第41章

第41章pierrehadnonotionwhatwasgoingon,andnoinklingofwhatwasmeantbywatchingoverhisinterests.buthefeltthatallthishadhadtobeso.fromthecorridortheywentintothehalf-lightedhalladjoiningthecount’sreception-room.thiswasoneofthecold,sumptuouslyfurnishedroomswhichpierreknew,leadingfromthevisitors’staircase.buteveninthisapartmenttherewasanemptybathstandinginthemiddleofthefloor,andwaterhadbeenspiltonthecarpet.theyweremetherebyaservantandachurchattendantwithacenser,whowalkedontiptoeandtooknonoticeofthem.theywentintothereception-roomopeningintothewintergarden,aroompierreknewwell,withitstwoitalianwindows,itsbigbustandfull-lengthportraitofcatherine.thesamepersonswereallsittingalmostinthesamepositionsexchangingwhispersinthereception-room.allceasedspeakingandlookedroundatannamihalovna,asshecameinwithherpale,tear-stainedface,andatthebig,stoutfigureofpierre,aswithdowncastheadhefollowedhersubmissively.

thecountenanceofannamihalovnashowedaconsciousnessthatthecrucialmomenthadarrived.withtheairofapetersburgladyofexperience,shewalkedintotheroomevenmoreboldlythaninthemorning,keepingpierreatherside.shefeltthatasshewasbringingthepersonthedyingmanwantedtosee,shemightfeelsecureastoherreception.witharapidglance,scanningallthepersonsintheroom,andobservingthecount’sspiritualadviser,shedidnotpreciselybowdown,butseemedsomehowsuddenlytoshrinkinstature,andwithatrippingambleswamuptothepriestandreverentiallyreceivedablessingfirstfromoneandthenfromanotherecclesiastic.

“thankgodthatweareintime,”shesaidtothepriest;“allofus,hiskinsfolk,havebeeninsuchalarm.thisyoungmanisthecount’sson,”sheaddedmoresoftly,“itisaterriblemoment.”

havingutteredthesewordssheapproachedthedoctor.

“deardoctor,”shesaidtohim,“thisyoungmanisthecount’sson.isthereanyhope？”

thedoctordidnotspeakbutrapidlyedhisshouldersandturneduphiseyes.withpreciselythesamegestureannamihalovnamovedhershouldersandeyes,almostclosinghereyelids,sighedandwentawayfromthedoctortopierre.sheaddressedpierrewithpeculiardeferenceandtendermelancholy.

“havefaithinhismercy,”shesaidtohim,andindicatingasofaforhimtositdownandwaitforher,shewentherselfwithinaudiblestepstowardsthedoor,atwhicheveryonewaslooking,andafteralmostnoiselesslyopeningit,shevanishedbehindit.

pierre,havingdecidedtoobeyhismonitressineverything,movedtowardsthesofashehadpointedouttohim.assoonasannamihalovnahaddisappeared,henoticedthattheeyesofallthepersonsintheroomwerefixeduponhimwithsomethingmorethancuriosityandsympathyintheirgaze.henoticedthattheywereallwhisperingtogether,lookingtowardshimwithsomethinglikeaweandevenobsequiousdeference.theyshowedhimarespectsuchashadneverbeenshownhimbefore.alady,astrangertohim,theonewhohadbeentalkingtothepriest,gotupandofferedhimherplace.anadjutantpickeduptheglovepierrehaddroppedandhandedittohim.thedoctorsrespectfullypausedintheirtalkwhenhepassedbythemandmovedasidetomakewayforhim.pierrewantedatfirsttositsomewhereelse,soasnottotroublethelady;hewouldhavelikedtopickuptheglovehimselfandtowalkroundthedoctors,whowerereallynotatallintheway.buthefeltallatoncethattodosowouldbeimproper;hefeltthathewasthatnightapersonwhohadtogothroughaterribleceremonywhicheveryoneexpectedofhim,andthatforthatreasonhewasboundtoacceptservicefromeveryone.hetooktheglovefromtheadjutantinsilence,satdowninthelady’splace,layinghisbighandsonhisknees,sittinginthena？velysymmetricalposeofanegyptianstatue,anddecidedmentallythatitmustallinevitablybelikethis,andthattoavoidlosinghisheadanddoingsomethingstupid,hemustforthateveningnotactonhisownideas,butabandonhimselfwhollytothewillofthosewhowereguidinghim.

twominuteshadnotelapsedbeforeprincevassilycamemajesticallyintotheroom,wearinghiscoatwiththreestarsonit,andcarryinghisheadhigh.helookedasthoughhehadgrownthinnersincethemorning.hiseyesseemedlargerthanusualasheglancedroundtheroom,andcaughtsightofpierre.hewentuptohim,tookhishand（athinghehadneverdonebefore）,anddrewitdownwards,asthoughhewantedtotryitsstrength.

“courage,courage,monami.hehasaskedtoseeyou,thatiswell…”andhewouldhavegoneon,butpierrethoughtitfittingtoask：“howis…？”hehesitated,notknowingwhetheritwasproperforhimtocallthedyingman“thecount”;hefeltashamedtocallhim“father.”

“hehashadanotherstrokehalf-an-hourago.courage,monami.”

pierrewasinaconditionofsuchmentalconfusionthatthewordstrokearousedinhismindtheideaofablowfromsomeheavybody.helookedinperplexityatprincevassily,andonlylatergraspedthatanattackofillnesswascalledastroke.princevassilysaidafewwordstolorrainashepassedandwenttothedoorontiptoe.hecouldnotwalkeasilyontiptoe,andjerkedhiswholepersonupanddowninanungainlyfashion.hewasfollowedbytheeldestprincess,thenbytheclergyandchurchattendants;someservantstoowentinatthedoor.throughthatdoorastircouldbeheard,andatlastannamihalovna,withafacestillpalebutresoluteintheperformanceofduty,ranoutandtouchingpierreonthearm,said：

“thegoodnessofheavenisinexhaustible;itistheceremonyofextremeunctionwhichtheyarebeginning.come.”

pierrewentin,steppingontothesoftcarpet,andnoticedthattheadjutantandtheunknownladyandsomeservantstoo,allfollowedhimin,asthoughtherewerenoneednowtoaskpermissiontoenterthatroom.