War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy [758]
“You know, maman,” interrupted Nikolai, who knew how to translate everything into his mother’s language, “it’s that Prince Alexander Nikolaevich Golitsyn has organized a society, so they say it’s become very influential.”
“Arakcheev and Golitsyn,” Pierre said imprudently, “that’s now the whole government. And what a government! They see conspiracies everywhere, they’re afraid of everything.”
“Why, what fault is that of Prince Alexander Nikolaevich’s? He’s a very respectable man. I used to meet him at Marya Antonovna’s,” the countess said offendedly, and, still more offended that everyone fell silent, she went on: “Nowadays everybody finds fault. An evangelical society—well, what’s wrong with that?” And she stood up (everyone also stood up) and with a stern look sailed back to her table in the sitting room.
Amidst the sad silence that ensued, children’s laughter and voices were heard from the neighboring room. Evidently some joyful excitement was going on among the children.
“Ready, ready!” little Natasha’s joyful cry was heard over everyone else’s. Pierre exchanged glances with Countess Marya and Nikolai (Natasha he always saw) and smiled happily.
“That’s wonderful music!” he said.
“It’s Anna Makarovna finishing her stocking,” said Countess Marya.
“Oh, I’ll go and see,” said Pierre, jumping up. “Do you know why I especially love that music?” he said, stopping at the door. “They’re the first to let me know that everything’s all right. Coming today, the closer I got to the house, the more frightened I was. As I came into the front hall, I heard Andryusha laughing his head off about something—well, that meant everything was all right…”
“I know, I know that feeling,” Nikolai agreed. “I mustn’t go, the stockings are a surprise for me.”
Pierre went to the children, and the laughter and shouting grew still louder. “Well, Anna Makarovna,” Pierre’s voice was heard, “come here to the middle, and at the command, one, two, and when I say three, you stand here. And you in my arms. Now, one, two…” said Pierre’s voice; there was a hush. “Three!” and a rapturous groan of chidren’s voices arose in the room.
“Two, two!” shouted the children.
That meant two stockings, which, by a secret known only to herself, Anna Makarovna knitted at once on her needles, and which she always drew triumphantly one out of the other before the children, when the stockings were finished.
XIV
Soon after that, the children came to say good night. The children kissed everyone, the tutors and governesses bowed and left. Only Dessales and his pupil remained. The tutor suggested in a whisper that his pupil go downstairs.
“Non, monsieur Dessales, je demanderai à ma tante de rester,”*749 Nikolenka Bolkonsky replied, also in a whisper.
“Ma tante, please let me stay,” said Nikolenka, going up to his aunt. His face expressed entreaty, excitement, and rapture. Countess Marya glanced at him and turned to Pierre.
“When you’re here, he can’t tear himself away…” she said to him.
“Je vous le ramènerai tout à l’heure, monsieur Dessales. Bonsoir,”†750 said Pierre, giving his hand to the Swiss, and, smiling, he addressed Nikolenka: “We haven’t seen each other at all. Look at the resemblance, Marie,” he added, turning to Countess Marya.
“To my father?” said the boy, blushing deeply and looking up at Pierre with admiring, shining eyes. Pierre nodded to him and went on with the story interrupted by the children. Countess Marya worked on her embroidery; Natasha looked at her husband without taking her eyes away. Nikolai and Denisov got up, asked for pipes, smoked, took tea from Sonya, who sat sullenly and stubbornly at the samovar, and questioned Pierre. The curly-headed, sickly boy, with his shining eyes, sat in the corner unnoticed by anyone and, only turning his curly head on its thin neck, emerging from a turned-down collar, to the side where Pierre was, occasionally trembled and whispered something to himself, clearly experiencing some new and strong feeling.
The conversation turned around that contemporary gossip from the highest government