战争与和平(下)-第5部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　up；　she　was　so　weary　of　talking　of　what　did　not　interest　her；　and　she　was　so　absorbed　in　wondering　why　to　her　alone　so　little　joy　had　been　vouchsafed　in　life；　that　in　a　fit　of　abstraction；　she　sat　motionless　gazing　straight　before　her　with　her　luminous　eyes；　and　not　noticing　that　he　was　getting　up。
Nikolay　looked　at　her；　and　anxious　to　appear　not　to　notice　her　abstraction；　he　said　a　few　words　to　Mademoiselle　Bourienne；　and　again　glanced　at　the　princess。　She　was　sitting　in　the　same　immovable　pose；　and　there　was　a　look　of　suffering　on　her　soft　face。　He　felt　suddenly　sorry　for　her；　and　vaguely　conscious　that　he　might　be　the　cause　of　the　sadness　he　saw　in　her　face。　He　longed　to　help　her；　to　say　something　pleasant　to　her；　but　he　could　not　think　what　to　say　to　her。
‘‘Good…bye；　princess；’’　he　said。　She　started；　flushed；　and　sighed　heavily。
‘‘Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon；’’　she　said；　as　though　waking　from　sleep。　‘‘You　are　going　already；　count；　well；　good…bye！　Oh；　the　cushion　for　the　countess？’’
‘‘Wait　a　minute；　I　will　fetch　it；’’　said　Mademoiselle　Bourienne；　and　she　left　the　room。
They　were　both　silent；　glancing　at　each　other　now　and　then。
‘‘Yes；　princess；’’　said　Nikolay　at　last；　with　a　mournful　smile；　‘‘it　seems　not　long　ago；　but　how　much　has　happened　since　the　first　time　we　met　at　Bogutcharovo。　We　all　seemed　in　such　trouble　then；　but　I　would　give　a　great　deal　to　have　that　time　back　…　and　there’s　no　bringing　it　back。’’
Princess　Marya　was　looking　intently　at　him　with　her　luminous　eyes；　as　he　said　that。　She　seemed　trying　to　divine　the　secret　import　of　his　words；　which　would　make　clear　his　feeling　towards　her。
‘‘Yes；　yes；’’　she　said；　‘‘but　you　have　no　need　to　regret　the　past；　count。　As　I　conceive　of　your　life　now；　you　will　always　think　of　it　with　satisfaction；　because　the　self…sacrifice　in　which　you　are　now　…’’
‘‘I　cannot　accept　your　praises；’’　he　interrupted　hurriedly；　‘‘on　the　contrary；　I　am　always　reproaching　myself；　but　it　is　an　uninteresting　and　cheerless　subject。’’
And　again　the　stiff　and　cold　expression　came　back　into　his　face。　But　Princess　Marya　saw　in　him　again　now　the　man　she　had　known　and　loved；　and　it　was　to　that　man　only　she　was　speaking　now。
‘‘I　thought　you　would　allow　me　to　say　that；’’　she　said。　‘‘I　have　been　such　intimate　friends　with　you　…　and　with　your　family；　and　I　thought　you　would　not　feel　my　sympathy　intrusive；　but　I　made　a　mistake；’’　she　said。　Her　voice　suddenly　shook。　‘‘I　don’t　know　why；’’　she　went　on；　recovering　herself；　‘‘you　used　to　be　different；　and　…’’
‘‘There　are　thousands　of　reasons　why。’’　（He　laid　special　stress　on　the　word　why。）　‘‘I　thank　you；　princess；’’　he　added　softly。　‘‘It　is　sometimes　hard　…’’
‘‘So　that　is　why！　That　is　why！’’　an　inner　voice　was　saying　in　Princess　Marya’s　soul。　‘‘Yes；　it　was　not　only　that　gay；　kind；　and　frank　gaze；　not　only　that　handsome　exterior　I　loved　in　him；　I　divined　his　noble；　firm；　and　self…sacrificing　soul；’’　she　said　to　herself。
‘‘Yes；　he　is　poor　now；　and　I　am　rich　…　Yes；　it　is　only　that　…　Yes；　if　it　were　not　for　that　…’’　And　recalling　all　his　former　tenderness；　and　looking　now　at　his　kind　and　sad　face；　she　suddenly　understood　the　reason　of　his　coldness。
