第241章

第241章duringtheyearsofhisservice—forthemostpartasanadjutant—princeandreyhadseentheanteroomsofmanygreatpersonages,andthevariouscharacteristictypesofsuchanteroomswereveryreadilyrecognisedbyhim.countaraktcheev’santeroomhadquiteaspecialcharacter.thefacesofthepersonsofnoconsequencewhowereawaitingtheirturnsforanaudiencewithcountaraktcheevbetrayedafeelingofhumiliationandservility;thefacesofthoseofsuperiorrankallworeanexpressionofgeneraldiscomfort,concealedunderamaskofeaseandridicule,ofthemselvesandtheirpositionandthepersontheywerewaitingtosee.someofthemwalkedupanddownplungedinthought;otherswerelaughingandwhisperingtogether,andprinceandreycaughtthenicknamesilaandreitch（silameaningforceorviolence）,andthewords“thegovernor’llgiveityou,”referringtocountaraktcheev.onegeneral（apersonofgreatconsequence）,unmistakablychagrinedatbeingkeptwaitingsolong,satwithcrossedlegs,disdainfullysmilingtohimself.

butassoonasthedooropened,allfacesinstantlybetrayedonefeelingonly—terror.

princeandreyaskedtheadjutantondutytomentionhisnameagain,buthereceivedasarcasticstare,andwastoldhisturnwouldcomeinduecourse.afterseveralpersonshadbeenletinandletoutoftheminister’sroombytheadjutant,anofficerwasadmittedatthedreadfuldoor,whoseabjectandpanic-strickenfacehadstruckprinceandrey.theofficer’saudiencelastedalongwhile.suddenlytheroarofaharshvoicewasheardthroughthedoor,andtheofficer,withawhitefaceandtremblinglips,cameout,andclutchingathishead,crossedtheanteroom.afterthat,princeandreywasconductedtothedoor,andtheadjutantinawhispersaid：“totheright,atthewindow.”

princeandreywentintoaplain,neatstudy,andsawatthetableamanoffortywithalongwaist,withalong,closely-croppedhead,deepwrinkles,scowlingbrowsoverbrown-green,dulleyes,andared,over-hangingnose.araktcheevturnedhisheadtowardshim,withoutlookingathim.

“whatisityouarepetitioningfor？”askedaraktcheev.

“thereisnothingthatiam…petitioningfor,yourexcellency,”princeandreypronouncedsoftly.araktcheev’seyesturnedtohim.

“sitdown,”saidaraktcheev.“princebolkonsky？”

“ihavenopetitiontomake,buthismajestythetsarhasgraciouslysenttoyourexcellencyanotesubmittedbyme—”

“besogoodastosee,mydearsir;ihavereadyournote,”araktcheevinterrupted,utteringonlythefirstwordscivilly,againlookingawayfromhim,andrelapsingmoreandmoreintoatoneofgrumblingcontempt.“isitnewarmyregulationsyoupropose？thereareregulationsinplenty;noonewillcarryouttheoldones.nowadayseveryone’sdrawingupregulations;it’seasierwritingthandoing.”

“ihavecomebythedesireofhismajestythetsartolearnfromyourexcellencyhowyouproposetodealwithmyproject,”saidprinceandreycourteously.

“ihaveproposedaresolutioninregardtoyournote,andhaveforwardedittothecommittee.idonotapprove,”saidaraktcheev,gettingupandtakingapaperoutofthewriting-table.“here.”hegaveittoprinceandrey.rightacrossthenotehadbeenscrawled,withoutpunctuationorcapitallettersandwithwordsmisspelt：“superficiallycompiledseeingthatit’sdrawnupinimitationofthefrencharmyregulationsandneedlesslydepartingfromthestandingorders.”

“towhatcommitteehasthenotebeenreferred？”askedprinceandrey.

“tothecommitteeonarmyregulations,andihaveproposedyourhonourbeingenrolledamongitsmembers.onlywithoutsalary.”

princeandreysmiled.

“iamnotseekingasalary.”

“amemberwithoutsalary,”repeatedaraktcheev.“iwishyougoodday.hey！call！who’sthenext？”heshouted,ashebowedtoprinceandrey.