第287章

第287章“danilo,”saidnikolay,atthesightofthishuntingweather,thosedogs,andthehuntsman,feelingshylythathewasbeingcarriedawaybythatirresistiblesportingpassioninwhichamanforgetsallhispreviousintentions,likeamaninloveatthesightofhismistress.

“whatisyourbidding,yourexcellency？”askedabassvoice,fitforaheaddeacon,andhoarsefromhallooing,andapairofflashingblackeyesglancedupfromundertheirbrowsatthesilentyoungmaster.“surelyyoucan’tresistit？”thosetwoeyesseemedtobeasking.

“it’sagoodday,eh？justrightforridingandhunting,eh？”saidnikolay,scratchingmilkabehindtheears.

danilowinkedandmadenoreply.

“isentuvarkaouttolistenatdaybreak,”hisbassboomedoutafteramoment’ssilence.“hebroughtwordshe’smovedintotheotradnoeenclosure;therewashowlingthere.”（“she’smoved”meantthatthemotherwolf,ofwhombothknew,hadmovedwithhercubsintotheotradnoecopse,whichwasasmallhuntingpreserveabouttwoverstsaway.）

“shouldn’twego,eh？”saidnikolay.“cometomewithuvarka.”

“asyoudesire.”

“thenputofffeedingthem.”

“yes,sir！”

fiveminuteslaterdaniloanduvarkawerestandinginnikolay’sbigstudy.althoughdanilowasnottall,toseehiminaroomgaveoneanimpressionsuchasonehasonseeingahorseorbearstandingontheflooramongthefurnitureandsurroundingsofhumanlife.danilofeltthishimself,andasusualhekeptclosetothedoorandtriedtospeakmoresoftly,andnottomoveforfearofcausingsomebreakageinthemaster’sapartments.hedidhisutmosttogeteverythingsaidquicklysoastogetassoonasmightbeoutintotheopenagain,fromunderaceilingoutunderthesky.

aftermakinginquiriesandextractingfromdaniloanadmissionthatthedogswerefit（danilohimselfwaslongingtogo）,nikolaytoldthemtohavethehorsessaddled.butjustasdanilowasabouttogo,natasha,wrappedinabigshawlofheroldnurse’s,ranintotheroom,notyetdressed,andherhairindisorder.petyaraninwithher.

“areyougoing？”saidnatasha.“iknewyouwould！sonyasaidyouweren’tgoing.iknewthatonsuchadayyoucouldn’thelpgoing！”

“yes,we’regoing,”nikolayansweredreluctantly.ashemeanttoattemptserioushuntinghedidnotwanttotakenatashaandpetya.“wearegoing,butonlywolf-hunting;itwillbedullforyou.”

“youknowthatit’sthegreatestofmypleasures,”saidnatasha.“it’stoobad—he’sgoinghimself,hasorderedthehorsesoutandnotawordtous.”

“nohindrancebarsarussian’spath！”declaimedpetya;“let’sgo！”

“butyoumustn’t,youknow;mammasaidyouwerenotto,”saidnikolaytonatasha.

“no,i’mgoing,imustgo,”saidnatashastoutly.“danilo,bidthemsaddlemyhorse,andtellmihailotocomewithmyleash,”shesaidtothehuntsman.

simplytobeinaroomseemedirksomeandunfittingtodanilo,buttohaveanythingtodowithayoungladyhefelttobeutterlyimpossible.hecastdownhiseyesandmadehastetogetaway,makingasthoughitwerenoaffairofhis,andtryingtoavoidaccidentallydoingsomehurttotheyounglady.