第57章

第57章“listen,”saidhe.“don’tworryaboutyourwife;whatcanbedoneshallbedone.now,listen;givethislettertomihaililarionovitch.iwritethatheistomakeuseofyouongoodwork,andnottokeepyoulonganadjutant;avileduty！tellhimirememberhimandlikehim.andwritetomehowhereceivesyou.ifhe’sallright,servehim.thesonofnikolayandreitchbolkonskyhasnoneedtoserveunderanymanasafavour.now,comehere.”

hespokesorapidlythathedidnotfinishhalfofhiswords,buthissonwasusedtounderstandinghim.heledhissontothebureau,openedit,drewoutadrawer,andtookoutofitamanuscriptbookfilledwithhisbold,big,compressedhandwriting.

“iamsuretodiebeforeyou.see,herearemynotes,tobegiventotheemperoraftermydeath.nowhere,see,isabanknoteandaletter：thisisaprizeforanyonewhowritesahistoryofsuvorov’swars.sendittotheacademy.herearemyremarks,readthemafteriamgoneforyourownsake;youwillfindthemprofitable.”

andreydidnottellhisfatherthatheprobablyhadmanyyearsbeforehim.heknewtherewasnoneedtosaythat.

“iwilldoallthat,father,”hesaid.

“well,now,good-bye！”hegavehissonhishandtokissandembracedhim.“rememberonething,princeandrey,ifyouarekilled,itwillbeagrieftomeinmyoldage…”hepausedabruptly,andallatonceinashrillvoicewenton：“butifilearnthatyouhavenotbehavedlikethesonofnikolaybolkonsky,ishallbe…ashamed,”heshrilled.

“youneedn’thavesaidthattome,father,”saidhisson,smiling.

theoldmandidnotspeak.

“there’sanotherthingiwantedtoaskyou,”wentonprinceandrey;“ifi’mkilled,andifihaveason,don’tlethimslipoutofyourhands,asisaidtoyouyesterday;lethimgrowupwithyou…please.”

“notgivehimuptoyourwife？”saidtheoldman,andhelaughed.

theystoodmutuallyfacingeachother.theoldman’ssharpeyeswerefixedonhisson’seyes.aquiverpassedoverthelowerpartoftheoldprince’sface.

“wehavesaidgood-bye…goalong！”hesaidsuddenly.“goalong！”hecriedinaloudandwrathfulvoice,openingthestudydoor.

“whatisit,what’sthematter？”askedthetwoprincessesonseeingprinceandrey,andcatchingamomentaryglimpseofthefigureoftheoldmaninhiswhitedressing-gown,wearinghisspectaclesandnowig,andshoutinginawrathfulvoice.

princeandreysighedandmadenoreply.

“now,then,”hesaid,turningtohiswife,andthat“nowthen”soundedlikeacoldsneer,asthoughhehadsaid,“now,gothroughyourlittleperformance.”

“andrey？already！”saidthelittleprincess,turningpaleandlookingwithdismayatherhusband.heembracedher.sheshriekedandfellswooningonhisshoulder.

hecautiouslywithdrewtheshoulder,onwhichshewaslying,glancedintoherfaceandcarefullylaidherinalowchair.

“good-bye,masha,”hesaidgently-tohissister,andtheykissedoneanother’shands,thenwithrapidstepshewalkedoutoftheroom.

thelittleprincesslayinthearm-chair;mademoisellebouriennerubbedhertemples.princessmarya,supportinghersister-in-law,stillgazedwithherfineeyesfulloftearsatthedoorbywhichprinceandreyhadgone,andshemadethesignofthecrossatit.fromthestudysheheardlikepistolshotstherepeatedandangrysoundsoftheoldmanblowinghisnose.justafterprinceandreyhadgone,thedoorofthestudywasflungopen,andthesternfigureoftheoldmaninhiswhitedressing-gownpeepedout.

“gone？well,andagoodthingtoo！”hesaid,lookingfuriouslyatthefaintingprincess.heshookhisheadreproachfullyandslammedthedoor.