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第11节

战争与和平(上)-第11节

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nd a girl of thirteen ran in; hiding something in her short muslin petticoat; and stopped short in the middle of the room。 She had evidently bounded so far by mistake; unable to stop in her flight。 At the same instant there appeared in the doorway a student with a crimson band on his collar; a young officer in the Guards; a girl of fifteen; and a fat; rosy…cheeked boy in a child’s smock。
The prince jumped up; and swaying from side to side; held his arms out wide round the little girl。
“Ah; here she is!” he cried; laughing。 “Our little darling on her fête day!”
“My dear; there is a time for everything;” said the countess; affecting severity。 “You’re always spoiling her; Elie;” she added to her husband。
“Bonjour; ma chère; je vous félicite;” said the visitor。 “Quelle délicieuse enfant!” she added; turning to her mother。
The dark…eyed little girl; plain; but full of life; with her wide mouth; her childish bare shoulders; which shrugged and panted in her bodice from her rapid motion; her black hair brushed back; her slender bare arms and little legs in lace…edged long drawers and open slippers; was at that charming stage when the girl is no longer a child; while the child is not yet a young girl。 Wriggling away from her father; she ran up to her mother; and taking no notice whatever of her severe remarks; she hid her flushed face in her mother’s lace kerchief and broke into laughter。 As she laughed she uttered some incoherent phrases about the doll; which was poking out from her petticoat。
“Do you see?…My doll…Mimi…you see…” And Natasha could say no more; it all seemed to her so funny。 She sank on her mother’s lap; and went off into such a loud peal of laughter that every one; even the prim visitor; could not help laughing too。
“Come; run along; run along with your monstrosity!” said her mother; pushing her daughter off with a pretence of anger。 “This is my younger girl;” she said to the visitor。 Natasha; pulling her face away from her mother’s lace kerchief for a minute; peeped down at her through tears of laughter; and hid her face again。
The visitor; forced to admire this domestic scene; thought it suitable to take some part in it。
“Tell me; my dear;” she said; addressing Natasha; “how did you come by your Mimi? Your daughter; I suppose?”
Natasha did not like the tone of condescension to childish things with which the visitor had spoken to her。 She made no answer; but stared solemnly at her。
Meanwhile all the younger generation; Boris; the officer; Anna Milhalovna’s son; Nikolay; the student; the count’s elder son; Sonya; the count’s niece; and little Petya; his younger son; had all placed themselves about the drawing…room; and were obviously trying to restrain within the bounds of decorum the excitement and mirth which was brimming over in their faces。 Clearly in the back part of the house; from which they had dashed out so impetuously; the conversation had been more amusing than the small…talk in the drawing…room of the scandal of the town; the weather; and Countess Apraxin。 Now and then they glanced at one another and could hardly suppress their laughter。
The two young men; the student and the officer; friends from childhood; were of the same age; and both good…looking; but not like each other。 Boris was a tall; fair…haired lad with delicate; regular features; and a look of composure on his handsome face。 Nikolay was a curly…headed youth; not tall; with an open expression。 On his upper lip there were already signs of a black moustache coming; and his whole face expressed impulsiveness and enthusiasm。 Nikolay flushed red as he came into the drawing…room。 He was unmistakably trying to find something to say; and unable to find anything。 Boris; on the contrary; was at home immediately and talked easily and playfully of the doll Mimi; saying that he had known her as a young girl before her nose was broken; and she had grown older during the five years he remembered her; and how her head was cracked right across the skull。 As he said this he looked at Natasha。 Natasha turned away from him; glanced at her younger brother; who; with a scowl on his face; was shaking with noiseless laughter; and unable to restrain herself; she skipped up and flew out of the room as quickly as her swift little legs could carry her。 Boris did not laugh。
“You were meaning to go out; mamma; weren’t you? Do you want the carriage?” he said; addressing his mother with a smile。
“Yes; go along and tell them to get it ready;” she said; smiling。 Boris walked slowly to the door and went after Natasha。 The stout boy ran wrathfully after them; as though resenting the interruption of his pursuits。


