第219章

第219章butpierredidnotgivehimtimetoanswer,andtookthisrepetitionasanegativereply,themorereadilyasheknewprinceandrey’satheisticviewsinthepast.“yousaythatyoucan’tseethedominionofgoodandtruthontheearth.ihavenotseeniteither,anditcannotbeseenifonelooksuponourlifeastheendofeverything.onearth,thisearthhere”（pierrepointedtotheopencountry）,“thereisnotruth—allisdeceptionandwickedness.butintheworld,thewholeworld,thereisadominionoftruth,andwearenowthechildrenofearth,buteternallythechildrenofthewholeuniverse.don’tifeelinmysoulthatiamapartofthatvast,harmoniouswhole？don’tifeelthatinthatvast,innumerablemultitudeofbeings,inwhichismademanifestthegodhead,thehigherpower—whatyouchoosetocallit—iconstituteonegrain,onestepupwardfromlowerbeingstohigherones？ifisee,seeclearlythatladderthatrisesupfromthevegetabletoman,whyshouldisupposethatladderbreaksoffwithmeanddoesnotgoonfurtherandfurther？ifeelthaticannotdisappearasnothingdoesdisappearintheuniverse,thatindeedialwaysshallbeandalwayshavebeen.ifeelthatbesideme,aboveme,therearespirits,andthatintheirworldthereistruth.”

“yes,that’sherder’stheory,”saidprinceandrey.“butit’snotthat,mydearboy,convincesme;butlifeanddeatharewhathaveconvincedme.whatconvincesmeisseeingacreaturedeartome,andboundupwithme,towhomonehasdonewrong,andhopedtomakeitright”（princeandrey’svoiceshookandheturnedaway）,“andallatoncethatcreaturesuffers,isinagony,andceasestobe.…whatfor？itcannotbethatthereisnoanswer！andibelievethereis.…that’swhatconvinces,that’swhathasconvincedme,”saidprinceandrey.

“justso,justso,”saidpierre;“isn’tthattheverythingi’msaying？”

“no.ionlysaythatoneisconvincedofthenecessityofafuturelife,notbyargument,butwhenonegoeshand-in-handwithsomeone,andallatoncethatsomeoneslipsawayyonderintonowhere,andyouareleftfacingthatabyssandlookingdownintoit.andihavelookedintoit…”

“well,that’sitthen！youknowthereisayonderandthereissomeone.yonderisthefuturelife;someoneisgod.”

princeandreydidnotanswer.thecoachandhorseshadlongbeentakenacrosstotheotherbank,andhadbeenputbackintotheshafts,andthesunhadhalfsunkbelowthehorizon,andthefrostofeveningwasstarringthepoolsatthefording-place;butpierreandandrey,totheastonishmentofthefootmen,coachmen,andferrymen,stillstoodintheferryandwerestilltalking.

“ifthereisgodandthereisafuturelife,thenthereistruthandthereisgoodness;andthehighesthappinessofmanconsistsinstrivingfortheirattainment.wemustlive,wemustlove,wemustbelieve,”saidpierre,“thatwearenotonlylivingto-dayonthisclodofearth,buthavelivedandwillliveforeverthereineverything”（hepointedtothesky）.princeandreystoodwithhiselbowontherailoftheferry,andashelistenedtopierrehekepthiseyesfixedontheredreflectionofthesunonthebluishstretchofwater.pierreceasedspeaking.therewasperfectstillness.theferryhadlongsincecometoastandstill,andonlytheeddiesofthecurrentflappedwithafaintsoundonthebottomoftheferryboat.itseemedtoprinceandreythatthelappingofthewaterkeptuparefraintopierre’swords：“it’sthetruth,believeit.”

princeandreysighed,andwitharadiant,childlike,tenderlookinhiseyesglancedatthefaceofpierre—flushedandtriumphant,thoughstilltimidlyconsciousofhisfriend’ssuperiority.

“yes,ifonlyitwereso！”hesaid.“letusgoandgetin,though,”addedprinceandrey,andashegotoutoftheferryhelookedupatthesky,towhichpierrehadpointedhim,andforthefirsttimesinceausterlitzhesawthelofty,eternalsky,ashehadseenitlyingonthefieldofausterlitz,andsomethingthathadlongbeenslumbering,somethingbetterthathadbeeninhim,suddenlyawokewithajoyful,youthfulfeelinginhissoul.thatfeelingvanishedassoonasprinceandreyreturnedagaintothehabitualconditionsoflife,butheknewthatthatfeeling—thoughheknewnothowtodevelopit—wasstillwithinhim.pierre’svisitwasforprinceandreyanepoch,fromwhichtherebegan,thoughoutwardlyunchanged,anewlifeinhisinnerworld.