登陆注册
14908100000108

第108章

PRINCE VASSILY used not to think over his plans. Still less did he think of doing harm to others for the sake of his own interest. He was simply a man of the world, who had been successful in the world, and had formed a habit of being so. Various plans and calculations were continually forming in his mind, arising from circumstances and the persons he met, but he never deliberately considered them, though they constituted the whole interest of his life. Of such plans and calculations he had not one or two, but dozens in train at once, some of them only beginning to occur to him, others attaining their aim, others again coming to nothing. He never said to himself, for instance: “That man is now in power, I must secure his friendship and confidence, and through him obtain a grant from the Single-Assistance Fund”; nor, “Now Pierre is a wealthy man, I must entice him to marry my daughter and borrow the forty thousand I need.” But the man in power met him, and at the instant his instinct told him that that man might be of use, and Prince Vassily made friends with him, and at the first opportunity by instinct, without previous consideration, flattered him, became intimate with him, and told him of what he wanted.

Pierre was ready at hand in Moscow, and Prince Vassily secured an appointment as gentleman of the bedchamber for him, a position at that time reckoned equal in status to that of a councillor of state, and insisted on the young man’s travelling with him to Petersburg, and staying at his house. Without apparent design, but yet with unhesitating conviction that it was the right thing, Prince Vassily did everything to ensure Pierre’s marrying his daughter. If Prince Vassily had definitely reflected upon his plans beforehand, he could not have been so natural in his behaviour and so straightforward and familiar in his relations with every one, of higher and of lower rank than himself. Something drew him infallibly towards men richer or more powerful than himself, and he was endowed with a rare instinct for hitting on precisely the moment when he should and could make use of such persons.

Pierre, on unexpectedly becoming rich and Count Bezuhov, after his lonely and careless manner of life, felt so surrounded, so occupied, that he never succeeded in being by himself except in his bed. He had to sign papers, to present himself at legal institutions, of the significance of which he had no definite idea, to make some inquiry of his chief steward, to visit his estate near Moscow, and to receive a great number of persons, who previously had not cared to be aware of his existence, but now would have been hurt and offended if he had not chosen to see them. All these various people, business men, relations, acquaintances, were all equally friendly and well disposed towards the young heir. They were all obviously and unhesitatingly convinced of Pierre’s noble qualities. He was continually hearing phrases, such as, “With your exceptionally kindly disposition”; or, “Considering your excellent heart”; or, “You are so pure-minded yourself, count …” or, “If he were as clever as you,” and so on, so that he was beginning genuinely to believe in his own exceptional goodness and his own exceptional intelligence, the more so, as at the bottom of his heart it had always seemed to him that he really was very good-natured and very intelligent. Even people, who had before been spiteful and openly hostile to him, became tender and affectionate. The hitherto ill-tempered, eldest princess, with the long waist and the hair plastered down like a doll, had gone into Pierre’s room after the funeral. Dropping her eyes and repeatedly turning crimson, she said that she very much regretted the misunderstanding that had arisen between them, and that now she felt she had no right to ask him for anything except permission, after the blow that had befallen her, to remain for a few weeks longer in the house which she was so fond of, and in which she had made such sacrifices. She could not control herself, and wept at these words. Touched at seeing the statue-like princess so changed, Pierre took her by the hand and begged her pardon, though he could not have said what for. From that day the princess began knitting a striped scarf for Pierre, and was completely changed towards him.

“Do this for my sake, my dear boy; she had to put up with a great deal from the deceased, any way,” Prince Vassily said to him, giving him some deed to sign for the princess’s benefit. Prince Vassily reflected that this note of hand for thirty thousand was a sop worth throwing to the poor princess, that it might not occur to her to gossip about Prince Vassily’s part in the action taken with the inlaid portfolio. Pierre signed the note, and from that time the princess became even more amiable. The younger sisters became as affectionate too, especially the youngest one, the pretty one with the mole, who often disconcerted Pierre with her smiles and her confusion at the sight of him.

