‘Finally, we have to think of my family too/ continued Prince Vassily, angrily pushing away a little table and not looking at her: ‘you know, Katish, that you three Mamontov sisters and my wife,—we are the only direct heirs of the count. I know, I know how painful it is for you to speak and think of such things. And it’s as hard for me; but, my dear, I am a man over fifty, I must be ready for anything. Do you know that I have sent for Pierre, and that the count, pointing straight at his portrait, has asked for him?’
Prince Vassily looked inquiringly at the princess, but he could not make out whether she was considering what he had said, or was simply staring at him.
‘I pray to God for one thing only continually, mon cousin,’ she replied, ‘that He may have mercy upon him, and allow his noble soul to leave : this . . .’
‘Yes, quite so/ Prince Vassily continued impatiently, rubbing his bald head and again wrathfully moving the table towards him that he had just moved away, ‘but in fact ... in fact the point is, as you are yourself aware, that last winter the count made a will by which, passing over his direct heirs and us/he bequeathed all his property to Pierre.’
‘He may have made ever so many wills!’ the princess said placidly; ‘but he can't leave it to Pierre. Pierre is illegitimate.’
‘Ma chere,’ said Prince Vassily suddenly, pushing the table against him, growing more earnest and beginning to speak more rapidly: ‘but what if a letter has been written to the Emperor, and the count has petitioned him to legitimise Pierre? You understand, that the count’s services would make his petition carry weight . . /
The princess smiled, as people smile who believe that they know much more about the subject than those with whom they are talking.
‘I can say more,’ Prince Vassily went on, clasping her hand; ‘that letter has been written, though it has not been sent off, and the Emperor has heard about it. The question only is whether it has been destroyed or not.
If not, as soon as all is over,’ Prince Vassily sighed, giving her thereby to understand what he meant precisely by the words ‘all is over,’ ‘and they open the count’s papers, the will with the letter will be given to the Emperor, and his petition will certainly be granted. Pierre, as the legitimate son, will receive everything.’
‘What about our share?’ the princess inquired, smiling ironically as ! though anything but that might happen.
‘Why, my poor Katish, it is as clear as daylight. He will then be the only legal heir of all, and you won't receive as much as this, see. You ought to know, my dear, whether the will and the petition were written, and whether they have been destroyed, and if they have somehow been overlooked, then you ought to know where they are and to find them, because . . .’
‘That would be rather too much! ’ the princess interrupted him, smiling sardonically, with no change in the expression of her eyes. ‘I am a j woman, and you think we are all silly; but I do know so much, that an illegitimate son can’t inherit . . . JJn batard,’ she added, supposing that by this translation of the word she was conclusively proving to the prince the groundlessness of his contention. .
‘How can you not understand, Katish, really! You are so intelligent; i how is it you don’t understand that if the count has written a letter to the Emperor, begging him to recognise his son as legitimate, then Pierre will not be Pierre but Count Bezuhov, and then he will inherit everything under the will? And if the will and the letter have not been destroyed, then except the consolation of having been dutiful and of all that results from having done your duty, nothing is left for you. That’s the fact.’
‘I know that the will was made, but I know, too, that it is invalid, and you seem to take me for a perfect fool, mon cousin’ said the princess, with the air with which women speak when they imagine they are saying something witty and biting.
‘My dear princess, Katerina Semyonovna!’ Prince Vassily began impatiently, ‘I have come to you not to provoke you, but to talk to you as a kinswoman, a good, kind-hearted, true kinswoman, of your own interests. I tell you for the tenth time that if the letter to the Emperor . and the will in Pierre’s favour are among the count’s papers, you, my dear , girl, and your sisters are not heiresses. If you don’t believe me, believe T people who know; I have just been talking to Dmitry Onufritch’ (this .. was the family solicitor); ‘he said the same.’
There was obviously some sudden change in the princess’s ideas; her thin lips turned white (her eyes did not change), and when she began
to speak, her voice passed through transitions, which she clearly did not herself anticipate.
‘That would be a pretty thing/ she said. ‘I wanted nothing, and I want nothing.’ She flung her dog off her lap and smoothed out the folds of her skirt.
