第338章

第338章themorningcamewithdailycaresandbustle.everyonegotupandbegantomoveaboutandtotalk;dressmakerscameagain;againmaryadmitryevnawentoutandtheyweresummonedtotea.natashakeptuneasilylookingroundateveryonewithwide-openeyes,asthoughshewantedtointercepteveryglanceturneduponher.shedidherutmosttoseemexactlyasusual.

afterluncheon—itwasalwaysherbesttime—maryadmitryevnaseatedherselfinherownarm-chairanddrewnatashaandtheoldcounttoher.

“well,myfriends,ihavethoughtthewholematterovernow,andi’lltellyoumyadvice,”shebegan.“yesterday,asyouknow,iwasatprincebolkonsky’s;well,ihadatalkwithhim…hethoughtfittoscreamatme.butthere’snoscreamingmedown！ihaditalloutwithhim.”

“well,butwhatdoeshemean？”askedthecount.

“he’scrazy…hewon’thearofit,andthere’snomoretobesaid.asitiswehavegiventhispoorgirlworryenough,”saidmaryadmitryevna.“andmyadvicetoyouis,tomakeanendofitandgohometootradnoe…andtheretowait.”

“ohno！”criednatasha.

“yes,togohome,”saidmaryadmitryevna,“andtowaitthere.ifyourbetrothedcomesherenow,there’llbenoescapingaquarrel;butaloneherehe’llhaveitalloutwiththeoldman,andthencomeontoyou.”

countilyaandreitchapprovedofthisestion,andatoncesawallthesoundsenseofit.iftheoldmanweretocomeround,thenitwouldbebettertovisithimatmoscoworbleakhills,lateron;ifnot,thenthewedding,againsthiswill,couldonlytakeplaceatotradnoe.

“andthat’sperfectlytrue,”saidhe.“iregretindeedthatieverwenttoseehimandtookhertoo,”saidthecount.

“no,whyregretit？beinghere,youcoulddonolessthanshowhimrespect.ifhewouldn’treceiveit,that’shisaffair,”saidmaryadmitryevna,searchingforsomethinginherreticule.“andnowthetrousseau’sready,whathaveyoutowaitfor？whatisnotready,i’llsendafteryou.thoughi’msorrytoloseyou,stillthebestthingisforyoutogo,andgodbewithyou.”findingwhatshewaslookingforinherreticule,shehandedittonatasha.itwasaletterfromprincessmarya.“shewritestoyou.howworriedsheis,poorthing！sheisafraidyoumightthinkshedoesnotlikeyou.”

“well,shedoesn’tlikeme,”saidnatasha.

“nonsense,don’tsayso,”criedmaryadmitryevna.

“iwon’ttakeanyone’swordforthat,iknowshedoesn’tlikeme,”saidnatashaboldlyasshetooktheletter,andtherewasalookofcoldandangryresolutioninherface,thatmademaryadmitryevnalookathermorecloselyandfrown.

“don’tyouanswermelikethat,mygoodgirl,”shesaid.“ifisayso,it’sthetruth.writeananswertoher.”

natashamadenoreply,andwenttoherownroomtoreadprincessmarya’sletter.

princessmaryawrotethatshewasindespairatthemisunderstandingthathadarisenbetweenthem.whateverherfather’sfeelingsmightbe,wroteprincessmarya,sheednatashatobelievethatshecouldnotfailtoloveher,asthegirlchosenbyherbrother,forwhosehappinessshewasreadytomakeanysacrifice.