War and Peace

Chapter 28

Natess grew more impulsive and impatient every day.She received letters from Duke Andrée one after another, but those letters made her feel very sad. She was living in missing him wholeheartedly, but he was living an ordinary life, playing with the new favorite game he liked very much. place, met some new friends, thinking of these, she felt too wronged.The more amusing his letters were, the angrier she was.She wrote to him, but instead of a consolation, it became a hypocritical and tedious obligation.She is not good at writing letters, because what she expresses in the letter is less than one ten-thousandth of what she expresses with her voice, smile and eyes.She wrote him a letter that she couldn't even understand herself.

At the end of January, while the sick countess remained at home, the old count took Natss and Martha to Moscow.

Part [-]

[One]

After the news of the engagement of Duke André and Nates, and the death of the tutor Joseph Alexievich, Bin-Air felt that the former joy of life suddenly disappeared. disappeared.He started withdrawing from his friends and started drinking in clubs.Later, he made up his mind to go to Moscow. He felt that Moscow was a peaceful resting place for him. In Moscow, he felt calm, gentle, and used to it. From banquets to dances, from donations to being guests, he lived the life of a retired senior servant .

Seven years ago, when he had just returned from abroad, if someone had told him that he didn’t need to look for or plan anything, his life had already been decided, forever, and no matter how hard he struggled, it would be difficult to change the reality, He won't believe it!Didn't he look forward to establishing a republic in Russia, to be Napoleon, to be a philosopher, to be a strategist, and to be the conqueror who defeated Napoleon?Didn't he see the possibility of changing corrupt humanity and getting himself the highest honor?Had he not founded hospitals and schools, freed his own serfs?In their place, however, he was now a rich husband who cheated on his wife, a retired special waiter, a clubber who ate and drank, and a man loved by everyone in the Moscow casinos.When he thought that his current position was exactly what he looked down upon five years ago, he felt uneasy.

Bin-Air didn't feel hopeless, depressed and disgusted with life as he used to, but the previous violent attack of symptoms was hidden in his heart, and haunted him from beginning to end. "What is the purpose of life? Why are we alive? Why was the world made the way it is?" he asked himself repeatedly every day, but he also knew from experience that these questions were fruitless, so he immediately tried to avoid them.

Sometimes Bin-Air recalled his anecdote that in war, when soldiers dodged gunfire in the trenches, they always found something to do to ease the panic of danger.All men, Bin-Air felt, were like these soldiers fleeing the guns of life, who found something to do for themselves, whether it was political ambition, or laughter, or good food and drink, or hunting on horseback, or creating. . "Important and unimportant, all the same: just avoid it as much as I can!" thought Bin-Air, "as long as I don't see it, a dreadful life."

[two]

In winter Malal Balkonsky arrived in Moscow with his daughter.Because of his experience, his brilliance and self-creation, he was admired with great enthusiasm by Muscovites and became the center of the Moscow rebels.

But in his home life was even more difficult for the Duchess Molières.Her father would not let her go out alone, and she had almost entirely given up the idea of ​​marriage.She had no friends, and this time in Moscow she despaired of her two best friends: Miss Pollyeyre, whom the old prince's kindness made her more and more repulsive, and she The young lady became more and more daring in front of her; the other was Miss Solin, the princess had been writing letters to her for seven years, but when they met, they felt very strange. Moreover, Miss Solin became a successor of wealth and was surrounded by young people. , which made her pay more and more attention to her own image, and the two of them were in Moscow, so there was no need to write letters.The education of her nephew was difficult for Moliye at first. She was surprised to find that she also inherited her father's violent temper and was very impatient with her nephew.

The princess didn't care about her father's bad intentions. At this moment, her heart was often filled with a sense of pride for sacrifice.At this moment, she suddenly felt that the father she had blamed in her heart was either fumbling for glasses due to poor eyesight, or he forgot what happened just now, or staggered with his weak feet He took a step slowly, and then looked back to see if anyone noticed his aging. At this moment, Princess Molière often thought with disgust: "He is old and useless, how dare I say that he is old?" Bad words!"

