War and Peace

Chapter 5

The young lady didn't respond, she walked over immediately without even showing a smile.Princess Tarubinskaya took off her gloves, went hastily to an armchair, sat down, and invited Prince Vohile to sit beside her.

"Blitz," she said to her son, laughing, "I'm going to see my uncle Earl in the back room, and you go to Bin-Air, my dear, and don't forget to tell him that the Lowstaffs have invited him." Go and play."

Blitz shrugged.A servant led Britz to Bin-Air.

[Thirteen]
Bin-Air never found a suitable job in Petersburg, and indeed he was deported by the police to Moscow for his excesses.It was true what had been said that day at Lowstaff's, that Bin-Air had indeed been involved in the prank that bound the policeman and the bear.He had come to Moscow a few days ago, and he was staying with his father as before.However, the servants around the count and Duke Vauchile did not ask Bin-air to see the sick count at all, and Bin-air just sat idle in his room.

He was pacing up and down his room when Blitz walked in, stopping and posing menacingly at the window, as if stabbing a virtual enemy with a sword.

"Britain is hopeless," he frowned, gesticulating something with one hand, "Mr. Pitt is a traitor to our nation, he should be..." He was imagining himself as Napoleon, risking his life to cross Calais The Strait took London, but he hadn't finished his sentence on Pitt—when he saw a young officer approaching the door.He stopped.Bin-Air had been separated from Blitz when he was very young, and there was no trace of him in his mind.Even so, he took Blitz's hand quickly and warmly, and smiled amicably.

Blitz felt that Bin-Air didn't recognize him, but he didn't think it was necessary to introduce himself, and he didn't feel the slightest bit of embarrassment. He looked at Bin-Air calmly.Britz told Bin-Air that he had come to see the Earl with his mother, and that the Rostaffs had sent Bin-Air to a banquet.Britz told Bin-Air that neither he nor his mother had any interest in the Earl's estate.After hearing this, Bin Air was a little puzzled, but also a little excited and happy.

The servant came in and asked Britz to come to the Duchess.The Duchess is leaving.In order to be with Britz, Bin-Air readily agreed to go to Lord Lowstaff's house for a dinner.He held Blitz's hand and looked at him excitedly.After Blitz left, Bin-Air stayed in the room for a long time. He no longer stabbed the virtual enemy with his sword, but just recalled the young officer he had just seen with a smile on his face.

As is often the case with lonely men, he felt an indescribable tenderness for the young officer with whom he wanted to make friends.

[fourteen]
When Princess Talubinskoya returned from the Binzokhovs' house, Countess Rostavo had before her the seven hundred rubles which she had just begged from Count Rostavo.The money is all brand new, and it sits in the middle of the table.

"How is it going there, my friend?" the countess asked the Princess of Talubinskoya, who had entered the room.

"Why, he's frightfully ill! He's so ill that I don't even know him. I sat there a little while without saying a word..."

"For heaven's sake, my friend, do not refuse me." The countess took the money from the table, and suddenly blushed, such a blush in her thin, stately, middle-aged woman's face. Look very special.

The Duchess immediately understood what was going on, and quickly bent down, ready to hug the Countess in time and deftly.

"I gave it to Blitz, buy him some clothes..." The Duchess stepped forward and hugged her friend, with tears in her eyes.

[fifteen]
The banquet at the Lowstaff's house was about to begin, and the Countess of Lowstaff and her children were already sitting at the table with the other guests.But there is still one person missing. This is Moliye Ahrosimova, nicknamed "Tiger" in social circles. She is not famous for her wealth and status, but for her integrity and outspokenness. Moscow People in Petersburg and Petersburg knew her, laughed at her impudence in private, and spread rumors about her, but they were very afraid of her and respected her.

Bin-Air arrived in a hurry just when the banquet was about to start, and he sat down awkwardly on the chair in the middle of the living room, blocking the way of people.The countess wanted him to say a few words, but he simply answered some of the countess' questions.He made everyone feel bad, but only he didn't think of it.Most of the guests knew the story between him and the bear. People looked at this tall and well-mannered man curiously, not knowing how this gentle man would make such a joke with the police.

After a while, Moliye Ahrosimova came. She stood at the door, tall and thick, with her silver-haired curly head held high, looking at the guests in the living room.

