战争与和平(下)-第9节

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m　herself。　She　had　grown　stouter　and　broader；　so　that　it　was　hard　to　recognise　in　the　robust…looking　young　mother　the　slim；　mobile　Natasha　of　old　days。　Her　features　had　become　more　defined；　and　wore　an　expression　of　calm　softness　and　serenity。　Her　face　had　no　longer　that　ever…glowing　fire　of　eagerness　that　had　once　constituted　her　chief　charm。　Now；　often　her　face　and　body　were　all　that　was　to　be　seen；　and　the　soul　was　not　visible　at　all。　All　there　was　to　be　seen　in　her　was　a　vigorous；　handsome；　and　fruitful　mother。　Only　on　rare　occasions　now　the　old　fire　glowed　in　her　again。　That　happened　only　when；　as　now；　her　husband　returned　after　absence；　when　a　sick　child　recovered；　or　when　she　spoke　to　Countess　Marya　of　Prince　Andrey　（to　her　husband　she　never　spoke　of　Prince　Andrey；　fancying　he　might　be　jealous　of　her　love　for　him）；　or　on　the　rare　occasions　when　something　happened　to　attract　her　to　her　singing；　which　she　had　entirely　laid　aside　since　her　marriage。　And　at　those　rare　moments；　when　the　old　fire　glowed　again；　she　was　more　attractive；　with　her　handsome；　fully…developed　figure；　than　she　had　ever　been　in　the　past。
Since　her　marriage　Natasha　and　her　husband　had　lived　in　Moscow；　in　Petersburg；　on　their　estate　near　Moscow；　and　at　her　mother’s；　that　is　to　say；　at　Nikolay’s。　The　young　Countess　Bezuhov　was　little　seen　in　society；　and　those　who　had　seen　her　there　were　not　greatly　pleased　with　her。　She　was　neither　charming　nor　amiable。　It　was　not　that　Natasha　was　fond　of　solitude　（she　could　not　have　said　whether　she　liked　it　or　not；　she　rather　supposed　indeed　that　she　did　not）；　but　as　she　was　bearing　and　nursing　children；　and　taking　interest　in　every　minute　of　her　husband’s　life；　she　could　not　meet　all　these　demands　on　her　except　by　renouncing　society。　Every　one　who　had　known　Natasha　before　her　marriage　marvelled　at　the　change　that　had　taken　place　in　her；　as　though　it　were　something　extraordinary。　Only　the　old　countess；　with　her　mother’s　insight；　had　seen　that　what　was　at　the　root　of　all　Natasha’s　wild　outbursts　of　feeling　was　simply　the　need　of　children　and　a　husband　of　her　own；　as　she　often　used　to　declare；　more　in　earnest　than　in　joke；　at　Otradnoe。　The　mother　was　surprised　at　the　wonder　of　people　who　did　not　understand　Natasha；　and　repeated　that　she　had　always　known　that　she　would　make　an　exemplary　wife　and　mother。
‘‘Only　she　does　carry　her　devotion　to　her　husband　and　children　to　an　extreme；’’　the　countess　would　say；　‘‘so　much　so；　that　it’s　positively　foolish。’’
Natasha　did　not　follow　the　golden　rule　preached　by　so　many　prudent　persons；　especially　by　the　French；　that　recommends　that　a　girl　on　marrying　should　not　neglect　herself；　should　not　give　up　her　accomplishments；　should　think　even　more　of　her　appearance　than　when　a　young　girl；　and　should　try　to　fascinate　her　husband　as　she　had　fascinated　him　before　he　was　her　husband。　Natasha；　on　the　contrary；　had　at　once　abandoned　all　her　accomplishments；　of　which　the　greatest　was　her　singing。　She　gave　that　up　just　because　it　was　such　a　great　attraction。　Natasha　troubled　herself　little　about　manners　or　delicacy　of　speech；　nor　did　she　think　of　showing　herself　to　her　husband　in　the　most　becoming　attitudes　and　costumes；　nor　strive　to　avoid　worrying　him　by　being　over…exacting。　She　acted　in　direct　contravention　of　all　those　rules。　She　felt　that　the　arts　of　attraction　that　instinct　had　taught　her　to　use　before　would　now　have　seemed　only　ludicrous　to　her　husband；　to　whom　she　had　from　the　first　moment　given　herself　up　entirely；　that　is　with　her　whole　soul；　not　keeping　a　single　corner　of　it　hidden　from　him。　She　felt　that　the　tie　that　bound　her　to　her　husband　did　not　rest　on　those　romantic　feelings　which　had　attracted　him　to　her；　but　rested　on　something　else　undefined；　but　as　strong　as　the　tie　that　bound　her　soul　to　her　body。
To　curl　her　hair；　put　on　a　crinoline；　and　sing　songs　to　attract　her　husband　would　have　seemed　to　her　as　strange　as　to　deck　herself　up　so　as　to　please　herself。　To　adorn　herself　to　please　others　might　perhaps　have　been　agreeable　to　her—she　did　not　know—but　she　had　absolutely　no　time　for　it。　The　chief　reason　why　she　could　not　attend　to　her　singing；　nor　to　her　dress；　nor　to　the　careful　choice　of　her　words　was　that　she　simply　had　no　time　to　think　of　those　things。
It　is　well　known　that　man　has　the　faculty　of　entire　absorption　in　one　subject；　however　trivial　that　subject　may　appear　to　be。　And　it　is　well　known　that　there　is　no　subject　so　trivial　that　it　will　not　grow　to　indefinite　proportions　if　concentrated　attention　be　devoted　to　it。
