第253章

第253章therostovs’pecuniarypositionhadnotimprovedduringthetwoyearstheyhadspentinthecountry.althoughnikolayrostovhadkeptfirmlytohisresolution,andwasstilllivinginamodestwayinanobscureregiment,spendingcomparativelylittle,themanneroflifeatotradnoe,andstillmoremitenka’smanagementofaffairs,weresuchthatdebtswentonunchecked,growingereveryyear.thesoleresourcethatpresenteditselftotheoldcountastheobviousthingtodowastoenterthegovernmentservice,andhehadcometopetersburgtoseekapostandatthesametime,ashesaid,tolethispoorwenchesenjoythemselvesforthelasttime.

soonaftertherostovs’arrivalinpetersburg,bergmadeveraanoffer,andhisofferwasaccepted.althoughinmoscowtherostovsbelongedtothebestsociety—themselvesunawareofthefact,andnevertroublingthemselvestoconsiderwhatsocietytheybelongedto—yetinpetersburgtheirpositionwasanuncertainandindefiniteone.inpetersburgtheywereprovincials;andwerenotvisitedbytheverypeoplewhoinmoscowhaddinedattherostovs’expensewithouttheirinquiringtowhatsocietytheybelonged.

therostovskeptopenhouseinpetersburg,justastheyusedtodoinmoscow;andattheirsupperspeopleofthemostdiversesortscouldbeseentogether—countryneighbours,oldandnotwell-to-docountrygentlemenwiththeirdaughters,andtheoldmaid-of-honour,madameperonsky,pierrebezuhov,andthesonoftheirdistrictpostmaster,whowasinanofficeinpetersburg.ofthemenwhowereconstantlyattherostovs’houseinpetersburg,themostintimatefriendsofthefamilywereverysoonboris,pierre,whohadbeenmetinthestreetbytheoldcountandedhomebyhim,andberg,whospentwholedayswiththerostovs,andpaidtheelderoftheyoungcountesses,vera,everyattentionayoungmancanpaywhointendstomakeaproposal.

notinvainhadbergshowneverybodyhisrighthandthathadbeenwoundedatausterlitz,andtheswordquiteunnecessarilyheldinhisleft.hehadrelatedthisepisodetoeverybodysopersistentlyandwithsuchanairofimportance,thateveryonehadcometobelieveintheutilityandmeritofthefeat,andberghadreceivedtwodecorationsforausterlitz.

inthewarinfinland,too,hehadeededindistinguishinghimself.hehadpickedupafragmentofagrenade,bywhichanadjutanthadbeenkilledclosetothecommander-in-chief,andhadcarriedthisfragmenttohiscommander.again,asafterausterlitz,hetalkedtoeveryoneatsuchlengthandwithsuchpersistencyaboutthisincidentthatpeopleendedbybelievingthatthis,too,wassomethingthatoughttohavebeendone,andbergreceivedtwodecorationsforthefinnishwartoo.in1809hewasacaptainintheguardswithdecorationsonhisbreast,andwasfillingsomeparticularlyprofitablepostsinpetersburg.

thoughthereweresomescepticswhosmiledwhenberg’smeritswerementionedbeforethem,itcouldnotbedeniedthatbergwasagallantofficer,punctualinthedischargeofhisduties,inexcellentreputewiththeauthorities,andaconscientiousyoungmanwithabrilliantcareerbeforehimandasecureposition,indeed,insociety.

fouryearsbefore,onmeetingagermancomradeintheparterreofamoscowtheatre,berghadpointedouttohimverarostov,andsaidtohimingerman,“thatgirlwillbemywife.”fromthatmomenthehadmadeuphismindtomarryher.nowinpetersburg,afterdulyconsideringtherostovs’positionandhisown,hedecidedthatthetimehadcomeandmadehisoffer.