第318章

第318章thetoneoftheconversationwasbasedontheassumptionthatnooneapprovedofwhatwasbeingdoneinthepoliticalworld.incidentswererelatedobviouslyconfirmingtheviewthateverythingwasgoingfrombadtoworse.butineverystorythatwastold,andineverycriticismthatwasoffered,whatwasstrikingwasthewaythatthespeakercheckedhimself,orwaschecked,everytimethelinewasreachedwhereacriticismmighthavereferencetothepersonofthetsarhimself.

atdinnertheconversationturnedonthelastpoliticalnews,napoleon’sseizureofthepossessionsofthedukeofoldenburg,andtherussiannote,hostiletonapoleon,whichhadbeendespatchedtoalltheeuropeancourts.

“bonapartetreatsalleuropeasapiratedoesacapturedvessel,”saidrastoptchin,repeatingaphrasehehadutteredseveraltimesbefore.“oneonlymarvelsatthelong-sufferingortheblindnessoftherulingsovereigns.nowit’sthepope’sturn,andbonapartedoesn’tscrupletotryanddeposetheheadofthecatholicchurch,andnoonesaysaword.ouremperoralonehasprotestedagainsttheseizureofthepossessionsofthedukeofoldenburg.andeven…”countrastoptchinbrokeoff,feelingthathewasontheveryborderlinebeyondwhichcriticismwasimpossible.

“otherdomainshavebeenofferedhiminsteadoftheduchyofoldenburg,”saidtheoldprince.“heshiftsthedukesabout,asimightmovemyserfsfrombleakhillstobogutcharovoandtheryazanestates.”

“thedukeofoldenburgsupportshismisfortunewithadmirableforceofcharacterandresignation,”saidborisputtinginhiswordrespectfully.hesaidthisbecauseonhisjourneyfrompetersburghehadhadthehonourofbeingpresentedtotheduke.theoldprincelookedattheyoungmanasthoughhewouldhavelikedtosaysomethinginreply,butchangedhismind,consideringhimtooyoung.

“ihavereadourprotestabouttheoldenburgaffair,andiwassurprisedathowbadlycomposedthenotewas,”saidcountrastoptchininthecasualtoneofamancriticisingsomethingwithwhichheisveryfamiliar.

pierrelookedatrastoptchininna？vewonder,unabletounderstandwhyheshouldbetroubledbythedefectivecompositionofthenote.

“doesitmatterhowthenoteisworded,count,”hesaid,“ifthemeaningisforcible？”

“mydearfellow,withourfivehundredthousandtroops,itshouldbeeasytohaveagoodstyle,”saidcountrastoptchin.

pierreperceivedthepointofcountrastoptchin’sdissatisfactionwiththewordingofthenote.

“ishouldhavethoughttherewerescribblersenoughtowriteit,”saidtheoldprince.“upinpetersburgtheydonothingbutwrite—notnotesonly,butnewlawstheykeepwriting.myandryushauptherehaswrittenawholevolumeofnewlawsforrussia.nowadaysthey’realwaysatit！”andhelaughedanunnaturallaugh.

theconversationpausedforamoment;theoldgeneralclearedhisthroattodrawattention.

“didyouhearofthelastincidentatthereviewinpetersburg？didn’tthenewfrenchambassadorsexposethemselves！”

“eh？yes,ididhearsomething;hesaidsomethingawkwardinthepresenceofhismajesty.”