The　subject　in　which　Natasha　was　completely　absorbed　was　her　family；　that　is；　her　husband；　whom　she　kept　such　a　hold　on　so　that　he　should　belong　entirely　to　her；　to　his　home　and　her　children；　whom　she　had　to　carry；　to　bear；　to　nurse　and　to　bring　up。
And　the　more　she　put；　not　her　mind　only；　but　her　whole　soul；　her　whole　being；　into　the　subject　that　absorbed　her；　the　more　that　subject　seemed　to　enlarge　under　her　eyes；　and　the　feebler　and　the　more　inadequate　her　own　powers　seemed　for　coping　with　it；　so　that　she　concentrated　them　all　on　that　one　subject；　and　still　had　not　time　to　do　all　that　seemed　to　her　necessary。
There　were　in　those　days；　just　as　now；　arguments　and　discussions　on　the　rights　of　women；　on　the　relations　of　husband　and　wife；　and　on　freedom　and　rights　in　marriage；　though　they　were　not　then；　as　now；　called　questions。　But　these　questions　had　no　interest　for　Natasha；　in　fact　she　had　absolutely　no　comprehension　of　them。
Those　questions；　then　as　now；　existed　only　for　those　persons　who　see　in　marriage　only　the　satisfaction　the　married　receive　from　one　another；　that　is；　only　the　first　beginnings　of　marriage　and　not　all　its　significance；　which　lies　in　the　family。
Such　discussions　and　the　questions　of　to…day；　like　the　question　how　to　get　the　utmost　possible　gratification　out　of　one’s　dinner；　then；　as　now；　did　not　exist　for　persons　for　whom　the　object　of　dinner　is　nourishment；　and　the　object　of　wedlock　is　the　family。
If　the　end　of　dinner　is　the　nourishment　of　the　body；　the　man　who　eats　two　dinners　obtains　possibly　a　greater　amount　of　pleasure；　but　he　does　not　attain　the　object　of　it；　since　two　dinners　cannot　be　digested　by　the　stomach。
If　the　end　of　marriage　is　the　family；　the　person　who　prefers　to　have　several　wives　and　several　husbands　may　possibly　derive　a　great　deal　of　satisfaction　therefrom；　but　will　not　in　any　case　have　a　family。　If　the　end　of　dinner　is　nourishment　and　the　end　of　marriage　is　the　family；　the　whole　question　is　only　solved　by　not　eating　more　than　the　stomach　can　digest　and　not　having　more　husbands　or　wives　than　as　many　as　are　needed　for　the　family；　that　is；　one　wife　and　one　husband。　Natasha　needed　a　husband。　A　husband　was　given　her；　and　her　husband　gave　her　a　family。　And　she　saw　no　need　of　another　better　husband；　and　indeed；　as　all　her　spiritual　energies　were　devoted　to　serving　that　husband　and　his　children；　she　could　not　picture；　and　found　no　interest　in　trying　to　picture；　what　would　have　happened　had　things　been　different。
Natasha　did　not　care　for　society　in　general；　but　she　greatly　prized　the　society　of　her　kinsfolk—of　Countess　Marya；　her　brother；　her　mother；　and　Sonya。　She　cared　for　the　society　of　those　persons　to　whom　she　could　rush　in　from　the　nursery　in　a　dressing…gown　with　her　hair　down；　to　whom　she　could；　with　a　joyful　face；　show　a　baby’s　napkin　stained　yellow　instead　of　green；　and　to　receive　their　comforting　assurances　that　that　proved　that　baby　was　now　really　better。
Natasha　neglected　herself　to　such　a　degree　that　her　dresses；　her　untidy　hair；　her　inappropriately　blurted…out　words；　and　her　jealousy—　she　was　jealous　of　Sonya；　of　the　governess；　of　every　woman；　pretty　and　ugly—were　a　continual　subject　of　jests　among　her　friends。　The　general　opinion　was　that　Pierre　was　tied　to　his　wife’s　apron　strings；　and　it　really　was　so。　From　the　earliest　days　of　their　marriage　Natasha　had　made　plain　her　claims。　Pierre　had　been　greatly　surprised　at　his　wife’s　view—to　him　a　completely　novel　idea—that　every　minute　of　his　life　belonged　to　her　and　their　home。　He　was　surprised　at　his　wife’s　demands；　but　he　was　flattered　by　them；　and　he　acquiesced　in　them。
Pierre　was　so　far　under　petticoat　government　that　he　did　not　dare　to　be　attentive；　or　even　to　speak　with　a　smile；　to　any　other　woman；　did　not　dare　go　to　dine　at　the　club；　without　good　reason；　simply　for　entertainment；　did　not　dare　spent　money　on　idle　whims；　and　did　not　dare　to　be　away　from　home　for　any　long　time　together；　except　on　business；　in　which　his　wife　included　his　scientific　pursuits。　Though　she　understood　nothing　of　the　latter；　she　attached　great　consequence　to　them。　To　make　up　for　all　this　Pierre　had　complete　power　in　his　own　house　to　dispose　of　the　whole　household；　as　well　as　of　himself；　as　he　chose。　In　their　own　home　Natasha　made　herself　a　slave　to　her　husband；　and　the　whole　household　had　to　go　on　tiptoe　if　the　master　were　busy　reading　or　writing　in　his　study。　Pierre　had　only　to　show　the　slightest　preference；　for　what　he　desired　to　be　at　once　carried　out。　He　had　but　to　express　a　wish　and　Natasha　jumped　up　at　once　and　ran　for　what　he　wanted。
The　whole　household　was　ruled　by　the　supposed　directions　of　the　master；　that　is；　by　the　wishes　of　Pierre；　which　Natash