War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy [interesting novels to read .TXT] 📗

The princess, picking up her dress, was taking her seat in the dark carriage, her husband was adjusting his saber; Prince Ippolit, under pretense of helping, was in everyone’s way.

“Allow me, sir,” said Prince Andréy in Russian in a cold, disagreeable tone to Prince Ippolit who was blocking his path.

“I am expecting you, Pierre,” said the same voice, but gently and affectionately.

The postilion started, the carriage wheels rattled. Prince Ippolit laughed spasmodically as he stood in the porch waiting for the vicomte whom he had promised to take home.

“Well, mon cher,” said the vicomte, having seated himself beside Ippolit in the carriage, “your little princess is very nice, very nice indeed, quite French,” and he kissed the tips of his fingers. Ippolit burst out laughing.

“Do you know, you are a terrible chap for all your innocent airs,” continued the vicomte. “I pity the poor husband, that little officer who gives himself the airs of a monarch.”

Ippolit spluttered again, and amid his laughter said, “And you were saying that the Russian ladies are not equal to the French? One has to know how to deal with them.”

Pierre reaching the house first went into Prince Andréy’s study like one quite at home, and from habit immediately lay down on the sofa, took from the shelf the first book that came to his hand (it was Caesar’s Commentaries), and resting on his elbow, began reading it in the middle.

“What have you done to Mlle. Schérer? She will be quite ill now,” said Prince Andréy, as he entered the study, rubbing his small white hands.

Pierre turned his whole body, making the sofa creak. He lifted his eager face to Prince Andréy, smiled, and waved his hand.

“That abbé is very interesting but he does not see the thing in the right light.⁠ ⁠… In my opinion perpetual peace is possible but⁠—I do not know how to express it⁠ ⁠… not by a balance of political power.⁠ ⁠…”

It was evident that Prince Andréy was not interested in such abstract conversation.

“One can’t everywhere say all one thinks, mon cher. Well, have you at last decided on anything? Are you going to be a guardsman or a diplomatist?” asked Prince Andréy after a momentary silence.

Pierre sat up on the sofa, with his legs tucked under him.

“Really, I don’t yet know. I don’t like either the one or the other.”

“But you must decide on something! Your father expects it.”

Pierre at the age of ten had been sent abroad with an abbé as tutor, and had remained away till he was twenty. When he returned to Moscow his father dismissed the abbé and said to the young man, “Now go to Petersburg, look round, and choose your profession. I will agree to anything. Here is a letter to Prince Vasíli, and here is money. Write to me all about it, and I will help you in everything.” Pierre had already been choosing a career for three months, and had not decided on anything. It was about this choice that Prince Andréy was speaking. Pierre rubbed his forehead.

“But he must be a Freemason,” said he, referring to the abbé whom he had met that evening.

“That is all nonsense.” Prince Andréy again interrupted him, “let us talk business. Have you been to the Horse Guards?”

“No, I have not; but this is what I have been thinking and wanted to tell you. There is a war now against Napoleon. If it were a war for freedom I could understand it and should be the first to enter the army; but to help England and Austria against the greatest man in the world is not right.”

Prince Andréy only shrugged his shoulders at Pierre’s childish words. He put on the air of one who finds it impossible to reply to such nonsense, but it would in fact have been difficult to give any other answer than the one Prince Andréy gave to this naive question.

“If no one fought except on his own conviction, there would be no wars,” he said.

“And that would be splendid,” said Pierre.

Prince Andréy smiled ironically.

“Very likely it would be splendid, but it will never come about.⁠ ⁠…”

“Well, why are you going to the war?” asked Pierre.

“What for? I don’t know. I must. Besides that I am going⁠ ⁠…” He paused. “I am going because the life I am leading here does not suit me!”

The rustle of a woman’s dress was heard in the next room. Prince Andréy shook himself as if waking up, and his face assumed the look it had had in Anna Pávlovna’s drawing room. Pierre removed his feet from the sofa. The princess came in. She had changed her gown for a house dress as fresh and elegant as the other. Prince Andréy rose and politely placed a chair for her.

“How is it,” she began, as usual in French, settling down briskly and fussily in the easy chair, “how is it Annette never got married? How stupid you men all are not to have married her! Excuse me for saying so, but you have no sense about women. What an argumentative fellow you are, Monsieur Pierre!”

“And I am still arguing with your husband. I can’t understand why he wants to go to the war,” replied Pierre, addressing the princess with none of the embarrassment so commonly shown by young men in their intercourse with young women.

The princess started. Evidently Pierre’s words touched her to the quick.

“Ah, that is just what I tell him!” said she. “I don’t understand it; I don’t in the least understand why men can’t live without wars. How is it that we women don’t want anything of the kind, don’t need it? Now you shall judge between us. I always tell him: Here he is Uncle’s aide-de-camp, a most brilliant position. He is so well known, so much appreciated by everyone. The other day at the Apráksins’ I heard a lady asking, ‘Is that the famous Prince André?’ I did indeed.” She laughed. “He is so well received everywhere.