ANNA PAVLOVNA'S soirée was in full swing. The spindles kept up their regular hum on all sides without pause. Except the aunt, beside whom was sitting no one but an elderly lady with a thin, careworn face, who seemed rather out of her element in this brilliant society, the company was broken up into three groups. In one of these, the more masculine, the centre was the abbé; in the other, the group of young people, the chief attractions were the beautiful Princess Ellen, Prince Vassily's daughter, and the little Princess Bolkonsky, with her rosy prettiness, too plump for her years. In the third group were Mortemart and Anna Pavlovna.
The vicomte was a pretty young gentleman with soft features and manners, who obviously regarded himself as a celebrity, but with good breeding modestly allowed the company the benefit of his society. Anna Pavlovna unmistakably regarded him as the chief entertainment she was giving her guests. As a clever ma?tre d'h?tel serves as something superlatively good the piece of beef which no one would have cared to eat seeing it in the dirty kitchen, Anna Pavlovna that evening served up to her guests — first, the vicomte and then the abbé, as something superlatively subtle. In Mortemart's group the talk turned at once on the execution of the duc d'Enghien. The vicomte said that the duc d'Enghien had been lost by his own magnanimity and that there were special reasons for Bonaparte's bitterness against him.
“Ah, come! Tell us about that, vicomte,” said Anna Pavlovna gleefully, feeling that the phrase had a peculiarly Louis Quinze note about it: “Contez-nous cela, vicomte.”
The vicomte bowed and smiled courteously in token of his readiness to obey. Anna Pavlovna made a circle round the vicomte and invited every one to hear his story.
“The vicomte was personally acquainted with his highness,” Anna Pavlovna whispered to one. “The vicomte tells a story perfectly,” she said to another. “How one sees the man of quality,” she said to a third, and the vicomte was presented to the company in the most elegant and advantageous light, like the roast-beef on the hot dish garnished with green parsley.
The vicomte was about to begin his narrative, and he smiled subtly.
“Come over here, chère Hélène,” said Anna Pavlovna to the young beauty who was sitting a little way off, the centre of another group.
Princess Ellen smiled. She got up with the same unchanging smile of the acknowledged beauty with which she had entered the drawing-room. Her white ball-dress adorned with ivy and moss rustled lightly; her white shoulders, glossy hair, and diamonds glittered, as she passed between the men who moved apart to make way for her. Not looking directly at any one, but smiling at every one, as it were courteously allowing to all the right to admire the beauty of her figure, her full shoulders, her bosom and back, which were extremely exposed in the mode of the day, she moved up to Anna Pavlovna, seeming to bring with her the brilliance of the ballroom. Ellen was so lovely that she was not merely free from the slightest shade of coquetry, she seemed on the contrary ashamed of the too evident, too violent and all-conquering influence of her beauty. She seemed to wish but to be unable to soften the effect of her beauty.
“What a beautiful woman!” every one said on seeing her. As though struck by something extraordinary, the vicomte shrugged his shoulders and dropped his eyes, when she seated herself near him and dazzled him too with the same unchanging smile.
“Madame, I doubt my abilities before such an audience,” he said, bowing with a smile.
The princess leaned her plump, bare arm on the table and did not find it necessary to say anything. She waited, smiling. During the vicomte's story she sat upright, looking from time to time at her beautiful, plump arm, which lay with its line changed by pressure on the table, then at her still lovelier bosom, on which she set straight her diamond necklace. Several times she settled the folds of her gown and when the narrative made a sensation upon the audience, she glanced at Anna Pavlovna and at once assumed the expression she saw on the maid-of-honour's face, then she relapsed again into her unvarying smile. After Ellen the little princess too moved away from the tea-table.
“Wait for me, I will take my work,” she said. “Come, what are you thinking of?” she said to Prince Ippolit. “Bring me my reticule.”
The little princess, smiling and talking to every one, at once effected a change of position, and settling down again, gaily smoothed out her skirts.
