第305章

第305章“natasha！nowit’syourturn.singmesomething,”calledthevoiceofthecountess.“whyareyousittingtheresoquietly,likeconspirators？”

“mamma,idon’twanttoabit！”saidnatasha,butshegotupasshesaidit.

noneofthem,notevendimmler,whowasnotyoung,wantedtobreakofftheconversation,andcomeoutofthecornerofthedivan-room;butnatashastoodup;andnikolaysatdowntotheclavichord.standing,asshealwaysdid,inthemiddleoftheroom,andchoosingtheplacewheretheresonancewasgreatest,natashabegansinginghermother’sfavouritesong.

shehadsaidshedidnotwanttosing,butitwaslongsinceshehadsung,andlongbeforeshesangagainasshesangthatevening.countilyaandreitchlistenedtohersingingfromhisstudy,wherehewastalkingtomitenka,andlikeaschoolboyinhastetofinishhislessonandrunouttoplay,heblunderedinhisorderstothesteward,andatlastpaused,andmitenkastoodsilentandsmilingbeforehim,listeningtoo.nikolaynevertookhiseyesoffhissister,anddrewhisbreathwhenshedid.sonya,asshelistened,thoughtofthevastdifferencebetweenherandherfriend,andhowimpossibleitwasforhertobeineversoslightadegreefascinatinglikehercousin.theoldcountesssatwithablissful,butmournfulsmile,andtearsinhereyes,andnowandthensheshookherhead.she,too,wasthinkingofnatashaandofherownyouth,andofhowtherewassomethingterribleandunnaturalinnatasha’smarryingprinceandrey.

dimmler,sittingbythecountess,listenedwithclosedeyes.“no,countess,”hesaid,atlast,“that’saeuropeantalent;shehasnoneedofteaching：thatsoftness,tenderness,strength…”

“ah,i’mafraidforher,i’mafraid,”saidthecountess,notrememberingwithwhomshewasspeaking.hermotherlyinstincttoldherthattherewastoomuchofsomethinginnatasha,andthatitwouldpreventherbeinghappy.

natashahadnotfinishedsingingwhenfourteen-year-oldpetyaraningreatexcitementintotheroomtoannouncethearrivalofthemummers.

natashastoppedabruptly.

“idiot！”shescreamedatherbrother.sherantoachair,sankintoit,andbrokeintosuchviolentsobbingthatitwasalongwhilebeforeshecouldstop.

“it’snothing,mamma,it’snothingreally,it’sallright;petyastartledme,”shesaid,tryingtosmile;butthetearsstillflowed,andthesobsstillchokedher.

themummers—house-serfsdressedupasbears,turks,tavern-keepers,andladies—awe-inspiringorcomicfigures,atfirsthuddledshylytogetherinthevestibule,bringinginwiththemthefreshnessofthecoldoutside,andafeelingofgaiety.then,hidingbehindoneanother,theycrowdedtogetherinthebighall;andatfirstwithconstraint,butafterwardswithmorelivelinessandunanimity,theystartedsingingsongs,andperformingdances,andsongswithdancing,andplayingchristmasgames.thecountessafteridentifyingthem,andlaughingattheircostumes,wentawaytothedrawing-room.countilyaandreitchsatwithabeamingsmileinthebighall,praisingtheirperformances.theyoungpeoplehaddisappeared.

halfanhourlaterthereappearedinthehallamongtheothermummersanoldladyinacrinoline—thiswasnikolay.petyawasaturkishlady,dimmlerwasaclown,natashaahussar,andsonyaacircassianwitheyebrowsandmoustachessmudgedwithburntcork.

afterthoseofthehouseholdwhowerenotdresseduphadexpressedcondescendingwonderandapproval,andhadfailedtorecognisethem,theyoungpeoplebegantothinktheircostumessogoodthattheymustdisplaythemtosomeoneelse.

nikolay,whowantedtodrivethemallinhissledge,astheroadwasincapitalcondition,proposedtodrivetotheirso-calleduncle’s,takingaboutadozenofthehouse-serfsintheirmummer-dresswiththem.

“no;whyshouldyoudisturbtheoldfellow？”saidthecountess.“besidesyouwouldn’thaveroomtoturnroundthere.ifyoumustgo,letitbetothemelyukovs’.”

madamemelyukovwasawidowwithafamilyofchildrenofvariousages,andanumberoftutorsandgovernesseslivinginherhouse,fourverstsfromtherostovs’.

“that’sagoodidea,mylove,”theoldcountassented,beginningtobearoused.“onlyletmedressupandi’llgowithyou.i’llmakepashetteopenhereyes.”

butthecountesswouldnotagreetothecount’sgoing;forseveraldayshehadhadabadleg.itwasdecidedthatthecountmustnotgo,butthatifluisaivanovna（madameschoss）wouldgowiththem,theyoungladiesmightgotomadamemelyukov’s.sonya,usuallysoshyandreticent,wasmoreurgentthananyinpersuadingluisaivanovnanottorefuse.

sonya’sdisguisewasthebestofall.hermoustachesandeyebrowswereextraordinarilybecomingtoher.everyonetoldhershelookedverypretty,andshewasinamoodofeagerenergyunlikeher.someinnervoicetoldherthatnoworneverherfatewouldbesealed,andinhermasculineattiresheseemedquiteanotherperson.luisaivanovnaconsentedtogo;andhalfanhourlaterfoursledgeswithbellsdroveuptothesteps,theirrunnerscrunching,withaclangingsound,overthefrozensnow.

natashawasforemostinsettingthetoneofholidaygaiety;andthatgaiety,reflectedfromonetoanother,grewwilderandwilder,andreacheditsclimaxwhentheyallwentoutintothefrost,andtalking,andcallingtooneanother,laughingandshouting,gotintothesledges.