第49章

第49章“thenewsofcountbezuhov’sdeathreachedusbeforeyourletter，andaffectedmyfatherverymuch.hesaysthatthecountwasthelastrepresentativebutoneofthegreatcenturyandthatitishisturnnow；butthathewilldohisbesttohavehisturncomeaslateaspossible.maygodsaveusfromthatterriblemisfortune.icannotagreewithyouaboutpierre，whomiknewasachild.healwaysappearedtometohaveanexcellentheart，andthatisthequalitythatimostesteeminpeople.astohisinheritanceandprincevassily’sbehaviouraboutit，itisverysadforboth.ah，mydearfriend，ourdivinesaviour’sword，thatitiseasierforacameltopassthroughtheeyeofaneedlethanforarichmantoenterintothekingdomofheavenisaterriblytruesaying；ipityprincevassily，andiamyetmoresorryforpierre.soyoungandburdenedwiththiswealth，towhattemptationshewillbeexposed！ifiwereaskedwhatiwishedmostintheworld，itwouldbetobepoorerthanthepoorestar.athousandthanks，dearfriend，fortheworkyousendme，andwhichisalltheragewhereyouare.as，however，youtellmethatamidmanygoodthingsthereareotherstowhichourweakhumanunderstandingcannotattain，itseemstomeratheruselesstobusyoneselfinreadinganunintelligiblebook，sinceforthatveryreasonitcannotyieldanyprofit.ihaveneverbeenabletocomprehendthepassionwhichsomepeoplehaveforconfusingtheirmindsbygivingthemselvestothestudyofmysticalbookswhichonlyawakentheirdoubts，inflamingtheirimagination，andgivingthemadispositiontoerationaltogethercontrarytochristiansimplicity.letusreadtheapostlesandthegospel.donotletusseektopenetratewhatismysteriousinthese，forhowcanwedarepresume，miserablesinnersasweare，toenterintotheterribleandsacredsecretsofprovidence，whilewewearthiscarnalhuskthatraisesanimpenetrableveilbetweenusandtheeternal？letusratherconfineourselvestostudyingthosesublimeprincipleswhichourdivinesaviourhasleftusasguidesforourconductherebelow；letusseektoconformourselvestothoseandfollowthem；letuspersuadeourselvesthatthelessrangewegivetoourweakhumanunderstanding，themoreagreeableitwillbetogod，whorejectsallknowledgethatdoesnotcomefromhim；thatthelessweseektodiveintothatwhichhehaspleasedtohidefromourknowledgethesoonerwillhediscoverittousbymeansofhisdivinespirit.

“myfatherhasnotspokentomeofthesuitor，buthasonlytoldmethathehasreceivedaletter，andwasexpectingavisitfromprincevassily.inregardtoamarriage-schemeconcerningmyself，iwilltellyou，mydearandexcellentfriend，thattomymindmarriageisadivineinstitutiontowhichwemustconform.howeverpainfulitmaybetome，ifthealrnightyshouldeverimposeuponmethedutiesofawifeandmother，ishalltrytofulfilthemasfaithfullyasicanwithoutdisquietingmyselfbyexaminingmyfeelingsinregardtohimwhomhemaygivemeforahusband.

“ihavereceivedaletterfrommybrother，whoannounceshiscomingtobleakhillswithhiswife.itwillbeapleasureofbriefduration，sinceheisleavingustotakepartinthisunhappywarintowhichwehavebeendrawn，godknowshowandwhy.itisnotonlywithyou，inthecentreofbusinessandsociety，thatpeopletalkofnothingexceptwar，forherealso，amidthoserusticlaboursandthatcalmofnature，whichtownspeoplegenerallyimagineinthecountry，rumoursofwarareheardandarefeltpainfully.myfathertalksofnothingbutmarchesandcounter-marches，thingsofwhichiunderstandnothing；andthedaybeforeyesterday，takingmyusualwalkinthevillagestreet，iwitnessedaheartrendingscene.…itwasaconvoyofrecruitsthathadbeenenrolledinourdistrict，andwerebeingsentawaytothearmy.youshouldhaveseenthestateofthemothers，wivesandchildrenofthemenwhoweregoing，andhaveheardthesobsonbothsides.itseemsasthoughhumanityhadforgottenthelawsofitsdivinesaviour，whopreachedloveandtheforgivenessofoffences，andweremakingthegreatestmerittoconsistintheartofkillingoneanother.

“adieu，dearandgoodfriend：mayourdivinesaviourandhismostholymotherkeepyouintheirholyandpowerfulcare.

marie.”

“ah，youaresendingoffyourletters，princess.ihavealreadyfinishedmine.ihavewrittentomypoormother，”saidmademoisellebouriennequicklyinheragreeable，juicyvoice，witharollofther’s.shecamein，allsmiles，bringingintotheintense，melancholy，gloomyatmosphereoftheprincessmaryaanalienworldofgayfrivolityandself-satisfaction.“princess，imustwarnyou，”sheadded，droppinghervoice，“theprincehashadanaltercation，”shesaid，withapeculiarrollofther，seemingtolistentoherselfwithpleasure.“analtercationwithmihailivanov.heisinaveryillhumour，verymorose.beprepared，youknow.”

“ah，chèreamie，”answeredprincessmarya，“ihaveedyounevertotellmebeforehandinwhathumourishallfindmyfather.idonotpermitmyselftojudgehimandiwouldnothaveothersdoso.”

theprincessglancedatherwatch，andseeingthatitwasalreadyfiveminuteslaterthanthehourfixedforherpracticeontheclavichord，shewentwithafaceofalarmintothedivan-room.inaccordancewiththerulesbywhichthedaywasmappedout，theprincerestedfromtwelvetotwo，whiletheyoungprincesspractisedontheclavichord.