“Now I'm comfortable,” she said, and begging the vicomte to begin, she took up her work. Prince Ippolit brought her reticule, moved to her side, and bending close over her chair, sat beside her.
Le charmant Hippolyte struck every one as extraordinarily like this sister, and, still more, as being, in spite of the likeness, strikingly ugly. His features were like his sister's, but in her, everything was radiant with joyous life, with the complacent, never-failing smile of youth and life and an extraordinary antique beauty of figure. The brother's face on the contrary was clouded over by imbecility and invariably wore a look of aggressive fretfulness, while he was thin and feebly built. His eyes, his nose, his mouth — everything was, as it were, puckered up in one vacant, bored grimace, while his arms and legs always fell into the most grotesque attitudes.
“It is not a ghost story,” he said, sitting down by the princess and hurriedly fixing his eyeglass in his eye, as though without that instrument he could not begin to speak.
“Why, no, my dear fellow,” said the astonished vicomte, with a shrug.
“Because I detest ghost stories,” said Prince Ippolit in a tone which showed that he uttered the words before he was aware of their meaning.
From the self-confidence with which he spoke no one could tell whether what he said was very clever or very stupid. He was dressed in a dark-green frock coat, breeches of the colour of the cuisse de nymphe effrayée, as he called it, stockings and slippers. The vicomte very charmingly related the anecdote then current, that the duc d'Enghien had secretly visited Paris for the sake of an interview with the actress, Mlle. Georges, and that there he met Bonaparte, who also enjoyed the favours of the celebrated actress, and that, meeting the duc, Napoleon had fallen into one of the fits to which he was subject and had been completely in the duc's power, how the duc had not taken advantage of it, and Bonaparte had in the sequel avenged his magnanimity by the duc's death.
The story was very charming and interesting, especially at the point when the rivals suddenly recognise each other, and the ladies seemed to be greatly excited by it. “Charmant!” said Anna Pavlovna, looking inquiringly at the little princess. “Charming!” whispered the little princess, sticking her needle into her work as an indication that the interest and charm of the story prevented her working. The vicomte appreciated this silent homage, and smiling gratefully, resumed his narrative. But meanwhile Anna Pavlovna, still keeping a watch on the dreadful young man, noticed that he was talking too loudly and too warmly with the abbé and hurried to the spot of danger. Pierre had in fact succeeded in getting into a political conversation with the abbé on the balance of power, and the abbé, evidently interested by the simple-hearted fervour of the young man, was unfolding to him his cherished idea. Both were listening and talking too eagerly and naturally, and Anna Pavlovna did not like it.
“The means? — the balance of power in Europe and the rights of the people,” said the abbé. “One powerful state like Russia — with the prestige of barbarism — need only take a disinterested stand at the head of the alliance that aims at securing the balance of power in Europe, and it would save the world!” “How are you going to get such a balance of power?” Pierre was beginning; but at that moment Anna Pavlovna came up, and glancing severely at Pierre, asked the Italian how he was supporting the climate. The Italian's face changed instantly and assumed the look of offensive, affected sweetness, which was evidently its habitual expression in conversation with women. “I am so enchanted by the wit and culture of the society — especially of the ladies — in which I have had the happiness to be received, that I have not yet had time to think of the climate,” he said. Not letting the abbé and Pierre slip out of her grasp, Anna Pavlovna, for greater convenience in watching them, made them join the bigger group.
At that moment another guest walked into the drawing-room. This was the young Prince Andrey Bolkonsky, the husband of the little princess. Prince Bolkonsky was a very handsome young man, of medium height, with clear, clean-cut features. Everything in his appearance, from his weary, bored expression to his slow, measured step, formed the most striking contrast to his lively little wife. Obviously all the people in the drawing-room were familiar figures to him, and more than that, he was unmistakably so sick of them that even to look at them and to listen to them was a weariness to him. Of all the wearisome faces the face of his pretty wife seemed to bore him most. With a grimace that distorted his handsome face he turned away from her. He kissed Anna Pavlovna's hand, and with half-closed eyelids scanned the whole company.
