按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
th her。 There was just the same look of thoughtless happiness on the faces of father and daughter。
‘‘But do you know； you may be unfair。 You are too fond of this one；’’ his wife whispered in French。
‘‘Yes； but what can I do？ … I try not to show it …’’
At that moment there was heard from the hall and the vestibule the sound of the block of the door； and footsteps； as though some one had arrived。
‘‘Somebody has come。’’
‘‘I am sure it is Pierre。 I will go and find out；’’ said Countess Marya； and she went out of the room。
While she was gone Nikolay allowed himself to gallop round the room with his little girl。 Panting for breath； he quickly lowered the laughing child； and hugged her to his breast。 His capers made him think of dancing； and looking at the childish； round； happy little face； he wondered what she would be like when he would be an old man； taking her out to dances； and he remembered how his father used to dance Daniel Cooper and the mazurka with his daughter。
‘‘It is he； it is he； Nikolay！’’ said Countess Marya； returning a few minutes later。 ‘‘Now our Natasha is herself again。 You should have seen her delight； and what a scolding he came in for at once for having out…stayed his time。 Come； let us go； make haste； come along！ You must part at last；’’ she said； smiling； as she looked at the little girl nestling up to her father。 Nikolay went out； holding his daughter by the hand。
Countess Marya lingered behind。
‘‘Never； never could I have believed；’’ she murmured to herself； ‘‘that one could be so happy。’’ Her face lighted up with a smile； but at the same moment she sighed； and a soft melancholy came into her thoughtful glance。 It was as though； apart from the happiness she was feeling there was another happiness unattainable in this life； which she could not help remembering at that moment。
Chapter 10
NATASHA was married in the early spring of 1813； and by 1820 she had three daughters and a son。 The latter had been eagerly desired； and she was now nursing him herself。 She had grown stouter and broader； so that it was hard to recognise in the robust…looking young mother the slim； mobile Natasha of old days。 Her features had become more defined； and wore an expression of calm softness and serenity。 Her face had no longer that ever…glowing fire of eagerness that had once constituted her chief charm。 Now； often her face and body were all that was to be seen； and the soul was not visible at all。 All there was to be seen in her was a vigorous； handsome； and fruitful mother。 Only on rare occasions now the old fire glowed in her again。 That happened only when； as now； her husband returned after absence； when a sick child recovered； or when she spoke to Countess Marya of Prince Andrey （to her husband she never spoke of Prince Andrey； fancying he might be jealous of her love for him）； or on the rare occasions when something happened to attract her to her singing； which she had entirely laid aside since her marriage。 And at those rare moments； when the old fire glowed again； she was more attractive； with her handsome； fully…developed figure； than she had ever been in the past。
Since her marriage Natasha and her husband had lived in Moscow； in Petersburg； on their estate near Moscow； and at her mother’s； that is to say； at Nikolay’s。 The young Countess Bezuhov was little seen in society； and those who had seen her there were not greatly pleased with her。 She was neither charming nor amiable。 It was not that Natasha was fond of solitude （she could not have said whether she liked it or not； she rather supposed indeed that she did not）； but as she was bearing and nursing children； and taking interest in every minute of her husband’s life； she could not meet all these demands on her except by renouncing society。 Every one who had known Natasha before her marriage marvelled at the change that had taken place in her； as though it were something extraordinary。 Only the old countess； with her mother’s insight； had seen that what was at the root of all Natasha’s wild outbursts of feeling was simply the need of children and a husband of her own； as she often used to declare； more in earnest than in joke； at Otradnoe。 The mother was surprised at the wonder of people who did not understand Natasha； and repeated that she had always known that she would make an exemplary wife and mother。
‘‘Only she does carry her devotion to her husband and children to an extreme；’’ the countess would say； ‘‘so much so； that it’s positively foolish。’’
Natasha did not follow the golden rule preached by so many prudent persons； especially by the French； that recommends that a girl on marrying should not neglect herself； should not give up her accomplishments； should think even more of her appearance than when a young girl； and should try to fascinate her husband as she had fascinated him before he was her husband。 Natasha； on the contrary； had at once abandoned all her accomplishments； of which the greatest was her singing。 She gave that up just because it was such a great attraction。 Natasha troubled herself little about manners or delicacy of speech； nor did she think of showing herself to her husband in the most becoming attitudes and costumes； nor strive to avoid worrying him by being over…exacting。 She acted in direct contravention of all those rules。 She felt that the arts of attraction that instinct had taught her to use before would now have seemed only ludicrous to her husband； to whom she had from the first moment given herself up entirely； that is with her whole soul； not keeping a single corner of it hidden from him。 She felt that the tie that bound her to her husband did not rest on those romantic feelings which had attracted him to her； but rested on something else undefined； but as strong as the tie that bound her soul to her body。
To curl her hair； put on a crinoline； and sing songs to attract her husband would have seemed to her as strange as to deck herself up so as to please herself。 To adorn herself to please others might perhaps have been agreeable to her—she did not know—but she had absolutely no time for it。 The chief reason why she could not attend to her singing； nor to her dress； nor to the careful choice of her words was that she simply had no time to think of those things。
It is well known that man has the faculty of entire absorption in one subject； however trivial that subject may appear to be。 And it is well known that there is no subject so trivial that it will not grow to indefinite proportions if concentrated attention be devoted to it。
The subject in which Natasha was completely absorbed was her family； that is； her husband； whom she kept such a hold on so that he should belong entirely to her； to his home and her children； whom she had to carry； to bear； to nurse and to bring up。
And the more she put； not her mind only； but her whole soul； her whole being； into the subject that absorbed her； the more that subject seemed to enlarge under her eyes； and the feebler and the more inadequate her own powers seemed for coping with it； so that she concentrated them all on that one subject； and still had not time to do all that seemed to her necessary。
There were in thos