Book Seven: 1810-11 - Chapter II

by Leo Tolstoy

　　After reaching home Nicholas was at first serious and even dull.He was worried by the impending necessity of interfering in the stupidbusiness matters for which his mother had called him home. To throwoff this burden as quickly as possible, on the third day after hisarrival he went, angry and scowling and without answering questions asto where he was going, to Mitenka's lodge and demanded an account ofeverything. But what an account of everything might be Nicholas kneweven less than the frightened and bewildered Mitenka. The conversationand the examination of the accounts with Mitenka did not last long.The village elder, a peasant delegate, and the village clerk, who werewaiting in the passage, heard with fear and delight first the youngcount's voice roaring and snapping and rising louder and louder, andthen words of abuse, dreadful words, ejaculated one after the other.

　　"Robber!... Ungrateful wretch!... I'll hack the dog to pieces! I'mnot my father!... Robbing us!..." and so on.

　　Then with no less fear and delight they saw how the young count, redin the face and with bloodshot eyes, dragged Mitenka out by the scruffof the neck and applied his foot and knee to him behind with greatagility at convenient moments between the words, shouting, "Be off!Never let me see your face here again, you villain!"

　　Mitenka flew headlong down the six steps and ran away into theshrubbery. (This shrubbery was a well-known haven of refuge forculprits at Otradnoe. Mitenka himself, returning tipsy from thetown, used to hide there, and many of the residents at Otradnoe,hiding from Mitenka, knew of its protective qualities.)

　　Mitenka's wife and sisters-in-law thrust their heads andfrightened faces out of the door of a room where a bright samovarwas boiling and where the steward's high bedstead stood with itspatchwork quilt.

　　The young count paid no heed to them, but, breathing hard, passed bywith resolute strides and went into the house.

　　The countess, who heard at once from the maids what had happenedat the lodge, was calmed by the thought that now their affairs wouldcertainly improve, but on the other hand felt anxious as to the effectthis excitement might have on her son. She went several times to hisdoor on tiptoe and listened, as he lighted one pipe after another.

　　Next day the old count called his son aside and, with an embarrassedsmile, said to him:

　　"But you know, my dear boy, it's a pity you got excited! Mitenka hastold me all about it."

　　"I knew," thought Nicholas, "that I should never understand anythingin this crazy world."

　　"You were angry that he had not entered those 700 rubles. But theywere carried forward- and you did not look at the other page."

　　"Papa, he is a blackguard and a thief! I know he is! And what I havedone, I have done; but, if you like, I won't speak to him again."

　　"No, my dear boy" (the count, too, felt embarrassed. He knew hehad mismanaged his wife's property and was to blame toward hischildren, but he did not know how to remedy it). "No, I beg you toattend to the business. I am old. I..."

　　"No, Papa. Forgive me if I have caused you unpleasantness. Iunderstand it all less than you do."

　　"Devil take all these peasants, and money matters, and carryingsforward from page to page," he thought. "I used to understand what a'corner' and the stakes at cards meant, but carrying forward toanother page I don't understand at all," said he to himself, and afterthat he did not meddle in business affairs. But once the countesscalled her son and informed him that she had a promissory note fromAnna Mikhaylovna for two thousand rubles, and asked him what hethought of doing with it.

　　"This," answered Nicholas. "You say it rests with me. Well, Idon't like Anna Mikhaylovna and I don't like Boris, but they wereour friends and poor. Well then, this!" and he tore up the note, andby so doing caused the old countess to weep tears of joy. Afterthat, young Rostov took no further part in any business affairs, butdevoted himself with passionate enthusiasm to what was to him a newpursuit- the chase- for which his father kept a large establishment.