第206章

第206章annapavlovnagavehimhershrivelledhandtokiss，introducedhimtoseveralpersonswhomhedidnotknow，andgavehimawhispereddescriptionofeachofthem.“princeippolitkuragin，m.krug，chargéd’affairesfromcopenhagen，aprofoundintellectandsimple，m.shitov，amanofagreatdealofmerit…”thisoftheyoungmanalwayssospokenof.

thankstotheeffortsofannamihalovna，hisowntastesandthepeculiaritiesofhisreservedcharacter，borishadeededbythattimeingettingintoaveryadvantageouspositionintheservice.hewasanadjutantinthesuiteofapersonageofveryhighrank，hehadreceivedaveryimportantcommissioninprussia，andhadonlyjustreturnedthenceasaspecialmessenger.hehadcompletelyassimilatedthatunwrittencodewhichhadsopleasedhimatolmutz，thatcodeinvirtueofwhichalieutenantmaystandinfinitelyhigherthanageneral，andallthatisneededforessintheserviceisnoteffort，notwork，notgallantry，notperseverance，butsimplytheartofgettingonwiththosewhohavethebestowalofpromotion，andheoftenhimselfmarvelledattherapidityofhisownprogress，andthatothersfailedtograspthesecretofit.hiswholemanneroflife，allhisrelationswithhisoldfriends，allhisplansforthefuturewerecompletelytransformedinconsequenceofthisdiscovery.hewasnotwelloff，buthespenthislastcopecktobebetterdressedthanothers.hewouldhavedeprivedhimselfofmanypleasuresratherthanhaveallowedhimselftodriveinaninferiorcarriage，ortobeseeninthestreetsofpetersburginanolduniform.hesoughttheacquaintanceandcultivatedthefriendshiponlyofpersonswhowereinahigherposition，andcouldconsequentlybeofusetohim.helovedpetersburganddespisedmoscow.hismemoriesoftherostovhouseholdandhischildishpassionfornatashaweredistastefultohim，andhehadnotoncebeenattherostovs’sincehehadenteredthearmy.inannapavlovna’sdrawing-room，hisentryintowhichhelookeduponasanimportantstepupwardintheservice，heatoncetookhiscue，andletannapavlovnamakethemostofwhatinteresthehadtooffer，whilehimselfattentivelywatchingeveryfaceandappraisingtheadvantagesandpossibilitiesofintimacywitheveryoneofthepersonspresent.hesatontheseatindicatedtohimbesidethefairellenandlistenedtothegeneralconversation.

“viennaconsidersthebasesoftheproposedtreatysounattainablethatnotevenacontinuanceofthemostbrilliantesseswouldputthemwithinreach，anddoubtswhetheranymeanscouldgainthemforus.thesearetheactualwordsoftheministryinvienna，”saidthedanishchargéd’affaires.

“itispoliteofthemtodoubt，”saidthemanofprofoundintellectwithasubtlesmile.

“wemustdistinguishbetweentheministryinviennaandtheemperorofaustria，”saidmortemart.“theemperorofaustriacanneverhavethoughtofsuchathing；itisonlytheministerswhosayit.”

“ah，mydearvicomte，”putinannapavlovna；“europewillneverbeoursincereally.”

thenannapavlovnaturnedtheconversationuponthecourageandfirmnessoftheprussianking，withtheobjectofbringingborisintoaction.

borislistenedattentivelytothepersonwhowasspeaking，andwaitedforhisturn，butmeanwhilehehadleisuretolookroundseveraltimesatthefairellen，whoseveraltimesmetthehandsomeyoungadjutant’seyeswithasmile.

verynaturally，speakingofthepositionofprussia，annapavlovnaaskedboristodescribehisjourneytoglogau，andthepositioninwhichhehadfoundtheprussianarmy.borisinhispure，correctfrench，toldthemverydeliberatelyagreatmanyinterestingdetailsaboutthearmies，andthecourt，studiouslyabstainingfromanyexpressionofhisownopinioninregardtothefactshewasnarrating.forsometimeborisengrossedthewholeattentionofthecompany，andannapavlovnafeltthatthenoveltyshewasservingherguestswasbeingacceptedbythemallwithpleasure.ofalltheparty，thepersonwhoshowedmostinterestinboris’sdescriptionwasellen.sheaskedhimseveralquestionsabouthisexpedition，andseemedtobeextremelyinterestedinthepositionoftheprussianarmy.assoonashehadfinished，sheturnedtohimwithherhabitualsmile.

“youabsolutelymustcomeandseeme，”shesaidinatonethatestedthatforcertainconsiderations，ofwhichhecouldhavenoknowledge，itwasabsolutelyessential.“ontuesdaybetweeneightandnine.itwillgivemegreatpleasure.”

borispromisedtodoso，andwasabouttoenterintoconversationwithher，whenannapavlovnadrewhimasideonthepretextthatherauntwishedtohearhisstory.

“youknowherhusband，ofcourse？”saidannapavlovna，droppinghereyelids，andwithamelancholygestureindicatingellen.“ah，suchanunhappyandexquisitewoman！don’tspeakofhimbeforeher；pray，don’tspeakofhim.it’stoomuchforher！”