Book One: 1805 - Chapter XXII

by Leo Tolstoy

　　While these conversations were going on in the reception room andthe princess' room, a carriage containing Pierre (who had been sentfor) and Anna Mikhaylovna (who found it necessary to accompany him)was driving into the court of Count Bezukhov's house. As the wheelsrolled softly over the straw beneath the windows, Anna Mikhaylovna,having turned with words of comfort to her companion, realized that hewas asleep in his corner and woke him up. Rousing himself, Pierrefollowed Anna Mikhaylovna out of the carriage, and only then beganto think of the interview with his dying father which awaited him.He noticed that they had not come to the front entrance but to theback door. While he was getting down from the carriage steps twomen, who looked like tradespeople, ran hurriedly from the entrance andhid in the shadow of the wall. Pausing for a moment, Pierre noticedseveral other men of the same kind hiding in the shadow of the houseon both sides. But neither Anna Mikhaylovna nor the footman nor thecoachman, who could not help seeing these people, took any notice ofthem. "It seems to be all right," Pierre concluded, and followedAnna Mikhaylovna. She hurriedly ascended the narrow dimly lit stonestaircase, calling to Pierre, who was lagging behind, to follow.Though he did not see why it was necessary for him to go to thecount at all, still less why he had to go by the back stairs, yetjudging by Anna Mikhaylovna's air of assurance and haste, Pierreconcluded that it was all absolutely necessary. Halfway up thestairs they were almost knocked over by some men who, carryingpails, came running downstairs, their boots clattering. These menpressed close to the wall to let Pierre and Anna Mikhaylovna passand did not evince the least surprise at seeing them there.

　　"Is this the way to the princesses' apartments?" asked AnnaMikhaylovna of one of them.

　　"Yes," replied a footman in a bold loud voice, as if anything werenow permissible; "the door to the left, ma'am."

　　"Perhaps the count did not ask for me," said Pierre when hereached the landing. "I'd better go to my own room."

　　Anna Mikhaylovna paused and waited for him to come up.

　　"Ah, my friend!" she said, touching his arm as she had done herson's when speaking to him that afternoon, "believe me I suffer noless than you do, but be a man!"

　　"But really, hadn't I better go away?" he asked, looking kindly ather over his spectacles.

　　"Ah, my dear friend! Forget the wrongs that may have been doneyou. Think that he is your father... perhaps in the agony of death."She sighed. "I have loved you like a son from the first. Trustyourself to me, Pierre. I shall not forget your interests."

　　Pierre did not understand a word, but the conviction that all thishad to be grew stronger, and he meekly followed Anna Mikhaylovna whowas already opening a door.

　　This door led into a back anteroom. An old man, a servant of theprincesses, sat in a corner knitting a stocking. Pierre had never beenin this part of the house and did not even know of the existence ofthese rooms. Anna Mikhaylovna, addressing a maid who was hurrying pastwith a decanter on a tray as "my dear" and "my sweet," asked about theprincess' health and then led Pierre along a stone passage. Thefirst door on the left led into the princesses' apartments. The maidwith the decanter in her haste had not closed the door (everythingin the house was done in haste at that time), and Pierre and AnnaMikhaylovna in passing instinctively glanced into the room, wherePrince Vasili and the eldest princess were sitting close togethertalking. Seeing them pass, Prince Vasili drew back with obviousimpatience, while the princess jumped up and with a gesture ofdesperation slammed the door with all her might.

　　This action was so unlike her usual composure and the feardepicted on Prince Vasili's face so out of keeping with his dignitythat Pierre stopped and glanced inquiringly over his spectacles at hisguide. Anna Mikhaylovna evinced no surprise, she only smiled faintlyand sighed, as if to say that this was no more than she had expected.

　　"Be a man, my friend. I will look after your interests," said she inreply to his look, and went still faster along the passage.

　　Pierre could not make out what it was all about, and still less what"watching over his interests" meant, but he decided that all thesethings had to be. From the passage they went into a large, dimly litroom adjoining the count's reception room. It was one of thosesumptuous but cold apartments known to Pierre only from the frontapproach, but even in this room there now stood an empty bath, andwater had been spilled on the carpet. They were met by a deacon with acenser and by a servant who passed out on tiptoe without heeding them.They went into the reception room familiar to Pierre, with two Italianwindows opening into the conservatory, with its large bust and fulllength portrait of Catherine the Great. The same people were stillsitting here in almost the same positions as before, whispering to oneanother. All became silent and turned to look at the pale tear-wornAnna Mikhaylovna as she entered, and at the big stout figure of Pierrewho, hanging his head, meekly followed her.

