战争与和平(下)-第7节

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‘‘Marie；’’　he　said；　softly；　going　up　to　her：　‘‘it　shall　never　happen　again；　I　give　you　my　word。　Never；’’　he　repeated　in　a　shaking　voice　like　a　boy　begging　for　forgiveness。
The　tears　flowed　faster　from　his　wife’s　eyes。　She　took　his　hand　and　kissed　it。
‘‘Nikolay；　when　did　you　break　your　cameo？’’　she　said　to　change　the　subject；　as　she　scrutinised　the　finger　on　which　he　wore　a　ring　with　a　cameo　of　Laocoon。
‘‘To…day；　it　was　all　the　same　thing。　O　Marie；　don’t　remind　me　of　it！’’　He　flushed　again。　‘‘I　give　you　my　word　of　honour　that　it　shall　never　happen　again。　And　let　this　be　a　reminder　to　me　for　ever；’’　he　said；　pointing　to　the　broken　ring。
From　that　time　forward；　whenever　in　interviews　with　his　village　elders　and　foremen　he　felt　the　blood　rush　to　his　face　and　his　fists　began　to　clench；　Nikolay　turned　the　ring　round　on　his　finger　and　dropped　his　eyes　before　the　man　who　angered　him。　Twice　a　year；　however；　he　would　forget　himself；　and　then；　going　to　his　wife；　he　confessed；　and　again　promised　that　this　would　really　be　the　last　time。
‘‘Marie；　you　must　despise　me；’’　he　said　to　her。　‘‘I　deserve　it。’’
‘‘You　must　run　away；　make　haste　and　run　away　if　you　feel　yourself　unable　to　control　yourself；’’　his　wife　said　mournfully；　trying　to　comfort　him。
In　the　society　of　the　nobility　of　the　province　Nikolay　was　respected　but　not　liked。　The　local　politics　of　the　nobility　did　not　interest　him。　And　in　consequence　he　was　looked　upon　by　some　people　as　proud　and　by　others　as　a　fool。　In　summer　his　whole　time　from　the　spring　sowing　to　the　harvest　was　spent　in　looking　after　the　land。　In　the　autumn　he　gave　himself　up　with　the　same　business…like　seriousness　to　hunting；　going　out　for　a　month　or　two　at　a　time　with　his　huntsmen；　dogs；　and　horses　on　hunting　expeditions。　In　the　winter　he　visited　their　other　properties　and　spent　his　time　in　reading；　chiefly　historical　books；　on　which　he　spent　a　certain　sum　regularly　every　year。　He　was　forming　for　himself；　as　he　used　to　say；　a　serious　library；　and　he　made　it　a　principle　to　read　through　every　book　he　bought。　He　would　sit　over　his　book　in　his　study　with　an　important　air；　and　what　he　had　at　first　undertaken　as　a　duty　became　an　habitual　pursuit；　which　afforded　him　a　special　sort　of　gratification　in　the　feeling　that　he　was　engaged　in　serious　study。　Except　when　he　went　on　business　to　visit　their　other　estates；　he　spent　the　winter　at　home　with　his　family；　entering　into　all　the　petty　cares　and　interests　of　the　mother　and　children。　With　his　wife　he　got　on　better　and　better；　every　day　discovering　fresh　spiritual　treasures　in　her。
From　the　time　of　Nikolay’s　marriage　Sonya　had　lived　in　his　house。　Before　their　marriage；　Nikolay　had　told　his　wife　all　that　had　passed　between　him　and　Sonya；　blaming　himself　and　praising　her　conduct。　He　begged　Princess　Marya　to　be　kind　and　affectionate　to　his　cousin。　His　wife　was　fully　sensible　of　the　wrong　her　husband　had　done　his　cousin；　she　felt　herself　too　guilty　toward　Sonya；　she　fancied　her　wealth　had　influenced　Nikolay　in　his　choice；　could　find　no　fault　in　Sonya；　and　wished　to　love　her。　But　she　could　not　like　her；　and　often　found　evil　feelings　in　her　soul　in　regard　to　her；　which　she　could　not　overcome。
