第171章

第171章pierrewassittingoppositedolohovandnikolayrostov.heategreedilyanddrankheavily,ashealwaysdid.butthosewhoknewhimslightlycouldseethatsomegreatchangewastakingplaceinhimthatday.hewassilentallthroughdinner,andblinkingandscrewinguphiseyes,lookedabouthim,orlettinghiseyesrestonsomethingwithanairofcompleteabsent-mindedness,rubbedthebridgeofhisnosewithhisfinger.hisfacewasdepressedandgloomy.heseemednottobeseeingorhearingwhatwaspassingabouthimandtobethinkingofsomeonething,somethingpainfulandunsettled.

thisunsettledquestionthatworriedhimwasduetothehintsdroppedbytheprincess,hiscousin,atmoscowinregardtodolohov’scloseintimacywithhiswife,andtoananonymousletterhehadreceivedthatmorning,which,withthevilejocosenesspeculiartoallanonymousletters,hadsaidthathedidn’tseemtoseeclearlythroughhisspectacles,andthathiswife’sconnectionwithdolohovwasasecretfromnoonebuthimself.pierredidnotabsolutelybelieveeithertheprincess’shints,ortheanonymousletter,buthewasafraidnowtolookatdolohov,whosatoppositehim.everytimehisglancecasuallymetdolohov’shandsome,insolenteyes,pierrefeltasthoughsomethingawful,hideouswasrisingupinhissoul,andhemadehastetoturnaway.involuntarilyrecallingallhiswife’spastandherattitudetodolohov,pierresawclearlythatwhatwassaidinthelettermightwellbetrue,mightatleastappeartobethetruth,ifonlyithadnotrelatedtohiswife.pierrecouldnothelprecallinghowdolohov,whohadbeencompletelyreinstated,hadreturnedtopetersburgandcometoseehim.dolohovhadtakenadvantageofhisfriendlyrelationswithpierreintheiroldrowdydays,hadcomestraighttohishouse,andpierrehadestablishedhiminitandlenthimmoney.pierrerecalledhowellen,smiling,hadexpressedherdissatisfactionatdolohov’sstayingintheirhouse,andhowcynicallydolohovhadpraisedhiswife’sbeautytohim,andhowhehadneversinceleftthemuptothetimeoftheircomingtomoscow.

“yes,heisveryhandsome,”thoughtpierre,“andiknowhim.therewouldbeaparticularcharmforhimindisgracingmynameandturningmeintoridicule,justbecauseihaveexertedmyselfinhisbehalf,havebefriendedhimandhelpedhim.iknow,iunderstandwhatzestthatwouldbesuretogivetohisbetrayalofme,ifitweretrue.yes,ifitweretrue,butidon’tbelieveit.ihavenorighttoandican’tbelieveit.”herecalledtheexpressionondolohov’sfaceinhismomentsofcruelty,suchaswhenhewastyingthepoliceofficerontothebearanddroppinghimintothewater,orwhenhehadutterlywithoutprovocationchallengedamantoaduelorkilledasledge-driver’shorsewithashotfromhispistol.thatexpressionoftencameintodolohov’sfacewhenhewaslookingathim.“yes,he’saduellingbully,”thoughtpierre;“tohimitmeansnothingtokillaman,itmustseemtohimthateveryone’safraidofhim.hemustlikeit.hemustthinkiamafraidofhim.and,infact,ireallyamafraidofhim,”pierremused;andagainatthesethoughtshefeltasthoughsomethingterribleandhideouswererisingupinhissoul.dolohov,denisov,androstovweresittingfacingpierreandseemedtobegreatlyenjoyingthemselves.rostovtalkedawaymerrilytohistwofriends,ofwhomonewasadashinghussar,theotheranotoriousduellistandscapegrace,andnowandthencastironicalglancesatpierre,whoseappearanceatthedinnerwasastrikingone,withhisupied,absent-minded,massivefigure.rostovlookedwithdisfavouruponpierre.inthefirstplace,becausepierre,intheeyesofthesmarthussar,wasarichcivilian,andhusbandofabeauty,wasaltogether,infact,anoldwoman.andsecondly,becausepierreinhisupationandabsent-mindednesshadnotrecognisedrostovandhadfailedtorespondtohisbow.whentheygotuptodrinkthehealthofthetsar,pierre,plungedinthought,didnotrisenortakeuphisglass.

“whatareyouabout？”rostovshoutedtohim,lookingathimwithenthusiasticandexasperatedeyes.“don’tyouhear：thehealthofoursovereigntheemperor！”

pierrewithasighobeyed,gotup,emptiedhisglass,andwaitingtillallwereseatedagain,heturnedwithhiskindlysmiletorostov.“why,ididn’trecogniseyou,”hesaid.butrostovhadnothoughtsforhim,hewasshouting“hurrah！”

“whydon’tyourenewtheacquaintance？”saiddolohovtorostov.

“oh,botherhim,he’safool,”saidrostov.

“onehastobesweettothehusbandsofprettywomen,”saiddenisov.pierredidnothearwhattheyweresaying,butheknewtheyweretalkingofhim.heflushedandturnedaway.“well,nowtothehealthofprettywomen,”saiddolohov,andwithaseriousexpression,thoughasmilelurkedinthecornersofhismouth,heturnedtopierre.

“tothehealthofprettywomen,petrusha,andtheirloverstoo,”hesaid.