“You are enlisting for the war, prince?” said Anna Pavlovna.
“General Kutuzov has been kind enough to have me as an aide-de-camp,” said Bolkonsky.
“And Lise, your wife? —”
“She is going into the country.”
“Isn't it too bad of you to rob us of your charming wife?”
“André,” said his wife, addressing her husband in exactly the same coquettish tone in which she spoke to outsiders, “the vicomte has just told us such a story about Mlle. Georges and Bonaparte!”
Prince Andrey scowled and turned away. Pierre, who had kept his eyes joyfully and affectionately fixed on him ever since he came in, went up to him and took hold of his arm. Prince Andrey, without looking round, twisted his face into a grimace of annoyance at any one's touching him, but seeing Pierre's smiling face, he gave him a smile that was unexpectedly sweet and pleasant.
“Why, you! … And in such society too,” he said to Pierre.
“I knew you would be here,” answered Pierre. “I'm coming to supper with you,” he added in an undertone, not to interrupt the vicomte who was still talking. “Can I?”
“Oh no, impossible,” said Prince Andrey, laughing, with a squeeze of his hand giving Pierre to understand that there was no need to ask. He would have said something more, but at that instant Prince Vassily and his daughter got up and the two young men rose to make way for them.
“Pardon me, my dear vicomte,” said Prince Vassily in French, gently pulling him down by his sleeve to prevent him from getting up from his seat. “This luckless fête at the ambassador's deprives me of a pleasure and interrupts you. I am very sorry to leave your enchanting party,” he said to Anna Pavlovna.
His daughter, Princess Ellen, lightly holding the folds of her gown, passed between the chairs, and the smile glowed more brightly than ever on her handsome face. Pierre looked with rapturous, almost frightened eyes at this beautiful creature as she passed them.
