第316章

第316章thatinnerlifehadbecomeveryhardforprincessmaryaoflateinmoscow.shewasdeprivedinmoscowofhertwogreatestpleasures—talkswithgod’sfolkandthesolitudewhichhadrefreshedherspiritatbleakhills，andshehadnoneoftheadvantagesandpleasuresoftownlife.shedidnotgointosociety；everyoneknewthatherfatherwouldnotallowhertogoanywherewithouthim，andowingtohisfailinghealthhecouldgonowherehimself.shewasnoteveninvitednowtodinner-partiesorballs.princessmaryahadlaidasideallhopesofmarriage.shesawthecoldnessandhostilitywithwhichtheoldprincereceivedanddismissedtheyoungmen，possiblesuitors，whosometimesappearedatthehouse.friends，princessmaryanowhadnone；duringthisstayinmoscowshehadlostallfaithinthetwofriendswhohadbeennearesttoher.mademoisellebourienne，withwhomshehadneverbeenabletobeperfectlyopen，shenowregardedwithdislike，andforcertainreasonskeptatadistance.julie，withwhomprincessmaryahadkeptupanunbrokencorrespondenceforfiveyears，wasinmoscow.whenprincessmaryarenewedherpersonalrelationswithher，shefeltherformerfriendtobeutterlyalientoher.julie，whohadbecome，bythedeathofherbrothers，oneofthewealthiestheiressesinmoscow，wasatthattimeengrossedinagiddywhirloffashionableamusements.shewassurroundedbyyoungmen，whomshebelievedtohavebecomesuddenlyappreciativeofherqualities.juliewasatthatstagewhenayoungladyissomewhatpastherfirstyouthinsocietyandfeelsthatherlastchanceofmarryinghascome，andthatnoworneverherfatemustbedecided.withamournfulsmileprincessmaryareflectedeverythursdaythatshehadnownoonetowriteto，seeingthatjuliewashereandsawhereveryweek，thoughherfriend’sactualpresencegavehernosortofpleasure.liketheoldfrenchémigré，whodeclinedtomarrytheladywithwhomhehadforsomanyyearsspenthisevenings，sheregrettedthatjuliewashereandshehadnoonetowriteto.inmoscowprincessmaryahadnoonetospeakto，noonetoconfidehersorrowsto，andmanyfreshsorrowsfelltoherlotaboutthistime.thetimeforprinceandrey’sreturnandmarriagewasapproaching，andhiscommissiontohertoprepareherfather’smindwassofarfrombeingessfullycarriedoutthatthewholethingseemedhopeless；andanyreferencetotheyoungcountessrostovinfuriatedtheoldprince，whowasforthemostpartoutofhumouratalltimesnow.anothertroublethatweighedonprincessmaryaoflatewasduetothelessonsshegavetohersix-year-oldnephew.inherrelationswithlittlenikolaysherecognisedtoherconsternationsymptomsofherfather’sirritablecharacterinherself.howeveroftenshetoldherselfthatshemustnotletherselflosehertemper，whenteachinghernephew，almosteverytimeshesatdownwithapointershowinghimthefrenchalphabet，shesolongedtohasten，tomakeeasytheprocessoftransferringherknowledgetothechild，whowasbynowalwaysafraidhisauntiewouldbeangrythenextmoment，thatattheslightestinattentionshewasquiveringinnervoushasteandvexation，sheraisedhervoiceandsometimespulledhimbyhislittlehandandstoodhiminthecorner.whenshehadstoodhiminthecornershewouldbegintocryherselfoverherevil，wickednature，andlittlenikolay，hissobsvyingwithhers，wouldcomeunbiddenoutofthecornertopullherwethandsfromherfaceandtrytocomforther.butthegreatest，farthegreatestoftheprincess’sburdenswasherfather’sirascibility，whichwasinvariablydirectedagainsthisdaughter，andhadoflatereachedthepointofcruelty.hadheforcedhertospendthenightbowingtotheground，hadhebeatenher，ormadehercarryinwoodandwater，itwouldneverhaveenteredherheadthatherpositionwasahardone.butthislovingdespot—mostcruelofallbecauseheloved，andforthatveryreasontorturedhimselfandher—knewnotonlyhowtomortifyandhumiliateher，butofsetpurpose，toprovetoherthatshewasalwaystoblameineverything.oflatehehadtakenanewdeparture，whichcausedprincessmaryamoremiserythananything—thatwashiscloserandcloserintimacywithmademoisellebourienne.theidea，thathadoccurredtohiminjestatthefirstmomentofreceivingthenewsofhisson’sintentions，thatifandreygotmarriedhe，too，wouldmarrymademoisellebourienne，obviouslypleasedhim，andhehadoflate—simply，asprincessmaryafancied，toannoyher—persistedinbeingparticularlygracioustomademoisellebourienneandmanifestinghisdissatisfactionwithhisdaughterbydemonstrationsofloveforthefrenchwoman.

onedayinprincessmarya’spresence（itseemedtoherthatherfatherdiditonpurposebecauseshewasthere）theoldprincekissedmademoisellebourienne’shand，anddrawinghertohimembracedheraffectionately.princessmaryaflushedhotlyandranoutoftheroom.afewminuteslater，mademoisellebouriennewentintoprincessmarya’sroom，smilingandmakingsomecheerfulremarksinheragreeablevoice.princessmaryahastilywipedawayhertears，withresolutestepswentuptothefrenchwoman，andobviouslyunconsciousofwhatshewasdoing，withwrathfulhasteandbreaksinhervoiceshebeganscreamingather：

“it’sloathsome，vile，inhumantotakeadvantageoffeebleness…”shecouldnotgoon.“gooutofmyroom，”shecried，andbrokeintosobs.

thenextdaytheoldprincedidnotsayawordtohisdaughter，butshenoticedthatatdinnerhegaveordersforthedishestobehandedtomademoisellebouriennefirst.whentowardstheendofdinner，thefootmanfromhabithandedthecoffee，beginningwiththeprincess，theoldprinceflewintoasuddenfrenzyofrage，flunghiscaneatfilipp，andimmediatelygaveordersforhimtobesentforasoldier.

“hewon’tobey…twiceitoldhim！…andhedidn’tobey.she’sthefirstpersoninthishouse，she’smybestfriend，”screamedtheoldprince.andifyouallowyourself，”heshoutedinafury，forthefirsttimeaddressingprincessmarya，“everagain，asyoudaredyesterday…toforgetyourselfinherpresence，i’llshowyouwhoismasterinthishouse.away！don’tletmeseteyesonyou！begherpardon！”

princessmaryaedamaliayevgenyevna’spardonandalsoherfather’s，bothforherselfandthefootmanfilipp，whoimploredherintervention.

atsuchmomentsthefeelingthatprevailedinprincessmarya’ssoulwasakintotheprideofsacrifice.andallofasuddenatsuchmoments，thatfatherwhomshewasjudgingwouldlookforhisspectacles，fumblingbythemandnotseeingthem，orwouldforgetwhathadjusthappened，orwouldtakeatotteringstepwithhisweaklegs，andlookroundtoseewhetheranyonehadnoticedhisfeebleness，orwhatwasworstofall，atdinnerwhentherewerenogueststoexcitehim，hewouldsuddenlyfallasleep，lettinghisnapkindropandhisshakingheadsinkoverhisplate.“heisoldandfeeble，andidaretojudgehim！”shethought，revoltedbyherself.