第277章

第277章therewasnoformalbetrothalandnoannouncementwasmadeoftheengagementofbolkonskyandnatasha;princeandreyinsisteduponthat.hesaidthatsincehewasresponsibleforthedelayoftheirmarriage,heoughttobearthewholeburdenofit.hesaidthathewasboundforeverbyhisword,buthedidnotwanttobindnatashaandwouldleaveherperfectfreedom.ifinanothersixmonthssheweretofeelthatshedidnotlovehim,shewouldhaveaperfectrighttorefusehim.itneedhardlybesaidthatneithernatashanorherparentswouldhearofthispossibility;butprinceandreyinsistedonhavinghisownway.princeandreycameeverydaytotherostovs’,buthedidnotbehavewithnatashaasthoughhewereengagedtoher;headdressedherformallyandkissedonlyherhand.fromthedayofhisproposalprinceandrey’srelationswithnatashahadbecomequitedifferentfromwhathadexistedbetweenthembefore：theirrelationsweresimpleandintimate.itseemedasthoughtillthentheyhadnotknowneachother.bothlovedtorecallhowtheyhadregardedoneanotherwhentheywerenothingtoeachother.nowtheybothfeltutterlydifferentcreatures—thenaffected,nowsimpleandsincere.atfirsttherehadbeenafeelingofawkwardnessinthefamilyinregardtoprinceandrey.heseemedamanfromanotherworld,andnatashausedforalongwhiletotryandmakeherpeopleunderstandprinceandrey,anddeclaredtoeveryonewithpridethatheonlyseemedtobesodifferent,thathewasreallylikeeveryoneelse,andthatshewasnotafraidofhimandnooneneedbe.afterafewdays,therestofthefamilygotaccustomedtoseeinghim,andwentonwithoutconstraintwiththeirusualmanneroflife,inwhichhetookpart.heknewhowtotalktothecountaboutthemanagementofhisestates,tothecountessandnatashaaboutdress,andtosonyaaboutheralbumandembroidery.sometimestherostovsamongthemselves,andinprinceandrey’spresence,expressedtheirwonderatthewayithadallhappened,andattheeventsthatobviouslybetokenedthatitwastobe：princeandrey’scomingtootradnoe,andtheircomingtopetersburg,andtheresemblancebetweennatashaandprinceandrey,whichtheoldnursehadremarkedonprinceandrey’sfirstvisit,andthemeetingin1805betweenandreyandnikolay,andmanyotherincidentsbetokeningthatitwastobe,wereobservedbythefamily.

thehousewasfullofthatpoeticatmosphereofdullnessandsilence,whichalwaysaccompaniesthepresenceofanengagedcouple.oftenastheyallsattogethereveryonewassilent.sometimestheothersgotupandwentaway,andtheengagedpairwerestillasmutewhentheywereleftalone.rarelytheyspokeoftheirfuturelifetogether.princeandreyfeltfrightenedandashamedtospeakofit.natashasharedthefeeling,asshedidallhisfeelings,whichsheneverfailedtodivine.oncenatashabeganquestioninghimabouthisson.

princeandreyblushed—athingfrequentwithhimatthattime,whichnatashaparticularlylikedtosee—andsaidthathissonwouldnotlivewiththem.

“whynot？”saidnatasha,takingfright.

“icannottakehimfromhisgrandfatherandthen…”

“howishouldhavelovedhim！”saidnatasha,atoncedivininghisthought;“butiknowyouwanttoavoidanypretextforourbeingblamed.”