第170章
第170章atthedooroftheante-roomappearedthefigureofbagration,withouthishatorsword,which,inaccordancewiththeclubcustom,hehadleftwiththehallporter.hewasnotwearinganastrachancap,andhadnotariding-whipoverhisshoulder,asrostovhadseenhimonthenightbeforethebattleofausterlitz,butworeatightnewuniformwithrussianandforeignordersandthestarofst.georgeontheleftsideofhischest.hehad,obviouslywithaviewtothebanquet,justhadhishaircutandhiswhiskersclipped,whichchangedhisappearancefortheworse.hehadasortofna?velyfestiveair,which,inconjunctionwithhisdetermined,manlyfeatures,gaveanexpressionpositivelyrathercomictohisface.bekleshovandfyodorpetrovitchuvarov,whohadcomewithhim,stoodstillinthedoorwaytryingtomakehim,astheguestofmostimportance,precedethem.bagrationwasembarrassed,andunwillingtoavailhimselfoftheircourtesy;therewasahitchintheproceedingsatthedoor,butfinallybagrationdid,afterall,enterfirst.hewalkedshylyandawkwardlyovertheparquetofthereception-room,notknowingwhattodowithhishands.hewouldhavebeenmoreathomeandathiseasewalkingoveraploughedfieldunderfire,ashehadwalkedattheheadofthekurskregimentatsch?ngraben.thestewardsmethimatthefirstdoor,andsayingafewwordsoftheirpleasureatseeingsuchanhonouredguest,theysurroundedhimwithoutwaitingforananswer,and,asitwere,takingpossessionofhim,ledhimofftothedrawing-room.therewasnopossibilityofgettinginatthedrawing-roomdoorfromthecrowdsofmembersandguests,whowerecrushingoneanotherintheireffortstogetalookovereachother’sshouldersatbagration,asifheweresomeraresortofbeast.countilyaandreitchlaughedmorevigorouslythananyone,andcontinuallyrepeating,“makewayforhim,mydearboy,makeway,makeway,”shovedthecrowdaside,ledtheguestsintothedrawing-room,andseatedthemonthesofainthemiddleofit.thegreatmen,andthemorehonouredmembersoftheclub,surroundedthenewlyarrivedguests.countilyaandreitch,shovinghiswayagainthroughthecrowd,wentoutofthedrawing-room,andreappearedaminutelaterwithanotherstewardcarryingagreatsilverdish,whichheheldouttoprincebagration.onthedishlayapoem,composedandprintedinthehero’shonour.bagration,onseeingthedish,lookedabouthimindismay,asthoughseekingassistance.butinalleyeshesawtheexpectationthathewouldsubmit.feelinghimselfintheirpower,bagrationresolutelytookthedishinbothhands,andlookedangrilyandreproachfullyatthecount,whohadbroughtit.someoneofficiouslytookthedishfrombagration(orhewould,itseemed,havehelditsotillnightfall,andhavecarrieditwithhimtothetable),anddrewhisattentiontothepoem.“well,i’llreaditthen,”bagrationseemedtosay,andfixinghiswearyeyesonthepaper,hebeganreadingitwithaseriousandconcentratedexpression.theauthoroftheversestookthem,andbegantoreadthemaloudhimself.princebagrationbowedhisheadandlistened.
“bethoutheprideofalexander’sreign!
andsaveforusourtitusonthethrone!
bethouourchampionandourcountry’sstay!
anobleheart,acaesarinthefray!
napoleoninthezenithofhisfame
learnstohiscosttofearbagration’sname,
nordaresprovokearussianfoeagain,”etc.etc.
buthehadnotfinishedthepoem,whenthebutlerboomedoutsonorously:“dinnerisready!”thedooropened,fromthedining-roomthunderedthestrainsofthepolonaise:“raisetheshoutofvictory,valiantrussian,festivesing,”andcountilyaandreitch,lookingangrilyattheauthor,whostillwentonreadinghisverses,bowedtobagrationasasignaltogoin.allthecompanyrose,feelingthedinnerofmoreimportancethanthepoem,andbagration,againprecedingalltherest,wentintodinner.intheplaceofhonourbetweentwoalexanders—bekleshovandnaryshkin—(this,too,wasintentional,inallusiontothenameofthetsar)theyputbagration:threehundredpersonswererangedaboutthetablesaccordingtotheirrankandimportance,thoseofgreaterconsequence,nearertothedistinguishedguest—asnaturallyaswaterflowstofinditsownlevel.