“Very lovely!” said Prince Andrey.
“Very,” said Pierre.
As he came up to them, Prince Vassily took Pierre by the arm, and addressing Anna Pavlovna:
“Get this bear into shape for me,” he said. “Here he has been staying with me for a month, and this is the first time I have seen him in society. Nothing's so necessary for a young man as the society of clever women.”
安娜·帕夫洛夫娜的晚会像纺车一般动起来了。纺锤从四面匀速地转动，不断地发出轧轧的响声。只有一位痛哭流涕的、面容消瘦的、渐近老境的太太坐在姑母身旁，在这个出色的社交团体中，她显得有点格格不入，除姑母而外，这个社交团体分成了三个小组。在男人占有多数的一个小组中，神父是中心人物。在另外一个小组——年轻人的小组中，美丽的公爵小姐海伦——瓦西里公爵的女儿和那矮小的名叫博尔孔斯卡娅的公爵夫人是中心人物，公爵夫人姿色迷人，面颊绯红，但年纪尚轻，身段显得太肥胖了。在第三个小组中，莫特马尔和安娜·帕夫洛夫娜是中心人物。
子爵心地和善、待人谦让，是个相貌漂亮的年轻人。显然，他认为自己是个名人，但因受过良好教育，是以恭顺地让他所在的社团利用他，摆布他。很明显，安娜·帕夫洛夫娜借助他来款待来客。假如你在污秽的厨房里看见一块牛肉，根本不想吃它，可是一个好管家却会把它端上餐桌，作为一道异常可口的美味；今天晚上安娜·帕夫洛夫娜的做法也是这样，她先向客人献上子爵，然后献上神父，把他们作为异常精致的菜肴。莫特马尔那个小组立刻谈论到杀害昂吉安公爵的情形。子爵说，昂吉安公爵的死因，是舍己为人，而波拿巴的怨恨是有特殊原因的。
“Ah！voyonsContez－nouscela，vicomte，”①安娜·帕夫洛夫娜说道，高兴地感到“Contez－nouscela，vicomte”这句话àlaLouisⅩⅤ②的腔调。
①法语：啊，是真的呀！子爵，请把这件事讲给我们听吧。
②法语：像路易十五。
子爵鞠躬以示顺从，彬彬有礼地微露笑容。安娜·帕夫洛夫娜在子爵身边让客人围成一圈，请大家听他讲故事。
“LevicomteaétépersonnellementconnudemonB
seigneur，①”安娜·帕夫洛夫娜轻言细语地对一位来客说道。
“Levicomteestunparfaitconteur，”②她对另一位来客说道。
“CommeonvoitL'hommedelabonnecompagnie，”③她对第三位来客说道。可见子爵像一盘撒上青菜的热气腾腾的干炒牛里脊，从至为优雅和对他至为有利的方面来看，他好像被端上餐桌献给这个团体的人们。
子爵想开始讲故事，脸上流露出机灵的微笑。
“请您到这边来吧，chèreHélène．”④安娜·帕夫洛夫娜对长相俊美的公爵小姐说道。公爵小姐坐在稍远的地方，她是另一个小组的中心人物。
①法语：子爵本人和那位公爵相识。
②法语：子爵是个令人惊讶的善于讲故事的大师。
③法语：一下子就看得出是位上流社会人士。
④法语：亲爱的海伦。
名叫海伦的公爵小姐面带笑容，站了起来，她总是流露着她走进客厅以后就流露的美女般的微笑。她从闪到两边去让路的男人中间走过时，她那点缀着藤蔓和藓苔图案的参加舞会穿的洁白的衣裳发出刷刷的响声，雪白的肩膀、发亮的头发和钻石都熠熠生辉，她一直往前走去，向安娜·帕夫洛夫娜身边走去，两眼不看任何人，但对人人微露笑容，宛如她把欣赏她的身段、丰满的肩头、装束时髦的、完全袒露的胸脯和脊背之美的权利恭恭敬敬地赐予每个人，宛如她给舞蹈晚会增添了光彩。海伦太美了，从她身上看不到半点娇媚的表情，恰恰相反，好像她为自己坚信不疑的、诱惑力足以倾到一切的姿色而深感羞愧，好像她希望减少自己的美貌的诱惑力，可是无能为力。
