第120章

第120章whenprincessmaryawentintotheroom,princevassilyandhissonwerealreadyinthedrawing-room,talkingtothelittleprincessandmademoisellebourienne.whenshewalkedinwithherheavystep,treadingonherheels,thegentlemenandmademoisellebouriennerose,andthelittleprincess,withagestureindicatinghertothegentlemen,said：“hereismarie！”princessmaryasawthemallandsawthemindetail.shesawthefaceofprincevassily,growingseriousforaninstantatthesightofher,andthenhastilysmiling,andthefaceofthelittleprincess,scanningthefacesoftheguestswithcuriositytodetecttheimpressionmariewasmakingonthem.shesawmademoisellebourienne,too,withherribbonandherprettyface,turnedtowardshimwithalookofmoreeagernessthanshehadeverseenonit.buthimshecouldnotsee,shecouldonlyseesomethinglarge,bright-coloured,andhandsomemovingtowardsher,assheenteredtheroom.princevassilyapproachedherfirst;andshekissedhisbaldhead,ashebentovertokissherhand,andinreplytohiswordssaid,thatonthecontrary,sherememberedhimverywell.thenanatolewentuptoher.shestillcouldnotseehim.sheonlyfeltasofthandtakingherhandfirmly,andshetouchedwithherlipsawhiteforehead,overwhichtherewasbeautifulfairhair,smellingofpomade.whensheglancedathim,shewasimpressedbyhisbeauty.anatolewasstandingwiththethumbofhisrighthandatabuttonofhisuniform,hischestsquaredandhisspinearched;swingingonefoot,withhisheadalittleononeside,hewasgazinginsilencewithabeamingfaceontheprincess,obviouslynotthinkingofheratall.anatolewasnotquick-witted,hewasnotready,noteloquentinconversation,buthehadthatfaculty,soinvaluableforsocialpurposes,ofcomposureandimperturbableassurance.ifamanofnoself-confidenceisdumbatfirstmakingacquaintance,andbetraysaconsciousnessoftheimproprietyofthisdumbnessandananxietytofindsomethingtosay,theeffectwillbebad.butanatolewasdumbandswunghisleg,ashewatchedtheprincess’shairwitharadiantface.itwasclearthathecouldbesilentwiththesameserenityforaverylongwhile.“ifanybodyfeelssilenceawkward,lethimtalk,butidon’tcareaboutit,”hisdemeanourseemedtosay.moreover,inhismannertowomen,anatolehadthatair,whichdoesmorethananythingelsetoexcitecuriosity,awe,andevenloveinwomen,theairofsuperciliousconsciousnessofhisownsuperiority.hismannerseemedtosaytothem：“iknowyou,iknow,butwhytroublemyheadaboutyou？you’dbepleasedenough,ofcourse！”possiblyhedidnotthinkthisonmeetingwomen（itisprobable,indeed,thathedidnot,forhethoughtverylittleatanytime）,butthatwastheeffectofhisairandhismanner.princessmaryafeltit,andasthoughtoshowhimshedidnotevenventuretothinkofinvitinghisattention,sheturnedtohisfather.theconversationwasgeneralandanimated,thankstothevoiceandthelittledownylip,thatflewupanddownoverthewhiteteethofthelittleprincess.shemetprincevassilyinthatplayfultonesooftenadoptedbychattyandlivelypersons,thepointofwhichconsistsintheassumptionthatthereexistsasortoflong-establishedseriesofjokesandamusing,partlyprivate,humorousreminiscencesbetweenthepersonssoaddressedandoneself,evenwhennosuchreminiscencesarereallyshared,asindeedwasthecasewithprincevassilyandthelittleprincess.princevassilyreadilyfellinwiththistone,thelittleprincessembellishedtheirsupposedcommonreminiscenceswithallsortsofdrollincidentsthathadneveroccurred,anddrewanatoletoointothem,thoughshehadscarcelyknownhim.mademoisellebouriennetooeededintakingapartinthem,andevenprincessmaryafeltwithpleasurethatshewasbeingmadetoshareintheirgaiety.

“well,anyway,weshalltakeadvantageofyoutotheutmostnowwehavegotyou,dearprince,”saidthelittleprincess,infrench,ofcourse,toprincevassily.“hereitisnotasitusedtobeatoureveningsatannette’s,whereyoualwaysranaway.doyourememberourdearannette？”

“ahyes,butthenyoumustn’ttalktomeaboutpolitics,likeannette！”

“andourlittletea-table？”

“ohyes！”

“whyisityouneverusedtobeatannette’s？”thelittleprincessaskedofanatole.“ah,iknow,iknow,”shesaid,winking;“yourbrother,ippolit,hastoldmetalesofyourdoings.oh！”sheshookherfingerathim.“iknowaboutyourexploitsinparistoo！”

“buthe,ippolit,didn’ttellyou,didhe？”saidprincevassily（addressinghissonandtakingthelittleprincessbythearm,asthoughshewouldhaverunawayandhewerejustintimetocatchher）;“hedidn’ttellyouhowhe,ippolithimself,wasbreakinghisheartoveroursweetprincess,andhowsheturnedhimoutofdoors.”

“oh！sheisthepearlofwomen,princess,”hesaid,addressingprincessmarya.mademoisellebourienneonherside,atthementionofparis,didnotletherchanceslipfortakingashareinthecommonstockofrecollections.

sheventuredtoinquireifitwerelongsinceanatolewasinparis,andhowhehadlikedthatcity.anatoleveryreadilyansweredthefrenchwoman,andsmilingandstaringather,hetalkedtoherabouthernativecountry.atfirstsightoftheprettymademoiselle,anatolehaddecidedthatevenhereatbleakhillsheshouldnotbedull.“nothalfbad-looking,”hethought,scrutinisingher,“she’snothalfbad-looking,thatcompanion！ihopeshe’llbringheralongwhenwe’remarried,”hemused;“sheisanicelittlething.”