‘‘Why！　count；　why？’’　she　almost　cried　all　at　once；　involuntarily　moving　nearer　to　him。　‘‘Why；　do　tell　me。　You　must　tell　me。’’　He　was　mute。　‘‘I　do　not　know；　count；　your　why；’’　she　went　on。　‘‘But　I　am　sad；　I　…　I　will　own　that　to　you。　You　mean　for　some　reason　to　deprive　me　of　our　old　friendship。　And　that　hurts　me。’’　There　were　tears　in　her　eyes　and　in　her　voice。　‘‘I　have　had　so　little　happiness　in　my　life　that　every　loss　is　hard　for　me　…　Excuse　me；　good…bye；’’　she　suddenly　burst　into　tears；　and　was　going　out　of　the　room。
‘‘Princess！　stay；　for　God’s　sake；’’　he　cried；　trying　to　stop　her。　‘‘Princess！’’
She　looked　round。　For　a　few　seconds　they　gazed　mutely　in　each　other’s　eyes；　and　the　remote　and　impossible　became　all　at　once　close　at　hand；　possible　and　inevitable。


Chapter　7
IN　THE　AUTUMN　of　1813；　Nikolay　married　Princess　Marya；　and　with　his　wife；　and　mother；　and　Sonya；　took　up　his　abode　at　Bleak　Hills。
Within　four　years　he　had　paid　off　the　remainder　of　his　debts　without　selling　his　wife’s　estates；　and　coming　into　a　small　legacy　on　the　death　of　a　cousin；　he　repaid　the　loan　he　had　borrowed　from　Pierre　also。
In　another　three　years；　by　1820；　Nikolay　had　so　well　managed　his　pecuniary　affairs　that　he　was　able　to　buy　a　small　estate　adjoining　Bleak　Hills；　and　was　opening　negotiations　for　the　repurchase　of　his　ancestral　estate　of　Otradnoe；　which　was　his　cherished　dream。
Though　he　took　up　the　management　of　the　land　at　first　from　necessity；　he　soon　acquired　such　a　passion　for　agriculture；　that　it　became　his　favourite　and　almost　his　exclusive　interest。　Nikolay　was　a　plain　farmer；　who　did　not　like　innovations；　especially　English　ones；　just　then　coming　into　vogue；　laughed　at　all　theoretical　treatises　on　agriculture；　did　not　care　for　factories；　for　raising　expensive　produce；　or　for　expensive　imported　seed。　He　did　not；　in　fact；　make　a　hobby　of　any　one　part　of　the　work；　but　kept　the　welfare　of　the　estate　as　a　whole　always　before　his　eyes。　The　object　most　prominent　to　his　mind　in　the　estate　was　not　the　azote　nor　the　oxygen　in　the　soil　or　the　atmosphere；　not　a　particular　plough　nor　manure；　but　the　principal　agent　by　means　of　which　the　azote　and　the　oxygen　and　the　plough　and　the　manure　were　all　made　effectual—that　is；　the　labourer；　the　peasant。　When　Nikolay　took　up　the　management　of　the　land；　and　began　to　go　into　its　different　branches；　the　peasant　attracted　his　chief　attention。　He　looked　on　the　peasant；　not　merely　as　a　tool；　but　also　as　an　end　in　himself；　and　as　his　critic。　At　first　he　studied　the　peasant　attentively；　trying　to　understand　what　he　wanted；　what　he　thought　good　and　bad；　and　he　only　made　a　pretence　of　making　arrangements　and　giving　orders；　while　he　was　in　reality　learning　from　the　peasants　their　methods　and　their　language　and　their　views　of　what　was　good　and　bad。　And　it　was　only　when　he　understood　the　tastes　and　impulses　of　the　peasant；　when　he　had　learned　to　speak　his　speech　and　to　grasp　the　hidden　meaning　behind　his　words；　when　he　felt　himself　in　alliance　with　him；　that　he　began　boldly　to　direct　him—to　perform；　that　is；　towards　him　the　office　expected　of　him。　And　Nikolay’s　management　produced　the　most　brilliant　results。