“Quellebellepersonne！”①凡是见过她的人都这样说。当她在子爵面前坐下，照常地微微发笑，使他容光焕发的时候，仿佛有一种非凡的力量使他大为惊讶，他于是耸了耸肩，垂下了眼帘。
“Madame，jecrainspourmesmoyensdevantunpareil
auditoire．”②他说道，低下头来，嘴角上露出微笑。
公爵小姐把她那裸露的肥胖的手臂的肘部靠在茶几上，她认为无须说话，面露笑容地等待着。在讲故事的当儿，她腰板挺直地坐着，时而瞧瞧轻松地搁在茶几上的肥胖而美丽的手臂，时而瞧瞧更加美丽的胸脯，弄平挂在胸前的钻石项链，她一连几次弄平连衣裙的皱褶，当故事讲到令人产生深刻印象的时候，她回过头来看看安娜·帕夫洛夫娜，立时现出和宫廷女官同样的面部表情，随后便安静下来，脸上浮现出愉快的微笑。矮小的公爵夫人也紧随海伦身后从茶几旁边走过来了。
“Attendez－moi，jevaisprendremonouvrage，”③她说，“Voyons，àquoipensez－vous？”她把脸转向伊波利特公爵说。“Apportez－moimonridicule．”④
①法语：多么迷人的美女啊！
②法语：我的确担心在这样的听众面前会拿不出讲话的本领来。
③法语：请等一下吧，我来拿我的活儿。
④法语：您怎样啦？您想什么啦？请您把我的女用手提包拿来。
公爵夫人微露笑容，和大家交谈的时候，她忽然调动坐位，坐下来，愉快地把衣服弄平，弄整齐。
“现在我觉得挺好，”她说，请人家开始讲故事，一面又做起活儿来了。
伊波利特公爵把女用小提包交给她，跟在她身后走过来，又把安乐椅移到靠近她的地方，便在她身旁坐下来。
这位LecharmantHippolyte①长得俨像他的美丽的妹
妹，真令人诧异，二人虽然相像，但他却十分丑陋，这就更令人诧异了。他的面部和他妹妹的一模一样，但他妹妹那乐观愉快的、洋洋自得、充满青春活力、朝夕不变的微笑和身段超人的古典美，使她容光焕发，倾城倾国；反之，哥哥的长相却显得愚昧昏庸，总是表现出十分自信和不满的神态，他身子既瘦且弱，疲软无力。眼睛、鼻子和口挤在一起，很不匀称，仿佛已变成缺乏表情的、闷闷不乐的鬼脸，而手足笨拙，总是做出生硬的姿势。
“Cen'estpasunehistoirederevenants？”②他说道。他坐在公爵夫人近侧，赶快把那单目眼镜戴在眼上，好像缺少这副工具他就无法开腔似的。
“Maisnon，moncher．”③讲故事的人大吃一惊，耸耸肩，说。
“C'estquejedétesteleshistoiresderevenants．”④伊波利特公爵用这种语调说，从中可以明显地看出，他先说这句话，然后才明了这句话有什么涵义。
①法语：可爱的伊波利特。
②法语：这是不是关于鬼魂的故事？
③法语：亲爱的，根本不是。
④法语：问题就在于，我很讨厌鬼魂的故事。
他说话时过分自信，谁也领悟不出，他说的话究竟是明智呢，抑或是愚昧之谈。他上身穿一件深绿色的燕尾服，正如他自己说的，下身穿一条cuissedenympheeffrayée①颜色的长裤，脚上穿一双长统袜和短靴皮鞋。
Vicomte②十分动听地讲起了当时广为流传的一则趣闻。昂吉安悄然抵达巴黎，去与m－lleGeorge③相会，在那里遇见亦曾博得这位女演员好感的波拿巴，拿破仑在和公爵见面之后，出人意料地昏倒了，他于是陷入公爵的势力范围，公爵并没有藉此机会控制他，但到后来拿破仑却把公爵杀害，以此回报公爵的宽厚。
这故事十分动听，饶有趣味，尤其是讲到这两个情敌忽然认出对方的时候，太太们心中似乎都觉得激动不安。
“Charmant，”④安娜·帕夫洛夫娜说道，她一面回过头来用疑问的目光望望矮小的公爵夫人。
①法语：受惊的自然女神的内体。
②法语：子爵。
③法语：名叫乔治的女演员。
④法语：好得很。
“Charmant，”矮小的公爵夫人轻言细语地说，把一根针插在针线活上，好像用以表示，这故事十分有趣，十分动听，简直妨碍她继续做针线活儿。