[three]

In [-], in Moscow there lived a well-known English doctor named Metivier, a tall, handsome man who was very popular with the upper class.Lately, on Miss Pollyey's recommendation, the doctor had often come to see the old Duke once a week.On the day of the old prince's birthday, friends from all over Moscow came to the prince's door, and he ordered not to entertain ordinary people, but to invite only a few people to dinner.But the British doctor forced his way in. He felt that it was reasonable to come to visit as a doctor and express his congratulations at the same time.However, on the morning of the old Duke's birthday, he was in such a bad mood that, not long after the doctor had entered the door, two people were heard shouting together, and the door was suddenly opened, and there appeared a panicked Metty. Vier and his black hair that fell to his forehead, and then the figure of the old prince, pale in nightcap and pajamas.

"You don't understand?" cried the old prince, "but I do! French spies, Napoleon's minions, spies, get out of my house, get out!" He slammed the door.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, several invited guests came to the banquet. They were: the famous Earl Rushdupich, Duke Lopshin and his nephew, the old prince's old comrade-in-arms General Chatrov, and the younger generation Bin Air and Brits Drubetskoy.The small group gathered in the spacious drawing room, furnished with old furniture, as if for a solemn courtroom meeting.Everyone was silent, and even when they spoke, they kept their voices very low.

During the meal, everyone talked about the recent political situation, Napoleon's seizure of Oldenburg, and Russia's ultimatum against Napoleon sent to European courts.

When everyone went to the living room to drink tea, the elders sat together.

The old prince became happy and expressed his opinion on the current war.He said that as long as we asked for an alliance with Germany and interfered in the affairs of Europe, then our war with Napoleon would be unfortunate.We must fight neither for nor against Austria, all our tactics lie in the west, and with regard to dealing with Napoleon, as long as the frontiers are laid down and coercive measures are taken, he will never dare to be like [-] Just cross the Russian border like that, and you'll be fine.

"How are we at war with the French, duke!" said Count Rastoshchin, "shall we go and fight our teachers and gods? Look at our lads, look at our ladies. Our The gods are the French, our heaven is Paris."

His voice got louder, obviously trying to get everyone to hear him.

"Clothes are French, thoughts are French, feelings are French! You just drove Metivier out by the neck, because he's a Frenchman and a bully, and our lady follows He walks behind his ass. Oh, look at our young people, Prince, we should take Peter the Great's cane out of the museum, beat them up according to the Russian custom, and knock out all their disgraceful behavior! "

Everyone was silent.The old duke laughed, and shook his head appreciatively at Earl Rushdoppche.

[Four]

Princess Molière sat in the living room, not paying attention to the old people's conversation, only caring whether the guests would notice her father's hostility towards her.She didn't even notice how much love Brilitz, who was visiting their home for the fourth time, showed her.

Bin Air was the last guest to leave.In the drawing-room Princess Molière talked to him for a while.

"Have you known this young man for a long time?" "Who?"

"Blitz Drubetskoy." "Not long..."

"I have noticed that young people come to Moscow from Petersburg during their holidays, often just to marry the daughter of a rich family."

"I don't know." "Will you marry him?"

"Oh, my God, sometimes I would marry anybody," said the Princess Molière suddenly, in a tearful voice, which surprised even herself, "to love a friend and only bring him pain." , can't do anything for him, and know that nothing can be done to change the status quo, which makes people feel very distressed, count. In this case, I can only leave, but where can I go?"

The princess began to cry before she finished speaking.Bin-Air was astonished, and the joking mood disappeared.He asked Princess Molière to share the worries in her heart, but the biggest worry that Princess Molière expressed was the worry about the marriage between Duke André and Natès.Bin Air said that the Lostavs would arrive in Moscow soon.Princess Molier told Bin-Air her thoughts: when the Rostaff family came to Moscow, she would go to get close to her future sister-in-law, and try her best to get the old prince to accept Nadice.

[five]

Blitz wanted to find a rich girl to marry, but he had been unsuccessful in Petersburg, so he came to Moscow.In Moscow, Britz was torn between the two richest ladies, Sorin and Princess Mollier.Although Princess Molière was not good-looking, he felt that she was more attractive than Sorin, but for some reason, he was always a little uncomfortable pursuing Princess Molière. On the day of the old duke's birthday, he tried He kept talking to her, but her answers were incoherent every time, apparently not understanding what he meant.Sorin, on the contrary, was willing to accept his pursuit despite her unique views.Sorin is 25 years old. She became rich after her brothers passed away. She has become ugly now, but she feels that she is not only beautiful, but also more attractive than before.This delusion was reinforced by two things: first, she became a wealthy unmarried girl; second, the older she got, the more secure boys were with her and therefore more casual.The men enjoyed her dinners and parties without any burden. Ten years ago, it was inconvenient for boys to go to the home of a 17-year-old child every day. One was afraid of her reputation being damaged, and the other was afraid of being locked up. At present, they can go to Sorin's house frankly every day, and they can not treat her as a girl to be married, but only as a friend without gender.