Chapter 9
OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE; not reckoning the countess’s elder daughter (who was four years older than her sister and behaved quite like a grown…up person) and the young lady visitor; there were left in the drawing…room Nikolay and Sonya; the niece。 Sonya was a slender; miniature brunette; with soft eyes shaded by long lashes; thick black hair twisted in two coils round her head; and a skin of a somewhat sallow tint; particularly marked on her bare; thin; but shapely; muscular arms and neck。 The smoothness of her movements; the softness and flexibility of her little limbs; and something of slyness and reserve in her manner; suggested a lovely half…grown kitten; which would one day be a charming cat。 Apparently she thought it only proper to show an interest in the general conversation and to smile。 But against her own will; her eyes turned under their thick; long lashes to her cousin; who was going away into the army; with such girlish; passionate adoration; that her smile could not for one moment impose upon any one; and it was clear that the kitten had only perched there to skip off more energetically than ever and to play with her cousin as soon as they could; like Boris and Natasha; get out of the drawing…room。
“Yes; ma chère;” said the old count; addressing the visitor and pointing to his Nikolay; “here his friend Boris has received his commission as an officer; and he’s so fond of him he doesn’t want to be left behind; and is giving up the university and his poor old father to go into the army; ma chère。 And there was a place all ready for him in the archives department; and all。 Isn’t that friendship now?” said the count interrogatively。
“But they do say that war has been declared; you know;” said the visitor。
“They’ve been saying so a long while;” said the count。 “They’ll say so again and again; and so it will remain。 There’s friendship for you; ma chère!” he repeated。 “He’s going into the hussars。”
The visitor; not knowing what to say; shook her head。
“It’s not from friendship at all;” answered Nikolay; flushing hotly; and denying it as though it were some disgraceful imputation。 “Not friendship at all; but simply I feel drawn to the military service。”
He looked round at his cousin and the young lady visitor; both looked at him with a smile of approval。
“Schubert’s dining with us to…night; the colonel of the Pavologradsky regiment of hussars。 He has been here on leave; and is taking him with him。 There’s no help for it;” said the count; shrugging his shoulder and speaking playfully of what evidently was a source of much distress to him。
“I’ve told you already; papa;” said his son; “that if you’re unwilling to let me go; I’ll stay。 But I know I’m no good for anything except in the army。 I’m not a diplomatist; or a government clerk。 I’m not clever at disguising my feelings;” he said; glancing repeatedly with the coquetry of handsome youth at Sonya and the young lady。
The kitten; her eyes riveted on him; seemed on the point of breaking into frolic; and showing her cat…like nature。
“Well; well; it’s all…right!” said the old count; “he always gets so hot。 Bonaparte’s turned all their heads; they’re all dreaming of how he rose from a lieutenant to be an emperor。 Well; and so may it turn out again; please God;” he added; not noticing the visitor’s sarcastic smile。
While their elders began talking about Bonaparte; Julie; Madame Karagin’s daughter; turned to young Rostov。
“What a pity you weren’t at the Arharovs’ on Thursday。 I was so dull without you;” she said; giving him a tender smile。 The youth; highly flattered; moved with a coquettish smile nearer her; and entered into a conversation apart with the smiling Julie; entirely unaware that his unconscious smile had dealt a jealous stab to the heart of Sonya; who was flushing crimson and assuming a forced smile。 In the middle of his talk with Julie he glanced round at her。 Sonya gave him an intensely furious look; and; hardly able to restrain her tears; though there was still a constrained smile on her lips; she got up and went out of the room。 All Nikolay’s animation was gone。 He waited for the first break in the conversation; and; with a face of distress; walked out of the room to look for Sonya。
“How all the young things wear their hearts on their sleeves!” said Anna Mihalovna; pointing to Nikolay’s retreating figure。 “Cousinage; dangereux voisinage;” she added。
“Yes;” said the countess; when the sunshine that had come into the drawing…room with the young people had vanished。 She was; as it 

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