first epilogue-第12章

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that　he　had　grieved　me。　Afterwards　in　the　evening　when　I　gave　him

his　ticket；　he　again　began　crying　piteously　and　kissing　me。　One　can　do

anything　with　him　by　tenderness。



　　〃What　is　a　'ticket'？〃　Nicholas　inquired。

　　〃I　have　begun　giving　the　elder　ones　marks　every　evening；　showing　how

they　have　behaved。〃

　　Nicholas　looked　into　the　radiant　eyes　that　were　gazing　at　him；　and

continued　to　turn　over　the　pages　and　read。　In　the　diary　was　set　down

everything　in　the　children's　lives　that　seemed　noteworthy　to　their

mother　as　showing　their　characters　or　suggesting　general　reflections

on　educational　methods。　They　were　for　the　most　part　quite

insignificant　trifles；　but　did　not　seem　so　to　the　mother　or　to　the

father　either；　now　that　he　read　this　diary　about　his　children　for

the　first　time。

　　Under　the　date　〃5〃　was　entered：



　　Mitya　was　naughty　at　table。　Papa　said　he　was　to　have　no　pudding。

He　had　none；　but　looked　so　unhappily　and　greedily　at　the　others

while　they　were　eating！　I　think　that　punishment　by　depriving

children　of　sweets　only　develops　their　greediness。　Must　tell

Nicholas　this。



　　Nicholas　put　down　the　book　and　looked　at　his　wife。　The　radiant

eyes　gazed　at　him　questioningly：　would　he　approve　or　disapprove　of　her

diary？　There　could　be　no　doubt　not　only　of　his　approval　but　also　of

his　admiration　for　his　wife。

　　Perhaps　it　need　not　be　done　so　pedantically；　thought　Nicholas；　or

even　done　at　all；　but　this　untiring；　continual　spiritual　effort　of

which　the　sole　aim　was　the　children's　moral　welfare　delighted　him。　Had

Nicholas　been　able　to　analyze　his　feelings　he　would　have　found　that

his　steady；　tender；　and　proud　love　of　his　wife　rested　on　his　feeling

of　wonder　at　her　spirituality　and　at　the　lofty　moral　world；　almost

beyond　his　reach；　in　which　she　had　her　being。

　　He　was　proud　of　her　intelligence　and　goodness；　recognized　his　own

insignificance　beside　her　in　the　spiritual　world；　and　rejoiced　all　the

more　that　she　with　such　a　soul　not　only　belonged　to　him　but　was　part

of　himself。

　　〃I　quite；　quite　approve；　my　dearest！〃　said　he　with　a　significant

look；　and　after　a　short　pause　he　added：　〃And　I　behaved　badly　today。

You　weren't　in　the　study。　We　began　disputing…　Pierre　and　I…　and　I　lost

my　temper。　But　he　is　impossible：　such　a　child！　I　don't　know　what　would

become　of　him　if　Natasha　didn't　keep　him　in　hand。。。。　Have　you　any　idea

why　he　went　to　Petersburg？　They　have　formed。。。〃

　　〃Yes；　I　know；〃　said　Countess　Mary。　〃Natasha　told　me。〃

　　〃Well；　then；　you　know；〃　Nicholas　went　on；　growing　hot　at　the　mere

recollection　of　their　discussion；　〃he　wanted　to　convince　me　that　it　is

every　honest　man's　duty　to　go　against　the　government；　and　that　the

oath　of　allegiance　and　duty。。。　I　am　sorry　you　weren't　there。　They

all　fell　on　me…　Denisov　and　Natasha。。。　Natasha　is　absurd。　How　she

rules　over　him！　And　yet　there　need　only　be　a　discussion　and　she　has　no

words　of　her　own　but　only　repeats　his　sayings。。。〃　added　Nicholas；

yielding　to　that　irresistible　inclination　which　tempts　us　to　judge

those　nearest　and　dearest　to　us。　He　forgot　that　what　he　was　saying

about　Natasha　could　have　been　applied　word　for　word　to　himself　in

relation　to　his　wife。

　　〃Yes；　I　have　noticed　that；〃　said　Countess　Mary。

　　〃When　I　told　him　that　duty　and　the　oath　were　above　everything；　he

started　proving　goodness　knows　what！　A　pity　you　were　not　there…　what

would　you　have　said？〃

　　〃As　I　see　it　you　were　quite　right；　and　I　told　Natasha　so。　Pierre

says　everybody　is　suffering；　tortured；　and　being　corrupted；　and　that

it　is　our　duty　to　help　our　neighbor。　Of　course　he　is　right　there；〃