One　day　she　was　talking　with　her　friend　Natasha　of　Sonya　and　her　own　injustice　towards　her。
‘‘Do　you　know　what；’’　said　Natasha；　‘‘you　have　read　the　Gospel　a　great　deal；　there　is　a　passage　there　that　applies　exactly　to　Sonya。’’
‘‘What　is　it？’’　Countess　Marya　asked　in　surprise。
‘‘　‘To　him　that　hath　shall　be　given；　and　to　him　that　hath　not　shall　be　taken　even　that　that　he　hath；’　do　you　remember？　She　is　the　one　that　hath　not；　why；　I　don’t　know；　perhaps　she　has　no　egoism。　I　don’t　know；　but　from　her　is　taken　away；　and　everything　has　been　taken　away。　I　am　sometimes　awfully　sorry　for　her。　I　used　in　old　days　to　want　Nikolay　to　marry　her　but　I　always　had　a　sort　of　presentiment　that　it　would　not　happen。　She　is　a　barren　flower；　you　know；　like　what　one　finds　among　the　strawberry　flowers。　Sometimes　I　am　sorry　for　her；　and　sometimes　I　think　she　does　not　feel　it　as　we　should　have　felt　it。’’
And　although　Countess　Marya　argued　with　Natasha　that　those　words　of　the　Gospel　must　not　be　taken　in　that　sense；　looking　at　Sonya；　she　agreed　with　the　explanation　given　by　Natasha。　It　did　seem　really　as　though　Sonya　did　not　feel　her　position　irksome；　and　was　quite　reconciled　to　her　fate　as　a　barren　flower。　She　seemed　to　be　fond　not　so　much　of　people　as　of　the　whole　family。　Like　a　cat；　she　had　attached　herself　not　to　persons　but　to　the　house。　She　waited　on　the　old　countess；　petted　and　spoiled　the　children；　was　always　ready　to　perform　small　services；　which　she　seemed　particularly　clever　at；　but　all　she　did　was　unconsciously　taken　for　granted；　without　much　gratitude。…
The　Bleak　Hills　house　had　been　built　up　again；　but　not　on　the　same　scale　as　under　the　old　prince。
The　buildings；　begun　in　days　of　straitened　means；　were　more　than　simple。　The　immense　mansion　on　the　old　stone　foundation　was　of　wood；　plastered　only　on　the　inside。　The　great　rambling　house；　with　its　unstained　plank　floors；　was　furnished　with　the　simplest　rough　sofas　and　chairs　and　tables　made　of　their　own　birch…trees　by　the　labor　of　their　serf　carpenters。　The　house　was　very　roomy；　with　quarters　for　the　house…serfs　and　accommodation　for　visitors。
The　relations　of　the　Rostovs　and　the　Bolkonskys　would　sometimes　come　on　visits　to　Bleak　Hills　with　their　families；　sixteen　horses　and　dozens　of　servants；　and　stay　for　months。　And　four　times　a　year—on　the　namedays　and　birthdays　of　the　master　and　mistress—as　many　as　a　hundred　visitors　would　be　put　up　for　a　day　or　two。　The　rest　of　the　year　the　regular　life　of　the　household　went　on　in　unbroken　routine；　with　its　round　of　duties；　and　of　teas；　breakfasts；　dinners；　and　suppers；　all　provided　out　of　home…grown　produce。


Chapter　9
IT　was　on　the　eve　of　St。　Nikolay’s　day；　the　5th　of　December；　1820。　That　year　Natasha　with　her　husband　and　children　had　been　staying　at　Bleak　Hills　since　the　beginning　of　autumn。　Pierre　was　in　Petersburg；　where　he　had　gone　on　private　business　of　his　own；　as　he　said；　for　three　weeks。　He　had　already　been　away　for　six；　and　was　expected　home　every　minute。
