第173章

第173章“well,letusbegin,”saiddolohov.

“tobesure,”saidpierre,stillwiththesamesmile.

afeelingofdreadwasintheair.itwasobviousthattheaffairthathadbegunsolightlycouldnotnowbeinanywayturnedback,thatitwasgoingforwardofitself,independentlyofmen’swill,andmustrunitscourse.denisovwasthefirsttocomeforwardtothebarrierandpronouncethewords：

“sincetheantagonistsrefuseallreconciliation,woulditnotbeaswelltobegin？takeyourpistols,andattheword‘three’begintoadvancetogether.o…one！two！three！…”denisovshoutedangrily,andhewalkedawayfromthebarrier.bothwalkedalongthetroddentrackscloserandclosertogether,beginningtorecogniseoneanotherinthemist.thecombatantshadtherighttofirewhentheychoseastheyapproachedthebarrier.dolohovwalkedslowly,notliftinghispistol,andlookingintentlywithhisclear,shiningeyesintothefaceofhisantagonist.hismouthwore,asalways,thesemblanceofasmile.

“sowhenilike,icanfire,”saidpierre,andatthewordthree,hewalkedwithrapidstepsforward,strayingoffthebeatentrackandsteppingovertheuntroddensnow.pierreheldhispistolatfulllengthinhisrighthand,obviouslyafraidofkillinghimselfwiththatpistol.hisleftarmhestudiouslyheldbehindhim,becausehefeltinclinedtouseittosupporthisrightarm,andheknewthatwasnotallowed.afteradvancingsixpaces,andgettingoffthetrackintothesnow,pierrelookedaboutunderhisfeet,glancingrapidlyagainatdolohov,andstretchingouthisfinger,ashehadbeenshown,fired.notatallexpectingsoloudareport,pierrestartedathisownshot,thensmiledathisownsensationandstoodstill.thesmoke,whichwasmadethickerbythefog,hinderedhimfromseeingforthefirstmoment;buttheothershotthathewasexpectingdidnotfollow.allthatcouldbeheardweredolohov’srapidfootsteps,andhisfigurecameintoviewthroughthesmoke.withonehandhewasclutchingathisleftside,theotherwasclenchedonthelowerpistol.hisfacewaspale.rostovwasrunningupandsayingsomethingtohim.

“n…no,”dolohovmutteredthroughhisteeth,“no,it’snotover”;andlingonafewsinking,eringstepsuptothesword,hesankontothesnowbesideit.hislefthandwascoveredwithblood,herubbeditonhiscoatandleaneduponit.hisfacewaspale,frowningandtrembling.

“co…”dolohovbegan,buthecouldnotatoncearticulatethewords：“comeup,”hesaid,withaneffort.pierre,hardlyabletorestrainhissobs,rantowardsdolohov,andwouldhavecrossedthespacethatseparatedthebarriers,whendolohovcried：“tothebarrier！”andpierre,graspingwhatwaswanted,stoodstilljustatthesword.onlytenpacesdividedthem.dolohovputtinghisheaddown,greedilybitatthesnow,liftedhisheadagain,satup,triedtogetonhislegsandsatdown,tryingtofindasecurecentreofgravity.hetookamouthfulofthecoldsnow,andsuckedit;hislipsquivered,butstillhesmiled;hiseyesglitteredwiththestrainandexasperationofthelewithhisfailingforces.heraisedthepistolandbegantakingaim.

“sideways,don’texposeyourselftothepistol,”saidnesvitsky.

“don’tfaceit！”denisovcouldnothelpshouting,thoughitwastoanantagonist.

withhisgentlesmileofsympathyandremorse,pierrestoodwithhislegsandarmsstraddlinghelplessly,andhisbroadchestdirectlyfacingdolohov,andlookedathimmournfully.denisov,rostov,andnesvitskyscreweduptheireyes.atthesameinstanttheyheardashotanddolohov’swrathfulcry.

“missed！”shouteddolohov,andhedroppedhelplessly,facedownwards,inthesnow.pierreclutchedathishead,andturningback,walkedintothewood,offthepathinthesnow,mutteringaloudincoherentwords.

“stupid…stupid！death…lies…”hekeptrepeating,scowling.nesvitskystoppedhimandtookhimhome.

rostovanddenisovgotthewoundeddolohovaway.

dolohovlayinthesledgewithclosedeyes,insilence,andutterednotawordinreplytoquestionsaddressedtohim.butastheyweredrivingintomoscow,hesuddenlycametohimself,andliftinghisheadwithaneffort,hetookthehandofrostov,whowassittingnearhim.rostovwasstruckbytheutterlytransformedandunexpectedlypassionatelytenderexpressionondolohov’sface.

“well？howdoyoufeel？”askedrostov.

“bad！butthat’snotthepoint.myfriend,”saiddolohov,inabreakingvoice,“wherearewe？weareinmoscow,iknow.idon’tmatter,butihavekilledher,killedher.…shewon’tgetoverthis.shecan’tbear…”

“who？”askedrostov.

“mymother.mymother,myangel,myadoredangel,mymother,”andsqueezingrostov’shand,dolohovburstintotears.whenhewasalittlecalmer,heexplainedtorostovthathewaslivingwithhismother,thatifhismotherweretoseehimdying,shewouldnotgetovertheshock.hebesoughtrostovtogotoherandprepareher.

rostovdroveonaheadtocarryouthiswish,andtohisimmenseastonishmenthelearnedthatdolohov,thisbully,thisnotedduellistdolohov,livedatmoscowwithhisoldmotherandahunchbacksister,andwasthetenderestsonandbrother.