On　taking　over　the　control　of　the　property；　Nikolay　had　at　once　by　some　unerring　gift　of　insight　appointed　as　bailiff；　as　village　elder；　and　as　delegate　the　very　men　whom　the　peasants　would　have　elected　themselves　had　the　choice　been　in　their　hands；　and　the　authority　once　given　them　was　never　withdrawn。　Before　investigating　the　chemical　constituents　of　manure；　or　going　into　‘‘debit　and　credit’’　（as　he　liked　sarcastically　to　call　book…keeping）；　he　found　out　the　number　of　cattle　the　peasants　possessed；　and　did　his　utmost　to　increase　the　number。　He　kept　the　peasants’　families　together　on　a　large　scale；　and　would　not　allow　them　to　split　up　into　separate　households。　The　indolent；　the　dissolute；　and　the　feeble　he　was　equally　hard　upon　and　tried　to　expel　them　from　the　community。　At　the　sowing　and　the　carrying　of　the　hay　and　corn；　he　watched　over　his　own　and　the　peasants’　fields　with　absolutely　equal　care。　And　few　landowners　had　fields　so　early　and　so　well　sown　and　cut；　and　few　had　such　crops　as　Nikolay。
He　did　not　like　to　have　anything　to　do　with　the　house…serfs；　he　called　them　parasites；　and　everybody　said　that　he　demoralised　and　spoiled　them。　When　any　order　had　to　be　given　in　regard　to　a　house…serf；　especially　when　one　had　to　be　punished；　he　was　always　in　a　state　of　indecision　and　asked　advice　of　every　one　in　the　house。　But　whenever　it　was　possible　to　send　a　house…serf　for　a　soldier　in　place　of　a　peasant；　he　did　so　without　the　smallest　compunction。　In　all　his　dealings　with　the　peasants；　he　never　experienced　the　slightest　hesitation。　Every　order　he　gave　would；　he　knew；　be　approved　by　the　greater　majority　of　them。
He　never　allowed　himself　either　to　punish　a　man　by　adding　to　his　burdens；　or　to　reward　him　by　lightening　his　tasks　simply　at　the　prompting　of　his　own　wishes。　He　could　not　have　said　what　his　standard　was　of　what　he　ought　and　ought　not　to　do；　but　there　was　a　standard　firm　and　rigid　in　his　soul。
Often　talking　of　some　failure　or　irregularity；　he　would　complain　of　‘‘our　Russian　peasantry；’’　and　he　imagined　that　he　could　not　bear　the　peasants。
But　with　his　whole　soul　he　did　really　love　‘‘our　Russian　peasantry；’’　and　their　ways；　and　it　was　through　that　he　had　perceived　and　adopted　the　only　method　of　managing　the　land　which　could　be　productive　of　good　results。
Countess　Marya　was　jealous　of　this　passion　of　her　husband’s　for　agriculture；　and　regretted　she　could　not　share　it。　But　she　was　unable　to　comprehend　the　joys　and　disappointments　he　met　with　in　that　world　apart　that　was　so　alien　to　her。　She　could　not　understand　why　he　used　to　be　so　particularly　eager　and　happy　when　after　getting　up　at　dawn　and　spending　the　whole　morning　in　the　fields　or　the　threshing…floor　he　came　back　to　tea　with　her　from　the　sowing；　the　mowing；　or　the　harvest。　She　could　not　understand　why　he　was　so　delighted　when　he　told　her　with　enthusiasm　of　the　well…to…do；　thrifty　peasant　Matvey　Ermishin；　who　had　been　up　all　night　with　his　family；　carting　his　sheaves；　and　had　all　harvested　when　no　one　else　had　begun　carrying。　She　could　not　understand　why；　stepping　out　of　the　window　on　to　the　balcony；　he　smiled　under　his　moustaches　and　winked　so　gleefully　when　a　warm；　fine　rain　began　to　fall　on　his　young　oats　that　were　suffering　from　the　drought；　or　why；　when　a　menacing　cloud　blew　over　in　mowing　or　harvest　time；　he　would　come　in　from　the　barn　red；　sunburnt；　and　perspiring；　with　the　smell　of　wormwood　in　his　hair；　and　rubbing　his　hands　joyfully　would　say：　‘‘Come；　another　day　of　this　and　my　lot；　and　the　peasants’　too；　will　all　be　in　the　barn。’’
Still　less　could　she　understand　how　it　was　that　with　his　good　heart　and　everlasting　readiness　to　anticipate　her　wishes；　he　would　be　thrown　almost　into　despair　when　she　brought　him　petitions　from　peasants　or　their　wives　who　had　appealed　to　her　to　be　let　off　tasks；　why　it　was