第218章

第218章intheeveningprinceandreyandpierregotintothecoachanddrovetobleakhills.princeandreywatchedpierreandbrokethesilencefromtimetotimewithspeechesthatshowedhewasinagoodhumour.

pointingtothefields,hetoldhimoftheimprovementshewasmakinginthemanagementofhisland.

pierrepreservedagloomysilence,replyingonlybymonosyllables,andapparentlyplungedinhisownthoughts.

pierrewasreflectingthatprinceandreywasunhappy,thathewasinerror,thathedidnotknowthetruelight,andthatheoughttocometohisaid;enlightenhimandlifthimup.butassoonashebegantodeliberateonwhathewouldsay,heforesawthatprinceandreywithoneword,oneargument,wouldannihilateeverythinginhisdoctrine;andhewasafraidtobegin,afraidofexposinghismostcherishedandholiestideastopossibleridicule.

“no,whatmakesyouthinkso？”pierrebeganallatonce,loweringhisheadandlookinglikeabuttingbull;“whatmakesyouthinkso？yououghtnottothinkso.”

“thinkso,aboutwhat？”askedprinceandreyinsurprise.

“aboutlife.aboutthedestinationofman.itcan’tbeso.iusedtothinklikethat,andihavebeensaved,doyouknowbywhat？—freemasonry.no,youmustnotsmile.freemasonryisnotareligioussect,normereceremonialrites,asiusedtosuppose;freemasonryisthebest,theonlyexpressionofthehighest,eternalaspectsofhumanity.”andhebeganexpoundingtoprinceandreyfreemasonry,asheunderstoodit.

hesaidthatfreemasonryistheteachingofchristianity,freedfromitspoliticalandreligiousfetters;theteachingofequality,fraternity,andlove.

“ourholybrotherhoodistheonlythingthathasrealmeaninginlife;alltherestisadream,”saidpierre.“youunderstand,mydearfellow,thatoutsidethisbrotherhoodallisfilledwithlyingandfalsehood,andiagreewithyouthatthere’snothingleftforanintelligentandgood-heartedmanbut,likeyou,togetthroughhislife,onlytryingnottohurtothers.butmakeourfundamentalconvictionsyourown,enterintoourbrotherhood,giveyourselfuptous,letusguideyou,andyouwillatoncefeelyourself,asifelt,apartofavast,unseenchain,theoriginofwhichislostintheskies,”saidpierre,lookingstraightbeforehim.

princeandreylistenedtopierre’swordsinsilence.severaltimeshedidnotcatchwordsfromthenoiseofthewheels,andheaskedpierretorepeatwhathehadmissed.fromthepeculiarlightthatglowedinprinceandrey’seyes,andfromhissilence,pierresawthathiswordswerenotinvain,thatprinceandreywouldnotinterrupthimnorlaughatwhathesaid.

theyreachedariverthathadoverfloweditsbanks,andhadtocrossitbyaferry.whilethecoachandhorseswaitedtheycrossedontheferry.princeandreywithhiselbowontherailgazedmutelyoverthestretchofwatershininginthesettingsun.

“well,whatdoyouthinkaboutit？”askedpierre.“whyareyousilent？”

“whatdoithink？ihaveheardwhatyousay.that’sallright,”saidprinceandrey.“butyousay,enterintoourbrotherhood,andwewillshowyoutheobjectoflifeandthedestinationofman,andthelawsthatgoverntheuniverse.butwhoarewe？—men？howdoyouknowitall？whyisitialonedon’tseewhatyousee？youseeonearththedominionofgoodandtruth,butidon’tseeit.”

pierreinterruptedhim.“doyoubelieveinafuturelife？”heasked.

“inafuturelife？”repeatedprinceandrey.