said　Countess　Mary；　〃but　he　forgets　that　we　have　other　duties　nearer

to　us；　duties　indicated　to　us　by　God　Himself；　and　that　though　we　might

expose　ourselves　to　risks　we　must　not　risk　our　children。〃

　　〃Yes；　that's　it！　That's　just　what　I　said　to　him；〃　put　in　Nicholas；

who　fancied　he　really　had　said　it。　〃But　they　insisted　on　their　own

view：　love　of　one's　neighbor　and　Christianity…　and　all　this　in　the

presence　of　young　Nicholas；　who　had　gone　into　my　study　and　broke　all

my　things。〃

　　〃Ah；　Nicholas；　do　you　know　I　am　often　troubled　about　little

Nicholas；〃　said　Countess　Mary。　〃He　is　such　an　exceptional　boy。　I　am

afraid　I　neglect　him　in　favor　of　my　own：　we　all　have　children　and

relations　while　he　has　no　one。　He　is　constantly　alone　with　his

thoughts。〃

　　〃Well；　I　don't　think　you　need　reproach　yourself　on　his　account。

All　that　the　fondest　mother　could　do　for　her　son　you　have　done　and　are

doing　for　him；　and　of　course　I　am　glad　of　it。　He　is　a　fine　lad；　a　fine

lad！　This　evening　he　listened　to　Pierre　in　a　sort　of　trance；　and

fancy…　as　we　were　going　in　to　supper　I　looked　and　he　had　broken

everything　on　my　table　to　bits；　and　he　told　me　of　it　himself　at

once！　I　never　knew　him　to　tell　an　untruth。　A　fine　lad；　a　fine　lad！〃

repeated　Nicholas；　who　at　heart　was　not　fond　of　Nicholas　Bolkonski　but

was　always　anxious　to　recognize　that　he　was　a　fine　lad。

　　〃Still；　I　am　not　the　same　as　his　own　mother；〃　said　Countess　Mary。　〃I

feel　I　am　not　the　same　and　it　troubles　me。　A　wonderful　boy；　but　I　am

dreadfully　afraid　for　him。　It　would　be　good　for　him　to　have

companions。〃

　　〃Well　it　won't　be　for　long。　Next　summer　I'll　take　him　to

Petersburg；〃　said　Nicholas。　〃Yes；　Pierre　always　was　a　dreamer　and

always　will　be；〃　he　continued；　returning　to　the　talk　in　the　study

which　had　evidently　disturbed　him。　〃Well；　what　business　is　it　of

mine　what　goes　on　there…　whether　Arakcheev　is　bad；　and　all　that？

What　business　was　it　of　mine　when　I　married　and　was　so　deep　in　debt

that　I　was　threatened　with　prison；　and　had　a　mother　who　could　not

see　or　understand　it？　And　then　there　are　you　and　the　children　and

our　affairs。　Is　it　for　my　own　pleasure　that　I　am　at　the　farm　or　in　the

office　from　morning　to　night？　No；　but　I　know　I　must　work　to　comfort　my

mother；　to　repay　you；　and　not　to　leave　the　children　such　beggars　as

I　was。〃

　　Countess　Mary　wanted　to　tell　him　that　man　does　not　live　by　bread

alone　and　that　he　attached　too　much　importance　to　these　matters。　But

she　knew　she　must　not　say　this　and　that　it　would　be　useless　to　do

so。　She　only　took　his　hand　and　kissed　it。　He　took　this　as　a　sign　of

approval　and　a　confirmation　of　his　thoughts；　and　after　a　few

minutes'　reflection　continued　to　think　aloud。

　　〃You　know；　Mary；　today　Elias　Mitrofanych〃　（this　was　his　overseer）

〃came　back　from　the　Tambov　estate　and　told　me　they　are　already

offering　eighty　thousand　rubles　for　the　forest。〃

　　And　with　an　eager　face　Nicholas　began　to　speak　of　the　possibility　of

repurchasing　Otradnoe　before　long；　and　added：　〃Another　ten　years　of

life　and　I　shall　leave　the　children。。。　in　an　excellent　position。〃

　　Countess　Mary　listened　to　her　husband　and　understood　all　that　he

told　her。　She　knew　that　when　he　thought　aloud　in　this　way　he　would

sometimes　ask　her　what　he　had　been　saying；　and　be　vexed　if　he

noticed　that　she　had　been　thinking　about　something　else。　But　she　had

to　force　herself　to　attend；　for　what　he　was　saying　did　not　interest

her　at　all。　She　looked　at　him　and　did　not　think；　but　felt；　about

something　different。　She　felt　a　submissive　tender　love　for　this　man

who　would　never　understand　all　that　she　understood；　and　this　seemed　to