　　Anna Mikhaylovna's face expressed a consciousness that thedecisive moment had arrived. With the air of a practical Petersburglady she now, keeping Pierre close beside her, entered the room evenmore boldly than that afternoon. She felt that as she brought with herthe person the dying man wished to see, her own admission was assured.Casting a rapid glance at all those in the room and noticing thecount's confessor there, she glided up to him with a sort of amble,not exactly bowing yet seeming to grow suddenly smaller, andrespectfully received the blessing first of one and then of anotherpriest.

　　"God be thanked that you are in time," said she to one of thepriests; "all we relatives have been in such anxiety. This young manis the count's son," she added more softly. "What a terrible moment!"

　　Having said this she went up to the doctor.

　　"Dear doctor," said she, "this young man is the count's son. Isthere any hope?"

　　The doctor cast a rapid glance upwards and silently shrugged hisshoulders. Anna Mikhaylovna with just the same movement raised hershoulders and eyes, almost closing the latter, sighed, and movedaway from the doctor to Pierre. To him, in a particularly respectfuland tenderly sad voice, she said:

　　"Trust in His mercy!" and pointing out a small sofa for him to sitand wait for her, she went silently toward the door that everyonewas watching and it creaked very slightly as she disappeared behindit.

　　Pierre, having made up his mind to obey his monitress implicitly,moved toward the sofa she had indicated. As soon as Anna Mikhaylovnahad disappeared he noticed that the eyes of all in the room turnedto him with something more than curiosity and sympathy. He noticedthat they whispered to one another, casting significant looks at himwith a kind of awe and even servility. A deference such as he hadnever before received was shown him. A strange lady, the one who hadbeen talking to the priests, rose and offered him her seat; anaide-de-camp picked up and returned a glove Pierre had dropped; thedoctors became respectfully silent as he passed by, and moved tomake way for him. At first Pierre wished to take another seat so asnot to trouble the lady, and also to pick up the glove himself andto pass round the doctors who were not even in his way; but all atonce he felt that this would not do, and that tonight he was aperson obliged to perform some sort of awful rite which everyoneexpected of him, and that he was therefore bound to accept theirservices. He took the glove in silence from the aide-de-camp, andsat down in the lady's chair, placing his huge hands symmetricallyon his knees in the naive attitude of an Egyptian statue, anddecided in his own mind that all was as it should be, and that inorder not to lose his head and do foolish things he must not act onhis own ideas tonight, but must yield himself up entirely to thewill of those who were guiding him.

　　Not two minutes had passed before Prince Vasili with head erectmajestically entered the room. He was wearing his long coat with threestars on his breast. He seemed to have grown thinner since themorning; his eyes seemed larger than usual when he glanced round andnoticed Pierre. He went up to him, took his hand (a thing he neverused to do), and drew it downwards as if wishing to ascertainwhether it was firmly fixed on.

　　"Courage, courage, my friend! He has asked to see you. That iswell!" and he turned to go.

　　But Pierre thought it necessary to ask: "How is..." and hesitated,not knowing whether it would be proper to call the dying man "thecount," yet ashamed to call him "father."

　　"He had another stroke about half an hour ago. Courage, myfriend..."

　　Pierre's mind was in such a confused state that the word "stroke"suggested to him a blow from something. He looked at Prince Vasiliin perplexity, and only later grasped that a stroke was an attack ofillness. Prince Vasili said something to Lorrain in passing and wentthrough the door on tiptoe. He could not walk well on tiptoe and hiswhole body jerked at each step. The eldest princess followed him,and the priests and deacons and some servants also went in at thedoor. Through that door was heard a noise of things being moved about,and at last Anna Mikhaylovna, still with the same expression, pale butresolute in the discharge of duty, ran out and touching Pierre lightlyon the arm said:

　　"The divine mercy is inexhaustible! Unction is about to beadministered. Come."

　　Pierre went in at the door, stepping on the soft carpet, and noticedthat the strange lady, the aide-de-camp, and some of the servants, allfollowed him in, as if there were now no further need for permissionto enter that room.