战争与和平(上)-第97部分

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he　previous　day　he　had　been　told　at　the　lodge　that　the　rumour　of　the　duel　had　reached　the　Emperor’s　ears；　and　that　it　would　be　more　judicious　for　him　to　withdraw　from　Petersburg。　Pierre　proposed　going　to　his　estates　in　the　south；　and　there　occupying　himself　with　the　care　of　his　peasants。　He　was　joyfully　dreaming　of　this　new　life　when　Prince　Vassily　suddenly　walked　into　his　room。
“My　dear　fellow；　what　have　you　been　about　in　Moscow？　What　have　you　been　quarrelling　over　with　Ellen；　my　dear　boy？　You　have　been　making　a　mistake；”　said　Prince　Vassily；　as　he　came　into　the　room。　“I　have　heard　all　about　it；　I　can　tell　you　for　a　fact　that　Ellen　is　as　innocent　in　her　conduct　towards　you　as　Christ　was　to　the　Jews。”
Pierre　would　have　answered；　but　he　interrupted　him。
“And　why　didn’t　you　come　simply　and　frankly　to　me　as　to　a　friend？　I　know　all　about　it；　I　understand　it　all；”　said　he。　“You　have　behaved　as　was　proper　for　a　man　who　valued　his　honour；　too　hastily；　perhaps；　but　we　won’t　go　into　that。　One　thing　you　must　think　of；　the　position　you　are　placing　her　and　me　in；　in　the　eyes　of　society　and　even　of　the　court；”　he　added；　dropping　his　voice。　“She　is　in　Moscow；　while　you　are　here。　Think　of　it；　my　dear　boy。”　He　drew　him　down　by　the　arm。　“It’s　simply　a　misunderstanding；　I　expect　you　feel　it　so　yourself。　Write　a　letter　with　me　now　at　once；　and　she’ll　come　here；　and　everything　will　be　explained；　or　else；　I　tell　you　plainly；　my　dear　boy；　you　may　very　easily　have　to　suffer　for　it。”
Prince　Vassily　looked　significantly　at　Pierre。
“I　have　learned　from　excellent　sources　that　the　Dowager　Empress　is　taking　a　keen　interest　in　the　whole　affair。　You　know　she　is　very　graciously　disposed　to　Ellen。”
Several　times　Pierre　had　prepared　himself　to　speak；　but　on　one　hand　Prince　Vassily　would　not　let　him；　and　on　the　other　hand　Pierre　himself　was　loath　to　begin　to　speak　in　the　tone　of　resolute　refusal　and　denial；　in　which　he　was　firmly　resolved　to　answer　his　father…in…law。　Moreover　the　words　of　the　masonic　precept：　“Be　thou　friendly　and　courteous；”　recurred　to　his　mind。　He　blinked　and　blushed；　got　up　and　sank　back　again；　trying　to　force　himself　to　do　what　was　for　him　the　hardest　thing　in　life—to　say　an　unpleasant　thing　to　a　man’s　face；　to　say　what　was　not　expected　by　that　man；　whoever　he　might　be。　He　was　so　much　in　the　habit　of　submitting　to　that　tone　of　careless　authority　in　which　Prince　Vassily　spoke；　that　even　now　he　felt　incapable　of　resisting　it。　But　he　felt；　too；　that　on　what　he　said　now　all　his　future　fate　would　depend；　that　it　would　decide　whether　he　continued　along　the　old　way　of　his　past　life；　or　advanced　along　the　new　path　that　had　been　so　attractively　pointed　out　to　him　by　the　masons；　and　that　he　firmly　believed　would　lead　him　to　regeneration　in　a　new　life。
“Come；　my　dear　boy；”　said　Prince　Vassily　playfully；　“simply　say　‘yes；’　and　I’ll　write　on　my　own　account　to　her；　and　we’ll　kill　the　fatted　calf。”　But　before　Prince　Vassily　had　finished　uttering　his　playful　words；　Pierre　not　looking　at　him；　but　with　a　fury　in　his　face　that　made　him　like　his　father；　whispered；　“Prince；　I　did　not　invite　you　here：　go；　please；　go！”　He　leaped　up　and　opened　the　door　to　him。　“Go！”　he　repeated；　amazed　at　himself　and　enjoying　the　expression　of　confusion　and　terror　in　the　countenance　of　Prince　Vassily。
“What’s　the　matter　with　you？　are　you　ill？”
