第306章

第306章twoofthesledgeswerethecommonhouseholdsledges;thethirdwastheoldcount’s,withatrottinghorsefromorlov’sfamousstud;thefourth,nikolay’sown,withhisownshort,y,ravenhorseintheshafts.nikolay,inhisoldlady’scrinolineandahussar’scloakbeltedoverit,stoodupinthemiddleofthesledgepickingupthereins.itwassolightthathecouldseethemetaldiscsoftheharnessshininginthemoonlight,andtheeyesofthehorseslookingroundinalarmatthenoisemadebythepartyundertheporticooftheapproach.

sonya,natasha,madameschoss,andtwomaidsgotintonikolay’ssledge.inthecount’ssledgeweredimmlerwithhiswifeandpetya;theothermummerswereseatedintheothertwosledges.

“yougoahead,zahar！”shoutednikolaytohisfather’scoachman,soastohaveachanceofovertakinghimontheroad.

thecount’ssledgewithdimmlerandtheothersofhispartystartedforward,itsrunnerscreakingasthoughtheywerefrozentothesnow,andthedeep-tonedbellclanging.thetrace-horsespressedclosetotheshaftsandstickinginthesnowkickeditup,hardandglitteringassugar.

nikolayfollowedthefirstsledge：behindhimheheardthenoiseandcrunchoftheothertwo.atfirsttheydroveataslowtrotalongthenarrowroad.astheydrovebythegarden,theshadowsoftheleaflesstreesoftenlayrightacrosstheroadandhidthebrightmoonlight.butassoonastheywereoutoftheirgrounds,thesnowyplain,glitteringlikeadiamondwithbluishlightsinit,laystretchedoutonallsides,allmotionlessandbathedinmoonlight.nowandagainaholegavethefirstsledgeajolt;thenextwasjoltedinjustthesameway,andthenext,andthesledgesfollowedoneanother,rudelybreakingtheiron-boundstillness.

“ahare’strack,alotoftracks！”natasha’svoicerangoutinthefrost-boundair.

“howlightitis,nikolenka,”saidthevoiceofsonya.

nikolaylookedroundatsonya,andbentdowntolookatherfacecloser.itwasaquitenew,charmingfacewithblackmoustaches,andeyebrowsthatpeepedupathimfromthesablefur—socloseyetsodistant—inthemoonlight.

“thatusedtobesonya,”thoughtnikolay.helookedcloseratherandsmiled.

“whatisit,nikolenka？”

“nothing,”hesaid,andturnedtohishorsesagain.

astheycameoutonthetroddenhighroad,polishedbysledgerunners,andallcutupbythetracksofspikedhorseshoesvisibleinthesnowinthemoonlight—thehorsesoftheirownaccordedatthereinsandquickenedtheirpace.thelefttrace-horse,archinghishead,pulledinjerksathistraces.theshaft-horseswayedtoandfro,prickinguphisearsasthoughtoask：“arewetobeginorisittoosoon？”zahar’ssledgecouldbedistinctlyseen,blackagainstthewhitesnow,alongwayaheadnow,anditsdeep-tonedbellseemedtobegettingfurtheraway.theycouldhearshoutsandlaughterandtalkfromhissledge.

“nowthen,mydarlings！”shoutednikolay,pullingareinononeside,andmovinghiswhiphand.itwasonlyfromthewindseemingtoblowmorefreelyintheirfaces,andfromtheingofthepullingtrace-horses,quickeningtheirtrot,thattheysawhowfastthesledgewasflyingalong.nikolaylookedbehind.theothersledges,withcrunchingrunners,withshouts,andcrackingofwhips,werehurryingafterthem.theirshaft-horsewasmovingvigorouslyundertheyoke,withnosignofslackening,andeverytokenofbeingreadytogofasterandfasterifrequired.

nikolayovertookthefirstsledge.theydrovedownahillandintoawide,troddenroadbyameadownearariver.

“wherearewe？”nikolaywondered.“possiblykosoymeadow,isuppose.butno;thisissomethingnewineversawbefore.thisisnotthekosoymeadownordemkinhill.it’ssomething—there’snoknowingwhat.it’ssomethingnewandfairy-like.well,comewhatmay！”andshoutingtohishorses,hebegantodrivebythefirstsledge.zaharpulleduphishorsesandturnedhisface,whichwaswhitewithhoar-frosttotheeyebrows.

nikolaylethishorsesgo;zahar,stretchinghishandsforward,urgedhison.“come,holdon,master,”saidhe.

thesledgesdashedalongsidebyside,evenmoreswiftly,andthehorses’hoofsflewupanddownmoreandmorequickly.nikolaybegantogetahead.zahar,stillkeepinghishandsstretchedforward,raisedonehandwiththereins.

“nonsense,master,”heshouted.nikolayputhisthreehorsesintoagallopandoutstrippedzahar.thehorsesscatteredthefinedrysnowintheirfaces;closebytheyheardtheringingofthebellsandthehorses’legsmovingrapidlyoutofstep,andtheysawtheshadowsofthesledgebehind.fromdifferentsidescamethecrunchofrunnersoverthesnow,andtheshrieksofgirls.stoppinghishorsesagain,nikolaylookedroundhim.allaroundhimlaystillthesameenchantedplain,bathedinmoon-light,withstarsscatteredoveritssurface.

“zahar’sshoutingthati’mtoturntotheleft,butwhytotheleft？”thoughtnikolay.“arewereallygoingtothemelyukovs’;isthisreallymelyukovka？godknowswherewearegoing,andgodknowswhatisgoingtobecomeofus—andverystrangeandniceitiswhatishappeningtous.”helookedroundinthesledge.

“look,hismoustacheandhiseyelashesareallwhite,”saidoneofthestrange,pretty,unfamiliarfiguressittingbyhim,withfinemoustachesandeyebrows.

“ibelievethatwasnatasha,”thoughtnikolay;“andthatwasmadameschoss;butperhapsit’snotso;andthatcircassianwiththemoustachesidon’tknow,butiloveher.”

“aren’tyoucold？”heaskedthem.theylaughedanddidnotanswer.dimmlerfromthesledgebehindshouted,probablysomethingfunny,buttheycouldnotmakeoutwhathesaid.

“yes,yes,”voicesanswered,laughing.

butnowcameasortofenchantedforestwithshifting,blackshadows,andtheglitterofdiamonds,andaflightofmarblesteps,andsilverroofsofenchantedbuildings,andtheshrillwhineofsomebeasts.“andifitreallyismelyukovka,thenit’sstrangerthaneverthatafterdriving,godknowswhere,weshouldcometomelyukovka,”thoughtnikolay.

itcertainlywasmelyukovka,andfootmenandmaid-servantswererunningoutwithlightsandbeamingfaces.

“whoisit？”wasaskedfromtheentrance.

“themummersfromthecount’s;icanseebythehorses,”answeredvoices.