justbeforedinner,countilyaandreitchpresentedhissontotheprince.bagrationrecognisedhim,andutteredafewwords,awkwardandincoherent,aswereindeedallhespokethatday.countilyaandreitchlookedaboutateveryoneingleefulpridewhilebagrationwasspeakingtohisson.
nikolayrostov,withdenisovandhisnewacquaintancedolohov,sattogetheralmostinthemiddleofthetable.facingthemsatpierrewithprincenesvitsky.countilyaandreitchwassittingwiththeotherstewardsfacingbagration,and,theveryimpersonationofmoscowhospitality,didhisutmosttoregaletheprince.
hislabourshadnotbeeninvain.allthebanquet—themeatdishesandthelentenfarealike—wassumptuous,butstillhecouldnotbeperfectlyateasetilltheendofdinner.hemadesignstothecarver,gavewhispereddirectionstothefootmen,andnotwithoutemotionawaitedthearrivalofeachanticipateddish.everythingwascapital.atthesecondcourse,withthegiganticsturgeon(atthesightofwhichilyaandreitchflushedwithshamefaceddelight),thefootmanbeganpoppingcorksandpouringoutchampagne.afterthefish,whichmadeacertainsensation,countilyaandreitchexchangedglanceswiththeotherstewards.“therewillbeagreatmanytoasts,it’stimetobegin!”hewhispered,and,glassinhand,hegotup.allweresilent,waitingforwhathewouldsay.
“tothehealthofoursovereign,theemperor!”heshouted,andatthemomenthiskindlyeyesgrewmoistwithtearsofpleasureandenthusiasm.atthatinstanttheybeganplaying:“raisetheshoutofvictory!”allrosefromtheirseatsandshouted“hurrah!”andbagrationshouted“hurrah!”inthesamevoiceinwhichhehadshouteditinthefieldatsch?ngraben.theenthusiasticvoiceofyoungrostovcouldbeheardabovethethreehundredothervoices.hewasontheverypointoftears.“thehealthofoursovereign,theemperor,”heroared,“hurrah!”emptyinghisglassatonegulp,heflungitonthefloor.manyfollowedhisexample.andtheloudshoutslastedforalongwhile.whentheuproarsubsided,thefootmenclearedawaythebrokenglass,andallbegansettlingthemselvesagain;andsmilingatthenoisetheyhadmade,begantalking.countilyaandreitchroseoncemore,glancedatanotethatlaybesidehisplate,andproposedatoasttothehealthoftheheroofourlastcampaign,princepyotrivanovitchbagration,andagainthecount’sblueeyesweredimmedwithtears.“hurrah!”wasshoutedagainbythethreehundredvoicesoftheguests,andinsteadofmusicthistimeachorusofsingersbegantosingacantatacomposedbypavelivanovitchkutuzov:
“nohindrancebarsarussian’sway,
valour’sthepledgeofvictory,
wehaveourbagrations.
ourfoeswillallbeatourfeet,”etc.etc.
assoonasthesingershadfinished,moreandmoretoastsfollowed,atwhichcountilyaandreitchbecamemoreandmoremoved,andmoreglasswasbrokenandevenmoreuproarwasmade.theydranktothehealthofbekleshov,ofnaryshkin,ofuvarov,ofdolgorukov,ofapraxin,ofvaluev,tothehealthofthestewards,tothehealthofthecommittee,tothehealthofalltheclubmembers,tothehealthofalltheguestsoftheclub,andfinallyandseparatelytothehealthoftheorganiserofthebanquet,countilyaandreitch.atthattoastthecounttookouthishandkerchiefand,hidinghisfaceinit,fairlybrokedown.