make　her　love　for　him　still　stronger　and　added　a　touch　of　passionate

tenderness。　Besides　this　feeling　which　absorbed　her　altogether　and

hindered　her　from　following　the　details　of　her　husband's　plans；

thoughts　that　had　no　connection　with　what　he　was　saying　flitted

through　her　mind。　She　thought　of　her　nephew。　Her　husband's　account

of　the　boy's　agitation　while　Pierre　was　speaking　struck　her

forcibly；　and　various　traits　of　his　gentle；　sensitive　character

recurred　to　her　mind；　and　while　thinking　of　her　nephew　she　thought

also　of　her　own　children。　She　did　not　compare　them　with　him；　but

compared　her　feeling　for　them　with　her　feeling　for　him；　and　felt

with　regret　that　there　was　something　lacking　in　her　feeling　for

young　Nicholas。

　　Sometimes　it　seemed　to　her　that　this　difference　arose　from　the

difference　in　their　ages；　but　she　felt　herself　to　blame　toward　him　and

promised　in　her　heart　to　do　better　and　to　accomplish　the　impossible…

in　this　life　to　love　her　husband；　her　children；　little　Nicholas；　and

all　her　neighbors；　as　Christ　loved　mankind。　Countess　Mary's　soul

always　strove　toward　the　infinite；　the　eternal；　and　the　absolute；

and　could　therefore　never　be　at　peace。　A　stern　expression　of　the

lofty；　secret　suffering　of　a　soul　burdened　by　the　body　appeared　on　her

face。　Nicholas　gazed　at　her。　〃O　God！　What　will　become　of　us　if　she

dies；　as　I　always　fear　when　her　face　is　like　that？〃　thought　he；　and

placing　himself　before　the　icon　he　began　to　say　his　evening　prayers。

EP1｜CH16

　　CHAPTER　XVI



　　Natasha　and　Pierre；　left　alone；　also　began　to　talk　as　only　a　husband

and　wife　can　talk；　that　is；　with　extraordinary　clearness　and　rapidity；

understanding　and　expressing　each　other's　thoughts　in　ways　contrary　to

all　rules　of　logic；　without　premises；　deductions；　or　conclusions；

and　in　a　quite　peculiar　way。　Natasha　was　so　used　to　this　kind　of

talk　with　her　husband　that　for　her　it　was　the　surest　sign　of　something

being　wrong　between　them　if　Pierre　followed　a　line　of　logical

reasoning。　When　he　began　proving　anything；　or　talking

argumentatively　and　calmly　and　she；　led　on　by　his　example；　began　to　do

the　same；　she　knew　that　they　were　on　the　verge　of　a　quarrel。

　　From　the　moment　they　were　alone　and　Natasha　came　up　to　him　with

wide…open　happy　eyes；　and　quickly　seizing　his　head　pressed　it　to　her

bosom；　saying：　〃Now　you　are　all　mine；　mine！　You　won't　escape！〃…　from

that　moment　this　conversation　began；　contrary　to　all　the　laws　of　logic

and　contrary　to　them　because　quite　different　subjects　were　talked

about　at　one　and　the　same　time。　This　simultaneous　discussion　of　many

topics　did　not　prevent　a　clear　understanding　but　on　the　contrary　was

the　surest　sign　that　they　fully　understood　one　another。

　　Just　as　in　a　dream　when　all　is　uncertain；　unreasoning；　and

contradictory；　except　the　feeling　that　guides　the　dream；　so　in　this

intercourse　contrary　to　all　laws　of　reason；　the　words　themselves

were　not　consecutive　and　clear　but　only　the　feeling　that　prompted

them。

　　Natasha　spoke　to　Pierre　about　her　brother's　life　and　doings；　of

how　she　had　suffered　and　lacked　life　during　his　own　absence；　and　of

how　she　was　fonder　than　ever　of　Mary；　and　how　Mary　was　in　every　way

better　than　herself。　In　saying　this　Natasha　was　sincere　in

acknowledging　Mary's　superiority；　but　at　the　same　time　by　saying　it

she　made　a　demand　on　Pierre　that　he　should；　all　the　same；　prefer　her

to　Mary　and　to　all　other　women；　and　that　now；　especially　after

having　seen　many　women　in　Petersburg；　he　should　tell　her　so　afresh。

　　Pierre；　answering　Natasha's　words；　told　her　how　intolerable　it　had

been　for　him　to　meet　ladies　at　dinners　and　balls　in　Petersburg。

　　〃I　have　quite　lost　the　knack　of　ta