“Go！”　the　quivering　voice　repeated　once　more。　And　Prince　Vassily　had　to　go；　without　receiving　a　word　of　explanation。
A　week　later　Pierre　went　away　to　his　estates；　after　taking　leave　of　his　new　friends；　the　freemasons；　and　leaving　large　sums　in　their　hands　for　alms。　His　new　brethren　gave　him　letters　for　Kiev　and　Odessa；　to　masons　living　there；　and　promised　to　write　to　him　and　guide　him　in　his　new　activity。


Chapter　6
PIERRE’S　DUEL　with　Dolohov　was　smoothed　over；　and　in　spite　of　the　Tsar’s　severity　in　regard　to　duels　at　that　time；　neither　the　principals　nor　the　seconds　suffered　for　it。　But　the　scandal　of　the　duel；　confirmed　by　Pierre’s　rupture　with　his　wife；　made　a　great　noise　in　society。　Pierre　had　been　looked　upon　with　patronising　condescension　when　he　was　an　illegitimate　son；　he　had　been　made　much　of　and　extolled　for　his　virtues　while　he　was　the　wealthiest　match　in　the　Russian　empire；　but　after　his　marriage；　when　young　ladies　and　their　mothers　had　nothing　to　hope　from　him；　he　had　fallen　greatly　in　the　opinion　of　society；　especially　as　he　had　neither　the　wit　nor　the　wish　to　ingratiate　himself　in　public　favour。　Now　the　blame　of　the　whole　affair　was　thrown　on　him；　it　was　said　that　he　was　insanely　jealous；　and　subject　to　the　same　fits　of　blood…thirsty　fury　as　his　father　had　been。　And　when；　after　Pierre’s　departure；　Ellen　returned　to　Petersburg；　she　was　received　by　all　her　acquaintances　not　only　cordially；　but　with　a　shade　of　deference　that　was　a　tribute　to　her　distress。　When　the　conversation　touched　upon　her　husband；　Ellen　assumed　an　expression　of　dignity；　which　her　characteristic　tact　prompted　her　to　adopt；　though　she　had　no　conception　of　its　significance。　That　expression　suggested　that　she　had　resolved　to　bear　her　affliction　without　complaint；　and　that　her　husband　was　a　cross　God　had　laid　upon　her。　Prince　Vassily　expressed　his　opinion　more　openly。　He　shrugged　his　shoulders　when　the　conversation　turned　upon　Pierre；　and　pointing　to　his　forehead；　said：
“Crackbrained；　I　always　said　so。”
“I　used　to　say　so　even　before；”　Anna　Pavlovna　would　say　of　Pierre；　“at　the　time　I　said　at　once　and　before　every　one”　（she　insisted　on　her　priority）　“that　he　was　an　insane　young　man；　corrupted　by　the　dissolute　ideas　of　the　age。　I　used　to　say　so　at　the　time　when　every　one　was　in　such　ecstasies　over　him；　and　he　had　only　just　come　home　from　abroad；　and　do　you　remember　at　one　of　my　soirées　he　thought　fit　to　pose　as　a　sort　of　Marat？　And　how　has　it　ended？　Even　then　I　was　against　this　marriage；　and　foretold　all　that　has　come　to　pass。”
Anna　Pavlovna　used　still　to　give　soirées　on　her　free　days　as　before；　soirées　such　as　only　she　had　the　gift　of　arranging；　soirées　at　which　were　gathered　“the　cream　of　really　good　society；　the　flower　of　the　intellectual　essence　of　Petersburg　society；”　as　Anna　Pavlovna　herself　used　to　say。　Besides　this　fine　sifting　of　the　society；　Anna　Pavlovna’s　soirées　were　further　distinguished　by　some　new　interesting　person；　secured　by　the　hostess　on　every　occasion　for　the　entertainment　of　the　company。　Moreover；　the　point　on　the　political　thermometer；　at　which　the　temperature　of　loyal　court　society　stood　in　Petersburg；　was　nowhere　so　clearly　and　unmistakably　marked　as　at　these　soirées。