"Congratulations to my dear name-day lovers and all my friends," she said in a thick, husky voice that drowned out all the voices in the living room. "How's my Cossack? (Moliere always calls Natess 'Cossack.') I know she's a bad girl, but I still love seeing her."

She turned and passed her hand to the count: "Now, shall I take my seat?" The count and Moliye Ahrosimova went first, followed by the colonel of the hussars on the countess' arm, a colonel. Your Excellency, he is going to pursue the troops with Malal.She was followed by Shinshin, the cousin of the Princess and Countess of Talubinskoya.Guard Lieutenant Berg offered Willie his arm.

A smiling Sorin joined Malal at the table.Behind them there are couples of men and women, these lovers of men and women occupy the entire hall, and finally there are children and teachers of both sexes walking alone.The servants got busy, there was the sound of chairs being moved, the band began to play, and the guests began to take their seats.Directly in front of the table sat the Countess, and next to him the Count.On one side of the long table sat the older youths: Willy next to Berg, Bin-Air next to Blitz: on the other sat the children and the teacher.The count glanced now and then at his wife and her tall hat with a blue bow, and enthusiastically filled his neighbor with wine, while he did not forget to pour his own.The countess, not forgetting her duty as a master, looked intently at her husband, thinking that his bald head and face were all the more rosy against the white hair.There were murmurs from the ladies, and the men began to talk loudly, especially the colonel of the hussars, who was blushing as he ate and drank, and the count told everyone to learn from the colonel.Berg was making love to Willy with a gentle smile on his face, and Blitz introduced the other guests at the table to his new friend Bin-Air one by one, and exchanged glances with Natess who was sitting across from him from time to time.Bin-Air didn't like to talk, and just ate with his head down. From fish soup to pies to grouse, he had to taste every dish, and he also had to take a sip to taste the wine.He drank it in a good mood and looked at everyone with a very cute look.Nates sat opposite him, looking from time to time at Blitz, at the boy she had just kissed, whom he loved.Her gaze sometimes shifted to Bin-Air, and Bin-Air always wanted to laugh when he saw this lovely girl.

[sixteen]
At the end where the male guests were seated, the conversation grew louder.The colonel said that the declaration of war had been published in Petersburg.

"Why on earth are we going to war with Napoleon?" Shen Shen said.The colonel, a fat, tall, impatient German descendant, obviously a man of great patriotism, said in Russian with a German accent: "My dear sir, the reason is clear to the Emperor. He is in the document He said that he could not ignore the threat to Russia, for the sake of national security, national dignity, and the sacred alliance." He particularly emphasized the word "alliance", which seemed to be the focus of the problem. Therefore, With his perfect memory for official documents, he repeated the introduction of the document: "...the emperor's hope, that is, his final purpose, was to establish a firm foundation of peace in Europe, and he decided to send troops abroad. Work hard to defend the country." "That's the main reason, dear sir." After a while, he slapped the table again and said: "We must fight to the last victory. Die for our country, and then everything We'll be all right. That's the opinion of our old hussars. What do you think, young hussar?" He turned to Maral.When Malal heard the colonel talking about the war, he put aside his girlfriend, looked at the colonel attentively, and listened carefully with his ears.

"I totally agree with you," replied Malal, who was so excited that he pushed away the saucer and cup resolutely, as if he was about to go to war at this moment. "I believe that the Russians will either win or die." He himself, like others, felt that these words were inappropriate and a bit exaggerated for such an occasion.

The music started to play, the servants got busy again, the chairs moved, and everyone walked out of the living room in the order they had just walked in, and returned to the living room and the count's study with blushing faces.

[seventeen]
The mahjong table was set up, and the earl's guests were in high spirits.Instigated by the countess, the juniors all went to the piano and harp. At the request of a friend, Sorin played a solo on the harp, and then, together with other children, asked Nates and Maral duet.Nates found Martha (who was sobbing in a corner because of Malal's imminent departure and Malal's closeness to Sorin), and the four Rostaff children cheered for the guests. They sang "Auld Lang Syne" and other songs.

Before their singing was over, the young people were already preparing to dance in the hall, and the musicians on the bandstand were already coughing from the smoke.

