War And Peace

‘Now you have gone too far!’ the princess interrupted, with a sardonic smile and no change in the expression of her eyes. ‘I’m a woman, and you think we’re all stupid, but I do know this: an illegitimate son cannot inherit . . . He is a . . . bastard,’ she added, the last word in French, as if its use would demonstrate the flaw in his thinking.

‘Katishe, you really don’t seem to understand! If you’re that intelligent, why can’t you see that if the count has written to the Emperor asking for recognition of Pierre as legitimate, he won’t be Pierre any more, he’ll be Count Bezukhov, and he’ll inherit everything under the will? And if the will and the letter have not been destroyed, then – apart from the consolation of having done your duty and all the rest of it – you are left with nothing. And that’s a fact.’

‘I do know the will was made, but I also know that it is invalid. You seem to take me for a complete fool, my dear cousin,’ said the princess, with the air of a woman who has come out with something clever and scathing.

‘My dear princess, Katerina Semyonovna!’ Prince Vasily was losing patience. ‘I haven’t come here just to annoy you. I’m talking to you as a relative, a good, kind, true relative, about your own interests. I am telling you for the umpteenth time that if that letter to the Emperor and the will made out in Pierre’s favour are still among the count’s papers, neither you, my dear girl, nor your sisters are heiresses. If you don’t believe me, you must believe other people who know about these things. I’ve just been talking to Dmitry Onufrich’ (the family solicitor) ‘and he says the same thing.’

A sudden and obvious change now came over the princess’s train of thought. Her thin lips paled, though her eyes stayed the same, and when she spoke her voice seemed to come out more thunderously than she was expecting.

‘That would be a fine thing,’ she said. ‘I wanted nothing, and I still want nothing.’ She pushed the dog down from her lap and smoothed out the folds of her skirt. ‘There’s gratitude for you. That’s what you get for sacrificing everything,’ she said. ‘Wonderful! Splendid! I have no need of anything, Prince.’

‘Yes, but it’s not just you. You have two sisters,’ answered Prince Vasily. But the princess was not listening.

‘Yes, I’ve always known, but I had forgotten, that in this house I could never expect anything but unfairness, deceit, jealousy and double-dealing – only ingratitude, the blackest ingratitude . . .’

‘Do you or do you not know where that will is?’ Prince Vasily insisted, his cheeks twitching more than ever.

‘Oh yes, I’ve been stupid. I’ve kept faith with people, given them my love and sacrificed everything. But you can’t succeed nowadays without being mean and horrible. I know who’s been double-dealing.’

The princess was about to stand up, but the prince held her back by the arm. She had the air of someone who has suddenly lost faith in the whole human race. She glared at him malevolently.

‘There is still time, my dear. Remember, Katishe, this was an accident, something done in a moment of anger, of illness, and then forgotten. Our duty, my dear, is to correct his mistake, to relieve him in his last moments by not letting him commit this injustice, not letting him die with the thought that he has brought unhappiness to . . .’

‘People who have sacrificed everything for him,’ the princess responded. She made another effort to get up, but the prince restrained her, ‘ – a sacrifice he’s never been able to appreciate. No, cousin,’ she added with a sigh, ‘I shall remember that there are no rewards in this world, that in this world there is no honour or justice. In this world you need to be clever and wicked.’

‘Well, we shall see. Don’t upset yourself. I know your noble heart.’

‘No, I have a wicked heart.’

‘I know your heart,’ repeated the prince. ‘I value your friendship, and I would like you to think the same of me. So, don’t upset yourself and let’s talk sensibly together while there is still time, whether it’s a whole day or just an hour. Tell me everything you know about that will. The most important thing is – where is it? You must know. We’ll take it to the count and show it to him. He’s probably forgotten all about it, and he’ll want it destroyed. Please understand that my sole desire is to carry out his wishes religiously. That’s what I came here for. I am here only to be of service to him and to you.’

‘Oh, I see. Now I know who’s doing the double-dealing. Yes, I know,’ said the princess.

‘You’ve got it wrong, my dear.’

‘It’s that Anna Mikhaylovna, your lovely protégée. I wouldn’t have her as a housemaid – ghastly, horrible woman.’

‘Please, we’re wasting time.’