第209章

第209章“whatisit？”hesaidangrily,andhishandshaking,heaccidentallypouredtoomanydropsfromthebottleintotheglass.hetippedthemedicineoutoftheglassontothefloorandaskedforsomemorewater.themaidgaveithim.

intheroomwereacoupleofarmchairs,achild’scrib,atableandachild’stableandalittlechair,onwhichprinceandreywassitting.thewindowswerecurtained,andonthetableasinglecandlewasburning,screenedbyanote-book,sothatthelightdidnotfallonthecrib.

“mydear,”saidprincessmarya,turningtoherbrotherfrombesidethecribwhereshewasstanding,“itwouldbebettertowaitalittle…later.”

“oh,please,doasisay,whatnonsenseyoukeeptalking,youhavekeptputtingthingsoff,andseewhat’scomeofit！”saidprinceandreyinanexasperatedwhisper,evidentlymeaningtowoundhissister.

“mydear,it’sreallybetternottowakehim,hehasfallenasleep,”saidtheprincessinavoiceofentreaty.

princeandreygotupandwentontiptoetothecribwiththeglassinhishand.

“shouldwereallynotwakehim？”hesaid,hesitating.

“asyouthink—really…ibelieveso…butasyouthink,”saidprincessmarya,obviouslyintimidatedandashamedthatheropinionshouldtriumph.shedrewherbrother’sattentiontothemaid,whowassummoninghiminawhisper.

itwasthesecondnightthattheyhadbeenwithoutsleeplookingafterthebaby,whowasfeverish.mistrustingtheirownhouseholddoctorandexpectingthedoctortheyhadsentfromthetown,theyhadspentallthattimetryingfirstoneremedyandthenanother.agitatedandwornoutbysleeplessness,theyventedtheiranxietyoneachother,foundfaultwitheachother,andquarrelled.

“petrushawithpapersfromyourpapa,”whisperedthemaid.princeandreywentout.

“damnthemall！”hecommentedangrily,andafterlisteningtotheverbalinstructionssenthimfromhisfather,andtakingthecorrespondenceandhisfather’sletter,hewentbacktothenursery.“well？”queriedprinceandrey.

“nochange,waitalittle,forgod’ssake.karlivanitchalwayssayssleepisbetterthananything,”princessmaryawhisperedwithasigh.princeandreywentuptothebabyandfelthim.hewasburninghot.“botheryouandyourkarlivanitch！”hetooktheglasswiththedropsofmedicineinitandagainwentuptothecrib.

“andryusha,youshouldn’t！”saidprincessmarya.buthescowledatherwithanexpressionofangerandatthesametimeofanguish,andbentoverthechildwiththeglass.

“butiwishit,”hesaid.“come,ibegyou,giveithim…”

princessmaryaedhershouldersbutobedientlyshetooktheglass,andcallingthenurse,begangivingthechildthemedicine.thebabyscreamedandwheezed.princeandrey,scowlingandclutchingathishead,wentoutoftheroomandsatdownonthesofaintheadjoiningone.

theletterswerestillinhishand.mechanicallyheopenedthemandbegantoread.theoldprinceinhisbig,sprawlinghand,makinguseofoccasionalabbreviations,wroteonbluepaperasfollows：

“ihavethismomentreceived,throughaspecialmessenger,veryjoyfulnews,ifit’snotafalsehood.bennigsenhasgaineditseemsacompletevictoryoverbonaparteneareylau.inpetersburgeveryone’sjubilantandrewardshavebeensenttothearmywithoutstint.thoughhe’sagerman—icongratulatehim.commanderinkortchevo,acertainhandrikov,ican’tmakeoutwhathe’sabout;fullcontingentofmenandregulationprovisionnotyetarrived.gallopoveratonceandsayi’llhavehisheadoffifit’snotallherewithintheweek.ihavealettertooabouttheprussianbattleatpreussisch-eylaufrompetenka,hetookpartinit,—it’strue.ifpeopledon’tmeddlewho’venobusinesstomeddle,evenagermanbeatsbonaparte.theysayhe’srunningawayingreatdisorder.mindyougallopovertokortchevoanddothebusinesswithoutdelay！”

princeandreysighedandbrokeopentheotherletter.itwasaletterfrombilibin,twosheetscoveredwithfinehandwriting.hefoldeditupwithoutreadingit,andreadthroughoncemorehisfather’sletter,endingwiththewords：“mindyougallopovertokortchevoanddothebusinesswithoutdelay！”

“no,excuseme,i’mnotgoingnowtillthechildisbetter,”hethought,andgoingtothedoorheglancedintothenursery.princessmaryawasstillstandingatthecrib,softlyrockingthebaby.“oh,andwhatwastheotherunpleasantthinghewritesabout？”princeandreythoughtofthecontentsofhisfather’sletter.“yes.ourtroopshavegainedavictoryoverbonapartepreciselywheni’mnotinthearmy.yes,yes,everythingmocksatme…wellandwelcometoo…”andhebeganreadingtheletterinfrenchfrombilibin.heread,notunderstandinghalfofit,readsimplytoescapeforonemomentfromthinkingofwhathehadtoolong,tooexclusivelyandtooanxiouslybeendwellingupon.