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Book 11 Chapter 11

IN THE MIDDLE of this new story Pierre was summoned to the governor.

He went into Count Rastoptchin's study. Rastoptchin, frowning, passed his hand across his forehead and eyes as Pierre entered. A short man was saying something, but as soon as Pierre walked in he stopped, and went out.

“Ah! greetings to you, valiant warrior,” said Rastoptchin as soon as the other man had left the room. “We have been hearing about your prouesses! But that's not the point. Mon cher, entre nous, are you a mason?” said Count Rastoptchin in a severe tone, that suggested that it was a crime to be so, but that he intended to pardon it. Pierre did not speak. “Mon cher, je suis bien informé; but I know that there are masons and masons, and I hope you don't belong to those among them who, by way of regenerating the human race, are trying to ruin Russia.”

“Yes, I am a mason,” answered Pierre.

“Well then, look here, my dear boy. You are not unaware, I dare say, of the fact that Speransky and Magnitsky have been sent—to their proper place—and the same has been done with Klutcharyov and the others who, under the guise of building up the temple of Solomon, have been trying to destroy the temple of their fatherland. You may take it for granted there are good reasons for it, and that I could not have banished the director of the post-office here if he had not been a dangerous person. Now, it has reached my ears that you sent him your carriage to get out of the town, and that you have even taken charge of his papers. I like you, and wish you no harm, and as you are half my age, I advise you, as a father might, to break off all connection with people of that sort, and to get away from here yourself as quickly as you can.”

“But what was Klutcharyov's crime?” asked Pierre

“That's my business; and it's not yours to question me,” cried Rastoptchin.

“If he is accused of having circulated Napoleon's proclamation, the charge has not been proved,” said Pierre, not looking at Rastoptchin. “And Vereshtchagin…”

“Nous y voilà,” Rastoptchin suddenly broke in, scowling and shouting louder than ever. “Vereshtchagin is a traitor and a deceiver, who will receive the punishment he deserves,” he said, with the vindictiveness with which people speak at the recollection of an affront. “But I did not send for you to criticise my actions, but in order to give you advice or a command, if you will have it so. I beg you to break off all connection with Klutcharyov and his set, and to leave the town. And I'll knock the nonsense out of them, wherever I may find it.” And, probably becoming conscious that he was taking a heated tone with Bezuhov, who was as yet guilty of no offence, he added, taking Pierre's hand cordially: “We are on the eve of a public disaster, and I haven't time to say civil things to every one who has business with me. My head is at times in a perfect whirl. Well, what are you going to do, you personally?”

“Oh, nothing,” answered Pierre, with his eyes still downcast, and no change in the expression of his dreamy face

The count frowned.

“Un conseil d'ami, mon cher. Decamp, and as soon as may be, that's my advice. A bon entendeur, salut! Good-bye, my dear boy. Oh, by the way,” he called after him at the door, “is it true the countess has fallen into the clutches of the holy fathers of the Society of Jesus?”

Pierre made no answer. He walked out from Rastoptchin's room, scowling and wrathful as he had never been seen before.

By the time he reached home it was getting dark. Eight persons of different kinds were waiting on him that evening. A secretary of a committee, the colonel of his battalion of militia, his steward, his bailiff, and other persons with petitions. All of them had business matters with Pierre, which he had to settle. He had no understanding of their questions, nor interest in them, and answered them with the sole object of getting rid of these people. At last he was left alone, and he broke open and read his wife's letter.

“They—the soldiers on the battery, Prince Andrey killed … the old man.… Simplicity is submission to God's will. One has to suffer…the significance of the whole…one must harness all together…my wife is going to be married.… One must forget and understand …” And, without undressing, he threw himself on his bed and at once fell asleep.

When he waked up next morning his steward came in to announce that a police official was below, sent expressly by Count Rastoptchin to find out whether Count Bezuhov had gone, or was going away.

A dozen different people were waiting in the drawing-room to see Pierre on business. Pierre dressed in haste, and instead of going down to see them, he ran down the back staircase and out by the back entry to the gates.

From that moment till the occupation of Moscow was over, no one of Bezuhov's household saw him again, nor could discover his whereabouts, in spite of every effort to track him down.


