Book 5 Chapter 5

THE DAY after his initiation at the Lodge, Pierre was sitting at home reading a book, and trying to penetrate to the significance of the square, which symbolised by one of its sides, God, by another the moral, by the third the physical, by the fourth the nature of both mingled. Now and then he broke off from the book and the symbolic square, and in his imagination shaped his new plan of life. On the previous day he had been told at the lodge that the rumour of the duel had reached the Emperor's ears, and that it would be more judicious for him to withdraw from Petersburg. Pierre proposed going to his estates in the south, and there occupying himself with the care of his peasants. He was joyfully dreaming of this new life when Prince Vassily suddenly walked into his room.

“My dear fellow, what have you been about in Moscow? What have you been quarrelling over with Ellen, my dear boy? You have been making a mistake,” said Prince Vassily, as he came into the room. “I have heard all about it; I can tell you for a fact that Ellen is as innocent in her conduct towards you as Christ was to the Jews.”

Pierre would have answered, but he interrupted him.

“And why didn't you come simply and frankly to me as to a friend? I know all about it; I understand it all,” said he. “You have behaved as was proper for a man who valued his honour, too hastily, perhaps, but we won't go into that. One thing you must think of, the position you are placing her and me in, in the eyes of society and even of the court,” he added, dropping his voice. “She is in Moscow, while you are here. Think of it, my dear boy.” He drew him down by the arm. “It's simply a misunderstanding; I expect you feel it so yourself. Write a letter with me now at once, and she'll come here, and everything will be explained, or else, I tell you plainly, my dear boy, you may very easily have to suffer for it.”

Prince Vassily looked significantly at Pierre.

“I have learned from excellent sources that the Dowager Empress is taking a keen interest in the whole affair. You know she is very graciously disposed to Ellen.”

Several times Pierre had prepared himself to speak, but on one hand Prince Vassily would not let him, and on the other hand Pierre himself was loath to begin to speak in the tone of resolute refusal and denial, in which he was firmly resolved to answer his father-in-law. Moreover the words of the masonic precept: “Be thou friendly and courteous,” recurred to his mind. He blinked and blushed, got up and sank back again, trying to force himself to do what was for him the hardest thing in life—to say an unpleasant thing to a man's face, to say what was not expected by that man, whoever he might be. He was so much in the habit of submitting to that tone of careless authority in which Prince Vassily spoke, that even now he felt incapable of resisting it. But he felt, too, that on what he said now all his future fate would depend; that it would decide whether he continued along the old way of his past life, or advanced along the new path that had been so attractively pointed out to him by the masons, and that he firmly believed would lead him to regeneration in a new life.

“Come, my dear boy,” said Prince Vassily playfully, “simply say ‘yes,' and I'll write on my own account to her, and we'll kill the fatted calf.” But before Prince Vassily had finished uttering his playful words, Pierre not looking at him, but with a fury in his face that made him like his father, whispered, “Prince, I did not invite you here: go, please, go!” He leaped up and opened the door to him. “Go!” he repeated, amazed at himself and enjoying the expression of confusion and terror in the countenance of Prince Vassily.

“What's the matter with you? are you ill?”

“Go!” the quivering voice repeated once more. And Prince Vassily had to go, without receiving a word of explanation.

A week later Pierre went away to his estates, after taking leave of his new friends, the freemasons, and leaving large sums in their hands for alms. His new brethren gave him letters for Kiev and Odessa, to masons living there, and promised to write to him and guide him in his new activity.

皮埃尔加入共济会分会后第二天，坐在家中看书，力图弄清四方形的意义，四方形的一边描绘着上帝，另一边标志着精神，第三边标志着肉体，第四边标志着混合物。有时他放下书本和四方形，脑海中拟订新生活计划。昨日在共济会分会有人对他谈到，国王获悉有关决斗的事件，皮埃尔及时离开彼得堡，是更明智的。皮埃尔意欲前往南方领地，料理一下农民的事情。当瓦西里公爵突然走进房间的时候，他正在高兴地考虑这种新生活的蓝图。

“我的亲人，你在莫斯科干了什么名堂？你为什么跟海伦争吵，mon　cher？①你误入迷途，”瓦西里公爵走进房里时说，“我什么都晓得，我可以如实地告诉你，海伦并没有得罪你，就像基督没有得罪犹太人似的。”

①法语：我亲爱的。

皮埃尔想回答，可是公爵打断他的话。

“你为什么不直截了当地对我，像对个朋友那样，坦率地谈谈？我什么都知道，我什么都明白，”他说，“你要作为一个珍惜自己荣誉的人体面地行事，也许太性急了，不过我们不去评论这件事。请你记住一点，你在整个社会，甚至在朝廷心目中使她和我处于何种地位，”他降低嗓门，补充地说。

“她住在莫斯科，你在这儿。我亲爱的，请你记住。”他拉着他的手，按了一下，“这只不过是一个误会：我想，你自己是有所体会的。你我俩人马上就给她写封信，她准会到这里来的，什么都可以解释清楚，否则，亲爱的，我告诉你，你会很容易吃到苦头的。”

瓦西里公爵很威严地向皮埃尔瞥了一眼。

“我从可靠消息得知，孀居的皇太后非常关心这件事，你晓得，她是很宠爱海伦的。”

皮埃尔曾有几次准备说话，但是，一方面，瓦西里公爵不准他开口，另一方面，皮埃尔本人害怕用那种坚决拒绝和不同意的口吻果断地回答他的丈人。此外，他回想起共济会章程中的词句“人人要和蔼可亲”。他皱起眉头、满面通红，一会儿站起来，一会儿又坐下去，极力地琢磨他生活中的最难的问题——当着某人的面说出令人厌恶的话，无论他是什么人，说出这个人意料不到的话。他很习惯于听从瓦西里公爵漫不经心的充满自信的腔调，致使他现在感觉到他不能对它表示反对，但他还觉得，他今后的整个命运取决于他即将说出的话：他是否沿着从前的老路向前走，或者沿着共济会员们给他指明的一条颇具魅力的新路向前走，他在这条新路上坚决地相信，他必将获得新生。

“喂，我亲爱的，”瓦西里公爵诙谐地说，“请你说一声‘是'，我就给她写信，然后我们就宰一头肥肥的牛犊。”瓦西里公爵还没有把笑话讲完，皮埃尔就像他父亲那样露出狂怒的神色，他不看对话人的眼睛，却用耳语说：

“公爵，我没有把您喊来，请您走吧，您走吧！”他跳了起来，给他打开了房门。“您走开。”他重复地说，自己不相信自己会变成这个样子，同时瓦西里公爵脸上流露的困窘和惶恐的神情，又使他觉得高兴。

“你怎么啦？你生病了？”

“您走吧！”又一次听见颤栗的说话声。瓦西里公爵因为没有得到皮埃尔的任何解释性的答复，所以他只得走了。

过了一个礼拜，皮埃尔向新朋友们——共济会员们告别，给他们留下了一大笔施舍的钱，之后启程前往自己的领地。他的新师兄、新师弟交给他几封写给基辅和敖德萨当地的共济会员的书信，还答应给他写信，并且指导他从事新活动。