Towards　the　end　of　the　year　1806；　when　all　the　melancholy　details　of　Napoleon’s　destruction　of　the　Prussian　army　at　Jena　and　Auerstadt；　and　the　surrender　of　the　greater　number　of　the　Prussian　forts；　had　arrived；　when　our　troops　were　already　entering　Prussia；　and　our　second　war　with　Napoleon　was　beginning；　Anna　Pavlovna　was　giving　one　of　her　soirées。　“The　cream　of　really　good　society”　consisted　of　the　fascinating　and　unhappy　Ellen；　abandoned　by　her　husband；　of　Mortemart；　of　the　fascinating　Prince　Ippolit；　who　had　just　come　home　from　Vienna；　of　two　diplomats；　of　the　old　aunt；　of　a　young　man；　always　referred　to　in　that　society　by　the　designation；　“a　man　of　a　great　deal　of　merit　…”；　of　a　newly　appointed　maid　of　honour　and　her　mother；　and　several　other　less　noteworthy　persons。
The　novelty　Anna　Pavlovna　was　offering　her　guests　for　their　entertainment　that　evening　was　Boris　Drubetskoy；　who　had　just　arrived　as　a　special　messenger　from　the　Prussian　army；　and　was　in　the　suite　of　a　personage　of　very　high　rank。
What　the　political　thermometer　indicated　at　that　soirée　was　something　as　follows：　All　the　European　rulers　and　generals　may　do　their　utmost　to　flatter　Bonaparte　with　the　object　of　causing　me　and　us　generally　these　annoyances　and　mortifications；　but　our　opinion　in　regard　to　Bonaparte　can　undergo　no　change。　We　do　not　cease　giving　undisguised　expression　to　our　way　of　thinking　on　the　subject；　and　can　only　say　to　the　Prussian　king　and　others：　“So　much　the　worse　for　you。”　“Tu　l’as　voulu；　George　Dandin；”　that’s　all　we　can　say。　This　was　what　the　political　thermometer　indicated　at　Anna　Pavlovna’s　soirée。　When　Boris；　who　was　to　be　offered　up　to　the　guests；　came　into　the　drawing…room；　almost　all　the　company　had　assembled；　and　the　conversation；　guided　by　Anna　Pavlovna；　was　of　our　diplomatic　relations　with　Austria；　and　the　hope　of　an　alliance　with　her。
Boris；　fresh；　rosy；　and　manlier　looking；　walked　easily　into　the　drawing…room；　wearing　the　elegant　uniform　of　an　adjutant。　He　was　duly　conducted　to　pay　his　respects　to　the　aunt；　and　then　joined　the　general　circle。
Anna　Pavlovna　gave　him　her　shrivelled　hand　to　kiss；　introduced　him　to　several　persons　whom　he　did　not　know；　and　gave　him　a　whispered　description　of　each　of　them。　“Prince　Ippolit　Kuragin；　M。　Krug；　chargé　d’affaires　from　Copenhagen；　a　profound　intellect　and　simple；　M。　Shitov；　a　man　of　a　great　deal　of　merit　…”　this　of　the　young　man　always　so　spoken　of。
Thanks　to　the　efforts　of　Anna　Mihalovna；　his　own　tastes　and　the　peculiarities　of　his　reserved　character；　Boris　had　succeeded　by　that　time　in　getting　into　a　very　advantageous　position　in　the　service。　He　was　an　adjutant　in　the　suite　of　a　personage　of　very　high　rank；　he　had　received　a　very　important　commission　in　Prussia；　and　had　only　just　returned　thence　as　a　special　messenger。　He　had　completely　assimilated　that　unwritten　code　which　had　so　pleased　him　at　Olmütz；　that　code　in　virtue　of　which　a　lieutenant　may　stand　infinitely　higher　than　a　general；　and　all　that　is　needed　for　success　in　the　service　is　not　effort；　not　work；　not　gallantry；　not　perseverance；　but　simply　the　art　of　getting　on　with　those　who　have　the　bestowal　of　promotion；　and　he　often　himself　marvelled　at　the　rapidity　of　his　own　progress；　and　that　others　failed　to　grasp　the　secret　of　it。　His　whole　manner　of　life；　all　his　relations　with　his　old　friends；　all　his　plans　for　the　future　were　completely　transformed　in　consequence　of　this　discovery。　He　was　not　well　off；　but　he　spent　his　last　copeck　to　be　better　dressed　than　others。　He　would　have　deprived　himself　of　many　pleasures　rather　than　have　allowed　himself　to　drive　in　an　inferior　carriage；　or　to　b