第47章

第47章theprincessglancedinascaredwayatherfather’seyesgleamingclosebesideher.theredpatchesoverspreadherwholeface,anditwasevidentthatshedidnotunderstandaword,andwassofrightenedthatterrorpreventedherfromunderstandingallthesubsequentexplanationsherfatherofferedher,howevercleartheymightbe.whetheritwastheteacher’sfaultorthepupil’s,everydaythesamescenewasrepeated.theprincess’seyesgrewdim;shecouldseeandhearnothing;shecouldfeelnothingbutthedryfaceofhersternfathernearher,hisbreathandthesmellofhim,andcouldthinkofnothingbuthowtoescapeassoonaspossiblefromthestudyandtomakeouttheprobleminfreedominherroom.theoldmanlosthistemper;withaloud,gratingnoisehepushedbackanddrewupagainthechairhewassittingon,madeanefforttocontrolhimself,nottoflyintoarage,andalmosteverytimedidflyintoarage,andscold,andsometimesflungthebookaway.

theprincessansweredaquestionwrong.

“well,youaretoostupid！”criedtheprince,pushingawaythebook,andturningsharplyaway.buthegotupimmediately,walkedupanddown,laidhishandontheprincess’shair,andsatdownagain.hedrewhimselfuptothetableandcontinuedhisexplanations.“thiswon’tdo;itwon’tdo,”hesaid,whenprincessmarya,takingtheexercise-bookwiththelessonsether,andshuttingit,wasabouttoleavetheroom：“mathematicsisagrandsubject,madam.andtohaveyoulikethecommonrunofoursillymissesiswhatidon’twantatall.patience,andyou’llgettolikeit.”hepattedheronthecheek.“itwilldriveallthenonsenseoutofyourhead.”shewouldhavegone;hestoppedherwithagesture,andtookanew,uncutbookfromthehightable.

“here’sabook,too,yourheloisesendsyousomesortofkeytothemystery.religious.butidon’tinterferewithanyone’sbelief….ihavelookedatit.takeit.come,runalong,runalong.”

hepattedherontheshoulder,andhimselfclosedthedoorafterher.

princessmaryawentbacktoherownroomwiththatdejected,scaredexpressionthatrarelylefther,andmadeherplain,sicklyfaceevenplainer.shesatdownatherwriting-table,whichwasdottedwithminiatureportraits,andstrewnwithbooksandmanuscripts.theprincesswasasuntidyasherfatherwastidy.sheputdownthegeometryexercise-bookandimpatientlyopenedtheletter.theletterwasfromtheprincess’sdearestfriendfromchildhood;thisfriendwasnoneotherthanjuliekaragin,whohadbeenattherostovs’name-dayparty.

juliewroteinfrench：

“dearandexcellentfriend,—whataterribleandfrightfulthingisabsence！isaytomyselfthathalfofmyexistenceandofmyhappinessisinyou,thatnotwithstandingthedistancethatseparatesus,ourheartsareunitedbyinvisiblebonds;yetminerebelsagainstdestiny,andinspiteofthepleasuresanddistractionsaroundme,icannotovercomeacertainhiddensadnesswhichifeelinthebottomofmyheartsinceourseparation.whyarewenottogetheraswewerethissummerinyourgreatstudy,onthebluesofa,theconfidentialsofa？whycaninot,asididthreemonthsago,drawnewmoralstrengthfromthatgentle,calm,penetratinglookofyours,alookthatilovedsowellandthatiseemtoseebeforemeasiwritetoyou.”

whenshereachedthispassage,princessmaryasighedandlookedroundintothepier-glassthatstoodonherright.theglassreflectedafeeble,ungracefulfigureandathinface.theeyes,alwaysmelancholy,werelookingjustnowwithaparticularlyhopelessexpressionatherselfinthelooking-glass.sheflattersme,thoughttheprincess,andsheturnedawayandwentonreading.butjuliedidnotflatterherfriend：theprincess’seyes—large,deep,andluminous（raysofwarmlightseemedattimestoradiateinstreamsfromthem）,werereallysofine,thatveryofteninspiteoftheplainnessofthewholefacehereyesweremoreattractivethanbeauty.buttheprincesshadneverseenthebeautifulexpressionofhereyes;theexpressionthatcameintothemwhenshewasnotthinkingofherself.asisthecasewitheveryone,herfaceassumedanaffected,unnatural,uglyexpressionassoonasshelookedinthelooking-glass.

shewentonreading：