第21章

第21章“whatapityyouweren’tatthearharovs’onthursday.iwassodullwithoutyou，”shesaid，givinghimatendersmile.theyouth，highlyflattered，movedwithacoquettishsmilenearerher，andenteredintoaconversationapartwiththesmilingjulie，entirelyunawarethathisunconscioussmilehaddealtajealousstabtotheheartofsonya，whowasflushingcrimsonandassumingaforcedsmile.inthemiddleofhistalkwithjulieheglancedroundather.sonyagavehimanintenselyfuriouslook，and，hardlyabletorestrainhertears，thoughtherewasstillaconstrainedsmileonherlips，shegotupandwentoutoftheroom.allnikolay’sanimationwasgone.hewaitedforthefirstbreakintheconversation，and，withafaceofdistress，walkedoutoftheroomtolookforsonya.

“howalltheyoungthingsweartheirheartsontheirsleeves！”saidannamihalovna，pointingtonikolay’sretreatingfigure.“cousinage，dangereuxvoisinage，”sheadded.

“yes，”saidthecountess，whenthesunshinethathadcomeintothedrawing-roomwiththeyoungpeoplehadvanished.shewas，asitwere，replyingtoaquestionwhichnoonehadputtoher，butwhichwasalwaysinherthoughts：“whatmiseries，whatanxietiesonehasgonethroughforthehappinessonehasinthemnow！andevennowonefeelsreallymoredreadthanjoyoverthem.one’salwaysinterror！atthisageparticularlywhentherearesomanydangersbothforgirlsandboys.”

“everythingdependsonbringingup，”saidthevisitor.

“yes，youareright，”thecountesswenton.“sofarihavebeen，thankgod，mychildren’sfriendandhaveenjoyedtheirfullconfidence，”saidthecountess，repeatingtheerrorofsomanyparents，whoimaginetheirchildrenhavenosecretsfromthem.“iknowishallalwaysbefirstinmychildren’sconfidence，andthatnikolay，if，withhisimpulsivecharacter，hedoesgetintomischief（boyswillbeboys）itwon’tbelikethesepetersburgyounggentlemen.”

“yes，they’recapitalchildren，capitalchildren，”assentedthecount，whoalwayssolvedallperplexingquestionsbydecidingthateverythingwascapital.“fancynow，histakingitintohisheadtobeanhussar！butwhatcanoneexpect，machère？”

“whatasweetlittlethingyouryoungergirlis！”saidthevisitor.“fulloffunandmischief！”

“yes，thatsheis，”saidthecount.“shetakesafterme！andsuchavoice；thoughshe’smydaughter，it’sthetruthi’mtellingyou，she’llbeasinger，anothersalomini.we’veengagedanitaliantogiveherlessons.”

“isn’tittooearly？theysayitinjuresthevoicetotrainitatthatage.”

“oh，no！tooearly！”saidthecount.“why，ourmothersusedtobemarriedattwelveandthirteen.”

“well，she’sinlovewithborisalready！whatdoyousaytothat？”saidthecountess，smilingsoftlyandlookingatboris’smother.andapparentlyinreplytothequestionthatwasalwaysinhermind，shewenton：“why，youknow，ifiwerestrictwithher，ifiweretoforbidher…godknowswhattheymightnotbedoinginsecret”（thecountessmeantthattheymightkisseachother），“butasitisiknoweverywordsheutters.she’llcometomethiseveningandtellmeeverythingofherself.ispoilher，perhaps，butireallybelieveit’sthebestway.ibroughtmyeldergirlupmorestrictly.”

“yes，iwasbroughtupquitedifferently，”saidtheeldergirl，thehandsomeyoungcountessvera；andshesmiled.butthesmiledidnotimprovevera’sface；onthecontraryherfacelookedunnatural，andthereforeunpleasing.verawasgood-looking；shewasnotstupid，wascleveratherlessons，andwelleducated；shehadapleasantvoice，andwhatshesaidwastrueandappropriate.but，strangetosay，everyone—boththevisitorandthecountess—lookedather，asthoughwonderingwhyshehadsaidit，andconsciousofacertainawkwardness.

“peoplearealwaystoocleverwiththeirelderchildren；theytrytodosomethingexceptionalwiththem，”saidthevisitor.

“wewon’tconcealourerrors，machère！mydearcountesswastoocleverwithvera，”saidthecount.“butwhatofit？shehasturnedoutcapitallyallthesame，”headded，withawinkofapprovaltovera.

theguestsgotupandwentaway，promisingtocometodinner.

“whatmanners！stayingonandon！”saidthecountess，whenshehadseenherguestsout.