第121章

第121章theoldprincewasdressingdeliberatelyinhisroom,scowlingandruminatingonwhathewastodo.thearrivalofthesevisitorsangeredhim.“what’sprincevassilytome,heandhisson？princevassilyisaart,anempty-headedfool,andanicefellowthesonis,iexpect,”hegrowledtohimself.whatangeredhimwasthatthisvisitrevivedinhismindtheunsettledquestion,continuallythrustaside,thequestioninregardtowhichtheoldprincealwaysdeceivedhimself.thatquestionwaswhetherhewouldeverbringhimselftopartwithhisdaughterandgivehertoahusband.theprincecouldneverbringhimselftoputthisquestiondirectlytohimself,knowingbeforehandthatifhedidhewouldhavetoansweritjustly,butagainstjusticeinthiscasewasrangedmorethanfeeling,theverypossibilityoflife.lifewithoutprincessmaryawasunthinkabletotheoldprince,littleasinappearanceheprizedher.“andwhatisshetobemarriedfor？”hethought;“tobeunhappy,beyondadoubt.lookatlizawithandrey（andabetterhusband,ishouldfancy,itwouldbedifficulttofindnowadays）,butshe’snotsatisfiedwithherlot.

andwhowouldmarryherforlove？she’splainandungraceful.she’dbemarriedforherconnections,herwealth.anddon’toldmaidsgetonwellenough？theyarehappierreally！”soprincenikolayandreivitchmused,ashedressed,yetthequestionconstantlydeferreddemandedanimmediatedecision.princevassilyhadbroughthissonobviouslywiththeintentionofmakinganoffer,andprobablythatdayorthenexthewouldaskforadirectanswer.thename,thepositionintheworld,wassuitable.“well,i’mnotagainstit,”theprincekeptsayingtohimself,“onlylethimbeworthyofher.that’swhatweshallsee.that’swhatweshallsee,”hesaidaloud,“that’swhatweshallsee,”andwithhisusualalertstephewalkedintothedrawing-room,takinginthewholecompanyinarapidglance.henoticedthechangeinthedressofthelittleprincessandmademoisellebourienne’sribbon,andthehideouswayinwhichprincessmarya’shairwasdone,andthesmilesofthefrenchwomanandanatole,andtheisolationofhisdaughterinthegeneraltalk.“she’sdeckedherselfoutlikeafool！”hethought,glancingvindictivelyathisdaughter.“noshameinher;whilehedoesn’tcaretospeaktoher！”

hewentuptoprincevassily.

“well,howd’yedo,howd’yedo,gladtoseeyou.”

“forafriendthatonelovessevenverstsiscloseby,”saidprincevassily,quotingtherussianproverb,andspeakinginhisusualrapid,self-confident,andfamiliartone.“thisismysecond,ibegyoutolovehimandwelcomehim,astheysay.”

princenikolayandreivitchscrutinisedanatole.

“afinefellow,afinefellow！”hesaid.“well,comeandgivemeakiss,”andheofferedhimhischeek.anatolekissedtheoldman,andlookedathimwithcuriosityandperfectcomposure,waitingforsomeinstanceoftheeccentricityhisfatherhadtoldhimtoexpect.

theoldprincesatdowninhiscustomaryplaceinthecornerofthesofa,movedupanarmchairforprincevassily,pointedtoit,andbeganquestioninghimaboutpoliticalaffairsandnews.heseemedtobelisteningwithattentiontowhatprincevassilywassaying,butglancedcontinuallyatprincessmarya.

“sothey’rewritingfrompotsdamalready？”herepeatedprincevassily’slastwords,andsuddenlygettingup,hewentuptohisdaughter.

“soitwasforvisitorsyoudressedyourselfuplikethis,eh？”hesaid.“niceofyou,verynice.youdoyourhairupinsomenewfashionbeforevisitors,andbeforevisitors,itellyou,neverdareinfuturetochangeyourdresswithoutmyleave.”

“itwasmyfault…”stammeredthelittleprincess,flushing.

“youarequiteatliberty,”saidtheoldprince,withascrapebeforehisdaughter-in-law,“butshehasnoneedtodisfigureherself—she’suglyenoughwithoutthat.”andhesatdownagaininhisplace,takingnofurthernoticeofhisdaughter,whomhehadreducedtotears.

“onthecontrary,thatcoiffureisextremelybecomingtotheprincess,”saidprincevassily.

“well,myyoungprince,what’syourname？”saidtheoldprince,turningtoanatole.“comehere,letustalktoyoualittleandmakeyouracquaintance.”

“nowthefun’sbeginning,”thoughtanatole,andwithasmilehesatdownbytheoldprince.

“that’sit;theytellme,mydearboy,youhavebeeneducatedabroad.nottaughttoreadandwritebythedeacon,likeyourfatherandme.tellme,areyouservingnowinthehorseguards？”askedtheoldman,lookingcloselyandintentlyatanatole.

“no,ihavetransferredintotheline,”answeredanatole,withdifficultyrestraininghislaughter.

“ah！agoodthing.soyouwanttoserveyourtsarandyourcountry,doyou？thesearetimesofwar.suchafineyoungfellowoughttobeonservice,heoughttobeonservice.orderedtothefront,eh？”

“no,prince,ourregimenthasgonetothefront.buti’mattached.whatisiti’mattachedto,papa？”anatoleturnedtohisfatherwithalaugh.

“heisacredittotheservice,acredit.whatisiti’mattachedto！ha-ha-ha！”laughedtheoldprince,andanatolelaughedstilllouder.suddenlytheoldprincefrowned.“well,youcango,”hesaidtoanatole.withasmileanatolereturnedtotheladies.

“soyouhadhimeducatedabroad,princevassily？eh？”saidtheoldprincetoprincevassily.

“ididwhaticould,andiassureyoutheeducationthereisfarbetterthanours.”

“yes,nowadayseverything’sdifferent,everything’snew-fashioned.afinefellow！afinefellow！well,cometomyroom.”hetookprincevassily’sarmandledhimawaytohisstudy.

leftalonewiththeoldprince,princevassilypromptlymadeknowntohimhiswishesandhishopes.