreatlytroubled，andtriedtochangetheconversationtosomeothersubject，butthecountwentbackagaintohistroubles.

sonyacameintothedrawing-roomwithanagitatedface.

“natashaisnotverywell；sheisinherroomandwouldliketoseeyou.maryadmitryevnaiswithherandsheasksyoutocometoo.”

“why，yes，you’resuchagreatfriendofbolkonsky’s；nodoubtshewantstosendhimsomemessage，”saidthecount.“ah，mygod，mygod！howhappyitallwas！”andclutchingathissparselocks，thecountwentoutoftheroom.

maryadmitryevnahadtoldnatashathatanatolewasmarried.natashawouldnotbelieveher，andinsistedonthestatementbeingconfirmedbypierrehimself.sonyatoldpierrethisassheledhimacrossthecorridortonatasha’sroom.

natasha，paleandstern，wassittingbesidemaryadmitryevna，andshemetpierreatthedoorwitheyesoffeverishbrillianceandinquiry.shedidnotsmilenornodtohim.shesimplylookedhardathim，andthatlookaskedhimsimply：washeafriendoranenemyliketherest，asregardsanatole？pierreinhimselfhadevidentlynoexistenceforher.

“heknowseverything，”saidmaryadmitryevna，addressingnatasha.“lethimtellyouwhetherihavespokenthetruth.”

asahunted，woundedbeastlooksattheapproachingdogsandhunters，natashalookedfromonetotheother.

“natalyailyinitchna，”pierrebegan，droppinghiseyesandconsciousofafeelingofpityforherandloathingfortheoperationhehadtoperform，“whetheritistrueornotcannotaffectyousince…”

“thenitisnottruethatheismarried？”

“no；itistrue.”

“hashebeenmarriedlong？”sheasked.“onyourwordofhonour？”

pierretoldhersoonhiswordofhonour.

“ishestillhere？”sheaskedrapidly.

“yes，ihavejustseenhim.”

shewasobviouslyincapableofspeaking；shemadeasignwithherhandsforthemtoleaveheralone.