在这场新鲜的谈话中间,皮埃尔被请去见总督。

皮埃尔走进拉斯托普钦伯爵办公室。他进去时,伯爵正皱着眉头用手揉额头和眼睛。一个个儿不高的人正在谈话,当皮埃尔刚刚进去,便打住并退了出来。

“啊!您好,伟大的军人,”拉斯托普钦在那人一出房门便说。“我们听说您的Prouesses①了!但问题不在那儿。Mon cher,entre nous②,您是共济会员吗?”拉斯托普钦伯爵以严厉的口吻说,仿佛出了什么不好的事情,但是他又打算宽恕。皮埃尔沉默。“Moncher,je suis bien informé③,但我知道,有各种各样的共济会员,希望您不属于那种以拯救人类作幌子而实际想毁灭俄国的共济会员。”

①丰功伟绩。

②这里没有外人,亲爱的。

③亲爱的,我可是什么都知道啊。


“是的,我是共济会员。”皮埃尔回答。

“那,您瞧,我亲爱的。我想,您不会不知道,斯佩兰斯基和马格尼茨基先生已被放逐到该去的地方;对克柳恰廖夫先生也是这么办的,对其余以修建所罗门寺院为幌子而竭力破坏自己祖国寺院的人也一样。您能够明白,这样做是有道理的,而且,假如本城邮政局长不是敌对份子,我是不能送他去流放的。现在,我已弄清楚了,您把自己的马车派给他出城用,您甚至从他那儿收存了一些文件。我是爱您的,不希望您坏,并且,既然您年轻我一倍,那我就要像父亲一样劝您停止同这种人的来往,您本人也尽快离开此地。

“可是,伯爵,克柳恰廖夫究竟犯了什么罪?”皮埃尔问。

“该知道的是我,不该问的是您。”拉斯托普钦喊叫起来。

“如果有人指控他散发拿破仑的布告的话,那可是还未证实的啊。”皮埃尔说(并不看着拉斯托普钦),“韦列夏金也……”

“Nous y voilà,”①拉斯托普钦突然沉下脸来,打断皮埃尔,比刚才更大声地喊叫,“韦列夏金是变节者和叛徒,他会得到应得的极刑,”拉斯托普钦恶狠狠地说,就像人们在回忆屈辱时那样愤愤不平。“但我请您来不是为了讨论我的事,而是给您劝告,或者说是命令,如果您想这样认为。我请您停止同克柳恰廖夫这样的人的联系,并且离开这里。我要惩处不轨行为。不管它发生在什么人身上。”大概他醒悟到好像是在斥责没有任何过失的别祖霍夫,于是他友好地拉住皮埃尔的手,又说:“Nous sommes á la veille d'un de'sastre public,et je n'ai pas le temps de dire des gentillesses á tous ceux qui ont affaire a moi.我有时晕头转向!Eh bien,mon cher,pu'est-ce que vous faites,vous personnelle ment?”②“Mais rein.③”皮埃尔回答,依然没有抬起头来,也没改变沉思的面部表情。

伯爵皱紧了眉头。

“Un conseil d'ami,mon cher,Décampez et au plutǒt,c'est tout ce que je vous dis.A bon entendeur salut④!再见,我亲爱的。噢,对了,”他从门里向他大声说,“伯爵夫人真的陷入des saints peres de  la Société de Je'sus.”⑤

①一点不错。

②我们处于大灾难的前夕,我没功夫同所有与我接触的人讲客气。好啦,亲爱的,您有何打算,您个人?

③没什么打算。

④友谊的忠告。赶快离开,这就是我要对您说的话。善听者得福。

⑤耶稣会神父们的股掌。


皮埃尔什么也没回答,便从拉斯托普钦那里走了出去,露出一副愁眉不展,一副从未如此生过气的样子。

当他坐车回到府上,已是黄昏时分。当晚,有七八个不同身份的人去看他。有委员会的书记,他那一营的上校,管事、管家和几个来要钱或求情的。他们都有非他本人不能解决的事面见他。皮埃尔一点也不明白,也对那些事毫无兴趣,对所有的问题一概应付了事,以便摆脱这些人。最后,剩下了他一个人,他开始拆阅妻子的信。

“他们就是炮垒上的士兵,安德烈公爵阵亡了……老头……纯朴就是对上帝的忠顺。应该受苦……一切的意义……应该结合……妻子出嫁……应该忘记和懂得……”他走近床铺,衣服也不脱就倒在床上,一翻身便睡着了。

当他第二天早晨醒来,管家来禀报,拉斯托普钦伯爵专门派了一位警官来了解别祖霍夫伯爵走了没有。

又有十来位各种人有事面见皮埃尔,在客厅里等候。皮埃尔急忙穿好衣服,但不是去见等候他的人,反而去了后面的门廊,从那里走出家门。

从此直到莫斯科浩劫结束,别祖霍夫家人虽然四处寻找,再也没看见皮埃尔,也不知其下落。



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