On　this　5th　of　December　there　was　also　staying　with　the　Rostovs　Nikolay’s　old　friend；　the　general　on　half…pay；　Vassily　Fedorovitch　Denisov。
Next　day　visitors　were　coming　in　celebration　of　his　nameday；　and　Nikolay　knew　that　he　would　have　to　take　off　his　loose　Tatar　coat；　to　put　on　a　frock　coat；　and　narrow　boots　with　pointed　toes；　and　to　go　to　the　new　church　he　had　built；　and　there　to　receive　congratulations；　and　to　offer　refreshments　to　his　guests；　and　to　talk　about　the　provincial　elections　and　the　year’s　crops。　But　the　day　before　he　considered　he　had　a　right　to　spend　as　usual。　Before　dinner…time　Nikolay　had　gone　over　the　bailiff’s　accounts　from　the　Ryazan　estate；　the　property　of　his　wife’s　nephew；　written　two　business　letters；　and　walked　through　the　corn　barns；　the　cattleyard；　and　the　stables。　After　taking　measures　against　the　general　drunkenness　he　expected　next　day　among　his　peasants　in　honour　of　the　fête；　he　came　in　to　dinner；　without　having　had　a　moment’s　conversation　alone　with　his　wife　all　day。　He　sat　down　to　a　long　table　laid　with　twenty　covers；　at　which　all　the　household　were　assembled；　consisting　of　his　mother；　old　Madame　Byelov；　who　lived　with　her　as　a　companion；　his　wife　and　three　children；　their　governess　and　tutor；　his　wife’s　nephew　with　his　tutor；　Sonya；　Denisov；　Natasha；　her　three　children；　their　governess；　and　Mihail　Ivanitch；　the　old　prince’s　architect；　who　was　living　out　his　old　age　in　peace　at　Bleak　Hills。
Countess　Marya　was　sitting　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　table。　As　soon　as　her　husband　sat　down　to　the　table；　from　the　gesture　with　which　he　took　up　his　table…napkin　and　quickly　pushed　back　the　tumbler　and　wineglass　set　at　his　place；　she　knew　that　he　was　out　of　humour；　as　he　sometimes　was；　particularly　before　the　soup；　and　when　he　came　straight　in　to　dinner　from　his　work。　Countess　Marya　understood　this　mood　in　her　husband　very　well；　and　when　she　was　herself　in　a　good　temper；　she　used　to　wait　quietly　till　he　had　swallowed　his　soup；　and　only　then　began　to　talk　to　him　and　to　make　him　admit　that　he　had　no　reason　to　be　out　of　temper。　But　to…day　she　totally　forgot　this　principle　of　hers；　she　had　a　miserable　sense　of　his　being　vexed　with　her　without　cause；　and　she　felt　wretched。　She　asked　him　where　he　had　been。　He　answered。　She　asked　again　whether　everything　were　going　well　on　the　estate。　He　frowned　disagreeably　at　her　unnatural　tone；　and　made　a　hasty　reply。
‘‘I　was　right　then；’’　thought　Countess　Marya；　‘‘and　what　is　he　cross　with　me　for？’’　In　the　tone　of　his　answer　she　read　ill…will　towards　her　and　a　desire　to　cut　short　the　conversation。　She　felt　that　her　words　were　unnatural；　but　she　could　not　restrain　herself；　and　asked　a　few　more　questions。
The　conversation　at　dinner；　thanks　to　Denisov；　soon　became　general　and　animated；　and　she　did　not　say　more　to　her　husband。　When　they　rose　from　table；　and　according　to　custom　came　up　to　thank　the　old　countess；　Countess　Marya　kissed　her　husband；　offering　him　her　hand；　and　asked　why　he　was　cross　with　her。
‘‘You　always　have　such　s