When the music sounded again, Natess walked into the middle of the living room and went all the way to Bin-Air. She blushed affectionately and said:

"Mom asked me to dance with you." He lowered his big fat hand to the slender little girl.While the partners took their places and the musicians tuned up, Bin-Air and his young partner settled into chairs.Natess was very happy: she had already danced with the grown-ups, and with the grown-ups who had returned from abroad.She sat where all the guests could see, and talked to Bin-Air like an adult.In her hand she held a fan which a young lady had given her to hold temporarily.She assumed the pose of a communicator (who knows when and where she learned it), waving her fan, smiling from behind it, and chatting enthusiastically with her male partner.

The dance continued to go on cheerfully and became more and more lively.

[eighteen]
In the hall of the Lostavs' house, where everyone was dancing the sixth ballroom dance, and the busy servants and cooks were preparing supper, Binzohoff's illness struck again.The doctor said there was no hope, and prayers and communion had been said for the sick, and preparations for the funeral had begun.As is usually the case at such an hour, the house was bustling with uneasiness, and a large group of coffin merchants stood at the door, waiting for a good business in burying the Count.The commander of the Moscow garrison, who kept sending people to find out about the progress of the earl's condition, came this evening to bid farewell to this high-ranking official from the Ekaterina era.

The magnificent drawing room was full of people.When the Garrison Commander, who had been alone with the patient for about three to ten minutes, came to the living room, everyone stood up in unison.In the past few days, the Duke of Vohiel, who had been haggard, accompanied the commander of the garrison and whispered something to him.

After seeing off the commander of the garrison, the Duke of Vauchile walked upstairs quickly and pushed open the door of the princess' room.

"Oh, here you are, cousin." The princess stood up and brushed her hair back with her hands. Her hair was always very smooth, and it was no exception now, as if her hair and head were made of the same material. finished and anointed with oil.

"Is there something urgent?" she asked. "I'm very frightened." "Nothing, it's the same. I've come to discuss something with you, Katya," said the prince, and sat down wearily in his chair.The Duke was in a state of confusion, talking in circles in a few words.

The Duke finally said hesitantly: "But, in short... the problem is, you are also very clear that the Earl wrote a will last fall, in which he did not inherit all the property to our immediate family members, but to Bin Ai you."

"Let him write his will," said the princess angrily, "but he cannot leave Bin-Air all his fortune, because he is an illegitimate son."

"My darling," Duke Vauchille stood up excitedly and began to speak quickly, "but the count wrote to the emperor requesting that Bin-Air be recognized as his own son. It can be approved. The letter he wrote has not been sent, but the emperor already knows about it. The question is whether the letter has been destroyed, if not, then Bin-Air will get all the property."

"How unreasonable!" said the princess indignantly, without expressing too much worry, "according to the law, illegitimate children cannot inherit..." "Why don't you know, Katya! If the letter written by the earl to the emperor reaches the emperor hand, then Bin-Air will no longer be Bin-Air, but Count Binzokhov, and then he will get everything according to the will. If the will and the letter to the emperor are not destroyed, You won't get anything, that's [-] percent sure. I've asked my family legal counsel."

It seemed that something changed suddenly in the princess' consciousness. Her thin lips were bloodless, and she began to speak with a thunderous voice, which was obviously beyond her own imagination.

"It's not bad," she said. "I didn't think about it before, and I don't need it now."

"Yes, you only think of yourself, and your sister," replied Prince Vauchille.

But the princess interrupted him. "Yes, I expected that long ago, but don't think about it. In this family, I can see clearly. What can I say except the most base ingratitude..."

"Do you really know where the will is?" Earl Vauchile asked, his cheeks trembling even more.

"Yes, I'm stupid, I'm trusting, I like them, I sacrifice myself. But only the scumbags get it everywhere. I know whose idea it was. That's the one you're protecting, your dear Ta Princess Lubinskaya, who broke in last autumn, was the one who persuaded the count to write that dastardly document."

"Where are the papers?" "In his briefcase, which was under his pillow. Now I know," said the princess, "yes, if I'm guilty, a heinous crime." That's how easy it is for me to trust this vile woman," cried the princess, her lips trembling, "why did she come here? I must tell her everything I have to say, everything clearly, there is always such a thing. for one day!"

(End of this chapter)