To Pierre it seemed so natural that every one should be fond of him, it would have seemed to him so unnatural if any one had not liked him, that he could not help believing in the sincerity of the people surrounding him. Besides, he had no time to doubt their sincerity or insincerity. He never had a moment of leisure, and felt in a continual state of mild and agreeable intoxication. He felt as though he were the centre of some important public function, felt that something was continually being expected of him; that if he did this and that, all would be well, and he did what was expected of him, but still that happy result loomed in the future.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 剑动映天

    剑动映天

    这是一个弱肉强食的世界。在这片大陆里,金钱,美女,似乎都需要实力来支持。而一个十二岁的孩子是如何闯荡天下的呢?
  • 吾本平凡

    吾本平凡

    创世神元年,人类从最基本的魔法师和武士逐渐走向职业多元化,盗贼,杀手,佣兵,还有从光明系分离出来的吟咏诗人,祝福系的牧师,而光元素系和黑暗系的特殊性某些教派组织通过密法的传承,经过数代的经验仍然保留了下来。
  • 重生之狐媚苍生

    重生之狐媚苍生

    狐族向来拥有天赐的容貌,可是纤媚却并没有得上天眷顾,修为低浅,救不了娘亲的命,连累了挚友,还让自己被逼入了绝境。在魅山的禁地里,一直封印着一个女子,她与纤媚定下一个约定,女子将自己的容貌借给纤媚,要纤媚的修为做代价。纤媚绝艳归来,本只想报完仇离开,却被天族盯上,禁地里封印的女子究竟是什么人?纤媚的身边也不知何时环绕了许多人,可当她被人利用,被人夺命时,却只有一个人,不嫌弃的将她揽在怀里。天火淬炼,浴火重生,沉睡了万年的她,终于苏醒,她一袭艳红衣裙,缓缓走向那颤颤巍巍的女人,嘴角微扬,”本尊的容貌,你也配用么?“
  • 古寂

    古寂

    万年前封魔大战,古灭踏破阴阳两道,燃烧全身修为,封印魔武大神。转世轮回...悟天魂,纳取阴阳乾坤;过天劫,迈入涅武槃魂;转轮回,踏破阴阳两道。
  • 瞒天祸

    瞒天祸

    这是一场瞒天大祸,被灭族的李家仅剩两人,一男一女又是怎样踏入复仇的道路,然而复仇之后又发现一个更大的阴谋,主人公又能否肩负起拯救大陆的重任。。。
  • 观音玄义记卷

    观音玄义记卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 我与冥王有个约定

    我与冥王有个约定

    你看到我了么我是冥王啊修罗,我们定下一个约定你一定要找到我啊傻瓜,冥王也会死的
  • 墨铭欢

    墨铭欢

    半生便可看一生雪松情,长远谊,计铭欢人生只需一知己,她这半生,就有了三人,何其之幸
  • 我和女同学的荒岛生涯

    我和女同学的荒岛生涯

    遇到了海难,游轮出事,我跟一群女同学漂到了荒岛上!刚把衣服烤干,却发现校花昏迷在沙滩,周围还有女野人出没……
  • 奇兵幻俑

    奇兵幻俑

    公元221年,秦始皇灭亡六国,完成一统的霸业。为了代替人殉,秦始皇用俑制作成战车,战马,士兵的形状,统称为兵马俑。伴随着秦帝国的灭亡,兵马俑深埋地底,不复出世……为了防止燕国柳氏家族复辟,秦始皇将柳氏家族所有人制作成兵马俑,永远守护秦始皇陵墓。千年以后,一伙盗墓贼无意中发现了秦始皇的一个横跨千年秘密,又无意中复活了曾经的柳家公子。失忆的柳家公子后在大学教授韩天的帮助下,成了一名大学新生。所有人都以为生活开始平静下来,但是一个V组织的出现,又打破了这一切。千年的秘密已经浮现,柳家公子是时候诀醒。且看他如何颠覆千年的秦始皇,挽救身边的一切。