Blitz and Thorin drew near each other in a concern that seemed to share the same.They draw worried vegetation and tombs in the album, and write worried words.Britz's mother had found out that Sorin's dowry would be two manors in Penza and Nizhny Novgorod.

Thorin had long waited for her apprehensive suitor to propose to her, and was ready to accept.Blitz hated her single-mindedness and pretense of getting married, and he was afraid of losing the chance of real love, which prevented him from proposing to her.His vacation is coming to an end, he stays at Suo Lin's house every day, thinking about proposing tomorrow in his heart every day, but when he sees Suo Lin, sees her painted face, sees her wet eyes, sees her The worried expression was always ready to turn into uncomfortably happy after getting the marriage proposal. Seeing this, Bolits was speechless, even though he had already regarded himself as the master of the two manors of Sorin in his heart. And even the income from the manor has been planned to be used, but he still can't say it.Sorin could see Blitz's worry, and sometimes she also thought that Blitz didn't love her, but the woman's narcissism gave her relief, and she told herself that he was just shy.Slowly, though, her apprehensions began to turn into disquiet, and at the end of her holiday at Brits she finally took a decisive step: in the living room of her home, Unladuri Kuragin was revealed. Sorin no longer worried, and became very happy, caring for Angladuli.

Blitz got the information from his mother and hurried over.After losing his temper with Sorin, he finally said, "You understand how I feel about you!" Needless to say.Sorin feels like a winner, and the Blitz estate is in her hands.Since then, the unmarried couple no longer mentioned the vegetation and tombs that brought them shadows and worries, but began to plan to build a luxury residence in Petersburg and began to prepare for a luxurious wedding.

[six]

The Lostavs arrived in Moscow and stayed at the house of Moliye Ahrosimova.Ahrosimova lived alone, her daughter was married, and her sons served in the government.She is Nates' godmother.

Her waist is still so strong, and the way she expresses her opinions is still so frank and firm.In the morning, she does the housework in fat clothes, and then, on holidays, she goes to mass, and after mass she goes to the prison, and what she has to do in prison, she never tells anyone, but when it is not holidays At home, she received people from all walks of life who came to ask her for errands, played cards after dinner, and had news and novels read to her at night.She seldom went out, and when she did, she only went to a few famous families in the city.

The next morning Ahrosimova took Natssi and Masha first to the church, then to the tailor's shop, where all the wedding dresses were made for Natsy.When she got home, she drove everyone else out of her room, leaving only Nates.

"Okay, let's talk now. Congratulations on your fiancé. You've found a great man! I'm so happy for you, I've known him since he was a kid."

Nates blushed with joy, and Ahrosimova went on, "I love him, and I love the whole family. Now listen to me, old Prince Maral slightly disagrees with his son's marriage, is that you?" Clear. The old man has a bad temper! Of course, Duke Andrele is not a child, and he does not have to obey him, but it is always bad to step into the house against the parents' wishes. The family must be kind and loving. You are a Lovely child, you should know what to do. You have to deal with everything wisely, and in that way, everything will be fine in the end."

Natess was silent, Ahrosimova thought she was shy, but in fact she was displeased that someone would interfere in her relationship with Prince Andrey. In her heart, their love and all worldly things were important. It doesn't matter, she thought no one could understand this love.She loved and knew only the Duc d'Andrew, he loved her, and he was coming to marry her in two days.Other than that, she didn't want to know anything.

"You know, I've known him before, and I've known Molly, your sister-in-law, she's too sweet to hurt a fly. She's asked me to arrange a meeting for you. Tomorrow you and your father will go to her There, you must be close to her, because you are younger than her. When your fiancé comes back, you meet his sister and father, and they all fall in love with you, so it will be better, you say yes ?"

"Okay." Natess replied reluctantly.

(End of this chapter)