第317章

第317章intheyear1811therewaslivinginmoscowafrenchdoctorcalledmetivier,whowasrapidlycomingintofashion.hewasaverytall,handsomeman,politeasonlyafrenchmanis,andwassaidbyeveryoneinmoscowtobeanextraordinarilycleverdoctor.hewasreceivedintheverybesthouses,notmerelyasadoctor,butasanequal.

princenikolayandreitchhadalwaysridiculedmedicine,butoflatehehadbymademoisellebourienne’sadviceallowedthisdoctortoseehim,andhadbecomeaccustomedtohisvisits.metivierusedtoseetheoldprincetwiceaweek.

onst.nikolay’sday,thename-dayoftheoldprince,allmoscowwasdrivinguptotheapproachofhishouse,buthegaveordersfornoonetobeadmittedtoseehim.onlyafewguests,ofwhomhegavealisttoprincessmarya,weretobeinvitedtodinner.

metivier,whoarrivedinthemorningwithhisfelicitations,thoughthimselfastheoldprince’sdoctorentitledtoforcerlaconsigne,ashetoldprincessmarya,andwentintotheprince.itsohappenedthatonthatmorningofhisname-daytheoldprincewasinoneofhisveryworsttempers.hehadspentthewholemorningwanderingaboutthehouse,findingfaultwitheveryone,andaffectingnottounderstandwhatwassaidtohimandtobemisunderstoodbyeverybody.princessmaryaknewthatmoodwellfromsubduedandfretfulgrumbling,whichusuallyfoundventinaviolentoutburstoffury,andasthoughfacingacockedandloadedgun,shewentallthemorninginexpectationofanexplosion.themorningpassedofffairlywell,tillthedoctor’sarrival.afteradmittingthedoctor,princessmaryasatdownwithabookinthedrawing-roomnearthedoor,whereshecouldhearallthatpassedintheprince’sstudy.

atfirstsheheardmetivier’svoicealone,thenherfather’svoice,thenbothvoicesbegantalkingatonce.thedoorflewopen,andinthedoorwayshesawthehandsome,terrifiedfigureofmetivierwithhisshockofblackhair,andtheoldprinceinaskull-capanddressing-gown,hisfacehideouswithrageandhiseyeslowered.

“youdon’tunderstand,”screamedtheoldprince,“butido！frenchspy,slaveofbonaparte,spy,outofmyhouse—away,itellyou！”andheslammedthedoor.metivier,inghisshoulders,wentuptomademoisellebourienne,whoranoutofthenextroomatthenoise.

“theprinceisnotquitewell,bileandrushofbloodtothehead.calmyourself,iwilllookinto-morrow,”saidmetivier;andputtinghisfingerstohislipshehurriedoff.

throughthedoorcouldbeheardstepsshufflinginslippersandshouts：“spies,traitors,traitorseverywhere！notaminuteofpeaceinmyownhouse！”

aftermetivier’sdeparturetheoldprincesentforhisdaughter,andthewholefuryofhispassionspentitselfonher.shewastoblameforthespy’shavingbeenadmittedtoseehim.hadnothetoldher,toldhertomakealist,andthatthosenotonthelistwereonnoaccounttobeadmitted？whythenhadthatscoundrelbeenshownup？shewastoblameforeverything.withherhecouldnothaveaminuteofpeace,couldnotdieinpeace,hetoldher.

“no,madame,wemustpart,wemustpart,itellyou！icanputupwithnomore,”hesaid,andwentoutoftheroom.andasthoughafraidshemightfindsomecomfort,heturnedbackandtryingtoassumeanairofcalmness,headded：“anddon’timaginethatihavesaidthisinamomentoftemper;no,i’mquitecalmandihavethoughtitwellover,anditshallbeso—youshallgoaway,andfindsomeplaceforyourself！…”buthecouldnotrestrainhimself,andwiththevindictivefurywhichcanonlyexistwhereamanloves,obviouslyinanguish,heshookhisfistsandscreamedather：“ah！ifsomefoolwouldmarryher！”heslammedthedoor,sentformademoisellebourienne,andsubsidedintohisstudy.

attwoo’clockthesixpersonshehadselectedarrivedtodinner.thoseguests—thecelebratedcountrastoptchin,princelopuhinandhisnephew,generaltchatrov,anoldcomradeoftheprince’sinthefield,andoftheyoungergenerationpierreandborisdrubetskoywereawaitinghiminthedrawing-room.boris,whohadcomeonleavetomoscowshortlybefore,hadbeenanxioustobepresentedtoprincenikolayandreitch,andhadeededinsofaringratiatinghimselfinhisfavour,thattheoldprincemadeinhiscaseanexceptionfromhisusualruleofexcludingallyoungunmarriedmenfromhishouse.

theprincedidnotreceivewhatiscalled“society,”buthishousewasthecentreofalittlecircleintowhich—thoughitwasnottalkedofmuchinthetown—itwasmoreflatteringtobeadmittedthananywhereelse.borishadgraspedthatfactaweekpreviously,whenheheardrastoptchintellthecommander-in-chiefofmoscow,whohadinvitedhimtodineonst.nikolay’sday,thathecouldnotaccepthisinvitation.

“onthatdayialwaysgotopaymydevotionstotherelicsofprincenikolayandreitch.”

“ohyes,yes…”assentedthecommander-in-chief.“howishe？…”

thelittlepartyassembledbeforedinnerintheold-fashioned,loftydrawing-room,withitsoldfurniture,waslikethesolemnmeetingofsomelegalcouncilboard.

allsatsilent,oriftheyspoke,spokeinsubduedtones.princenikolayandreitchcamein,seriousandtaciturn.princessmaryaseemedmeekerandmoretimidthanusual.theguestsshowednoinclinationtoaddresstheirconversationtoher,fortheysawthatshehadnothoughtforwhattheyweresaying.countrastoptchinmaintainedtheconversationalone,relatingthelatestnewsofthetownandthepoliticalworld.lopuhinandtheoldgeneraltookpartintheconversationatrareintervals.princenikolayandreitchlistenedlikeapresidingjudgereceivingareportsubmittedtohim,onlytestifyingbyhissilence,orfromtimetotimebyabriefword,thathewastakingcognizanceofthefactslaidbeforehim.