子爵对这沉默的称赞给予适度的评价，他脸上露出感激的微笑，后又继续讲下去，但是，安娜·帕夫洛夫娜不时地看看使她觉得可怕的那个年轻人，这时她发觉他不知怎的在和神父一同热烈地、高声地谈话，她于是赶快跑去支援那个告急的地方。确实是这样，皮埃尔竟然和那神父谈论政治均衡的事题，看来那神父对这个年轻人的纯朴的热情发生兴趣，他于是在他面前尽量发挥地那自以为是的观点。二人兴致勃勃地、真诚坦率地交谈，聆听对方的意见，这就使得安娜·帕夫洛夫娜有点扫兴了。
“臻致欧洲均势与droitdesgens①，是一种手段，”神甫说道，“只要俄国这个以野蛮残暴著称于世的强国能够大公无私地站出来领导以臻致欧洲均势为目标的同盟，那就可以拯救世界了！”
①法语：民权。
“您究竟怎样去求得这种均衡呢？”皮埃尔本来要开腔，安娜·帕夫洛夫娜这时向他跟前走来，严肃地盯了皮埃尔一眼，问那个意大利人怎样才能熬得住本地的气候，意大利人的脸色忽然变了，现出一副看起来像是和女人交谈时他所惯用的假装得令人觉得委屈的谄媚的表情。
“我有幸加入你们的社会，你们的社会，尤其是妇女社会的那种优越的智慧和教育，真叫我神魂颠倒，因此我哪能事先想到气候呢。”他说。
安娜·帕夫洛夫娜不放走神父和皮埃尔，为着便于观察起见，便叫他们二人一同加入普通小组。
这时候，又有一个来宾走进了客厅。这位新客就是年轻的安德烈·博尔孔斯基公爵——矮小的公爵夫人的丈夫。博尔孔斯基公爵个子不大，是一个非常漂亮的青年，眉清目秀，面部略嫌消瘦。他整个外貌，从困倦而苦闷的目光到徐缓而匀整的脚步，和他那矮小而活泼的妻子恰恰相反，构成强烈的对照。显然，他不仅认识客厅里所有的人，而且他们都使他觉得厌烦，甚至连看看他们，听听他们谈话，他也感到索然无味。在所有这些使他厌恶的面孔中，他的俊俏的妻子的面孔似乎最使他生厌。他装出一副有损于他的美貌的丑相，把脸转过去不看她。他吻了一下安娜·帕夫洛夫娜的手，随后眯缝起眼睛，向众人环顾一遭。
“VousvousenroAlezpourlaguerre，monprince？①”安娜·帕夫洛夫娜说道。
“LegénéralKoutouzoff，”博尔孔斯基说道，像法国人一样，说库图佐夫一词时总把重音搁在最后一个音节上，“abiBenvouludemoipouraide－de－camp……”②
“EtLise，votrefemme？”③
“她到农村去。”
“您从我们身边夺去您的漂亮的太太应该吗？”
“Andve，”④他的妻子说道，她对丈夫说话和对旁人说话都用同样娇媚的腔调，“子爵给我们讲了一则关于名叫乔治的小姐和波拿巴的故事，多么动听啊！”
①法语：公爵，您准备去打仗吗？
②法语：库图佐夫将军要我做他的副官。
③法语：您的夫人丽莎呢？
④法语：安德烈。
安德烈公爵眯缝起眼睛，把脸转过去。安德烈公爵走进客厅之后，皮埃尔便很欣悦地、友善地望着他，一刻也没有转移目光，皮埃尔向前走去一把拉住他的手。安德烈公爵没有掉过头来看看，他蹙起额角，做出一副丑相，心里在埋怨碰到他的手臂的人，但当他望见皮埃尔含笑的面庞，他就出乎意外地流露出善意的、愉快的微笑。
“啊，原来如此！……你也跻身于稠人广众的交际场中了！”他对皮埃尔说道。
“我知道您会光临。”皮埃尔答道，“我上您那儿吃夜饭，”
他轻声地补充一句话，省得妨碍子爵讲故事，“行吗？”
“不，不行。”安德烈公爵含笑地说道，一面握住皮埃尔的手，向他示意，要他不必多问。他还想说些什么话，但在这当儿瓦西里公爵随同他的女儿都站起来，退席了，男士们也都站起来让路。
“我亲爱的子爵，您原谅我吧，”瓦西里公爵对法国人说，态度温和地拉住他的衣袖往椅子上按一下，不让他站起身来。
“公使举办的这个不吉利的庆祝会要夺去我的欢乐，并且把您的话儿打断了。离开您这个令人陶醉的晚会，真使我觉得难受。”他对安娜·帕夫洛夫娜说道。
他的女儿——名叫海伦的公爵小姐，用手轻轻地提起连衣裙褶，从椅子之间走出来，她那漂亮的脸盘上露出更愉快的微笑，当她从皮埃尔身旁走过时，皮埃尔惊喜地盯着这个美女。
“很标致。”安德烈公爵说。
“很标致。”皮埃尔说。
瓦西里公爵走过时，一把抓住皮埃尔的手，把脸转过来对安娜·帕夫洛夫娜说道。
“请您教导教导这头狗熊吧，”他说道，“他在我家中住了一个月，我头一次在交际场所碰见他了。对一个青年来说，没有任何事物像聪明的女人们的社交团体那样迫切需要的了。”
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