Part Eight: Chapter 2

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Sergey Ivanovitch and Katavasov had only just reached the stationof the Kursk line, which was particularly busy and full ofpeople that day, when, looking round for the groom who wasfollowing with their things, they saw a party of volunteersdriving up in four cabs. Ladies met them with bouquets offlowers, and followed by the rushing crowd they went into thestation.

　　One of the ladies, who had met the volunteers, came out of thehall and addressed Sergey Ivanovitch.

　　"You too come to see them off?" she asked in French.

　　"No, I'm going away myself, princess. To my brother's for aholiday. Do you always see them of?" said Sergey Ivanovitch witha hardly perceptible smile.

　　"Oh, that would be impossible!" answered the princess. "Is ittrue that eight hundred have been sent from us already?Malvinsky wouldn't believe me."

　　"More than eight hundred. If you reckon those who have been sentnot directly from Moscow, over a thousand," answered SergeyIvanovitch.

　　"There! That's just what I said!" exclaimed the lady. "And it'strue too, I suppose, that more than a million has beensubscribed?"

　　"Yes, princess."

　　"What do you say to today's telegram? Beaten the Turks again."

　　"Yes, so I saw," answered Sergey Ivanovitch. They were speakingof the last telegram stating that the Turks had been for threedays in succession beaten at all points and put to flight, andthat tomorrow a decisive engagement was expected.

　　"Ah, by the way, a splendid young fellow has asked leave to go,and they've made some difficulty, I don't know why. I meant toask you; I know him; please write a note about his case. He'sbeing sent by Countess Lidia Ivanovna."

　　Sergey Ivanovitch asked for all the details the princess knewabout the young man, and going into the first-class waiting-room,wrote a note to the person on whom the granting of leave ofabsence depended, and handed it to the princess.

　　"You know Count Vronsky, the notorious one...is going by thistrain?" said the princess with a smile full of triumph andmeaning, when he found her again and gave her the letter.

　　"I had heard he was going, but I did not know when. By thistrain?"

　　"I've seen him. He's here: there's only his mother seeing himoff. It's the best thing, anyway, that he could do."

　　"Oh, yes, of course."

　　While they were talking the crowd streamed by them into thedining room. They went forward too, and heard a gentleman with aglass in his hand delivering a loud discourse to the volunteers."In the service of religion, humanity, and our brothers," thegentleman said, his voice growing louder and louder; "to thisgreat cause mother Moscow dedicates you with her blessing.Jivio!" he concluded, loudly and tearfully.

　　Everyone shouted Jivio! and a fresh crowd dashed into the hall,almost carrying the princess off her legs.

　　"Ah, princess! that was something like!" said StepanArkadyevitch, suddenly appearing in the middle of the crowd andbeaming upon them with a delighted smile. "Capitally, warmlysaid, wasn't it? Bravo! And Sergey Ivanovitch! Why, you oughtto have said something--just a few words, you know, to encouragethem; you do that so well," he added with a soft, respectful, anddiscreet smile, moving Sergey Ivanovitch forward a little by thearm.

　　"No, I'm just off."

　　"Where to?"

　　"To the country, to my brother's," answered Sergey Ivanovitch.

　　"Then you'll see my wife. I've written to her, but you'll seeher first. Please tell her that they've seen me and that it's'all right,' as the English say. She'll understand. Oh, and beso good as to tell her I'm appointed secretary of thecommittee.... But she'll understand! You know, les petitesmiseres de la vie humaine," he said, as it were apologizing tothe princess. "And Princess Myakaya--not Liza, but Bibish--issending a thousand guns and twelve nurses. Did I tell you?"

　　"Yes, I heard so," answered Koznishev indifferently.

　　"It's a pity you're going away," said Stepan Arkadyevitch."Tomorrow we're giving a dinner to two who're setting off--Dimer-Bartnyansky from Petersburg and our Veslovsky, Grisha.They're both going. Veslovsky's only lately married. There's afine fellow for you! Eh, princess?" he turned to the lady.

　　The princess looked at Koznishev without replying. But the factthat Sergey Ivanovitch and the princess seemed anxious to get ridof him did not in the least disconcert Stepan Arkadyevitch.Smiling, he stared at the feather in the princess's hat, and thenabout him as though he were going to pick something up. Seeing alady approaching with a collecting box, he beckoned her up andput in a five-rouble note.

　　"I can never see these collecting boxes unmoved while I've moneyin my pocket," he said. "And how about today's telegram? Finechaps those Montenegrins!"

　　"You don't say so!" he cried, when the princess told him thatVronsky was going by this train. For an instant StepanArkadyevitch's face looked sad, but a minute later, when,stroking his mustaches and swinging as he walked, he went intothe hall where Vronsky was, he had completely forgotten his owndespairing sobs over his sister's corpse, and he saw in Vronskyonly a hero and an old friend.

　　"With all his faults one can't refuse to do him justice," saidthe princess to Sergey Ivanovitch as soon as Stepan Arkadyevitchhad left them. "What a typically Russian, Slav nature! Only,I'm afraid it won't be pleasant for Vronsky to see him. Say whatyou will, I'm touched by that man's fate. Do talk to him alittle on the way," said the princess.

　　"Yes, perhaps, if it happens so."

　　"I never liked him. But this atones for a great deal. He's notmerely going himself, he's taking a squadron at his own expense."

　　"Yes, so I heard."

　　A bell sounded. Everyone crowded to the doors."Here he is!" saidthe princess, indicating Vronsky, who with his mother on his armwalked by, wearing a long overcoat and wide-brimmed black hat.Oblonsky was walking beside him, talking eagerly of something.

　　Vronsky was frowning and looking straight before him, as thoughhe did not hear what Stepan Arkadyevitch was saying.

　　Probably on Oblonsky's pointing them out, he looked round in thedirection where the princess and Sergey Ivanovitch were standing,and without speaking lifted his hat. His face, aged and worn bysuffering, looked stony.

　　Going onto the platform, Vronsky left his mother and disappearedinto a compartment.

　　On the platform there rang out "God save the Tsar," then shoutsof "hurrah!" and "jivio!" One of the volunteers, a tall, veryyoung man with a hollow chest, was particularly conspicuous,bowing and waving his felt hat and a nosegay over his head. Thentwo officers emerged, bowing too, and a stout man with a bigbeard, wearing a greasy forage cap.