‘Only, for God’s sake, your excellency, order them to be sent away and don’t go to them. It’s all a plot,’ said Dunyasha, ‘and Yakov Alpatitch will come and we will start . . . and pray . . .’
‘How a plot?’ asked the princess in surprise.
‘Why, I know all about it, only do listen to me, for God’s sake. Ask old nurse too. They say they won’t agree to move away at your orders.’
‘You are making some mistake. Why, I have never given them orders to go away . . .’ said Princess Marya. ‘Call Dronushka.’
Dron on coming in confirmed Dunyasha’s words; the peasants had come by the princess’s instructions.
‘But I have never sent for them,’ said the princess. ‘You must have given
WARANDPEACE 687
them my message wrong. I only said that you were to give them the corn.’
Dron sighed without replying.
‘If so you command, they will go away,’ he said.
‘No, no, I’ll go out to them,’ said Princess Marya.
in (Spite of Dunyasha’s and the old nurse’s attempts to dissuade her, Frimfess Maryai went out on to the steps. Dronushka, Dunyasha, the old Mirsepand Mihail Ivanitch followed her.
‘They probably imagine I am offering them the corn to keep them here while I go away myself, leaving them at the mercy of the French,’ thought Princess Marya. ‘I will promise them monthly rations and lodgings on the Moscow estate. I am sure Andrey would do more for them in my place,’ djeifcjpought, as she went out in the twilight towards the crowd, waiting on tfeeipasture near the granary.
jnThe crowd stirred, huddling closer, and rapidly took off their hats. Princess Marya came closer to them, her eyes cast down and her feet tripping pydr her gown. So many different eyes, old and young, were fixed up>Qp her/there were so many different faces that Princess Marya did not seem, single one of them, and feeling it necessary to address all at once, did not knpw how to set about it. But again the sense that she was the repre- spnlastive of her father and brother gave her strength, and she boldly began her speech.
' il am very glad you have come,’ she began, not raising her eyes and Meling'the rapid and violent beating of her heart. ‘Dronushka has told me that the war has ruined you. That is our common trouble, and I will grddgetoothing to aid you. I am going away myself because it is dangerous Hele! '(hf. . and the enemy is near . . . because ... I give you everything, my friends, and I beg you to take everything, all our corn, that yoair'h’vay not suffer w r ant. But if you have been told that I am giving you oofiwto keep you here, it is false. On the contrary, I beg you to move away trhrtuaill'your belongings to our Moscow estate, and there I undertake and promise you that you shall not be in want. You shall be given houses and bread.’ The princess stopped. Nothing was to be heard from the crowd but sighs.
‘I don’t do this on my own account,’ the princess went on; ‘I do it in the name of my dead father, who was a good master to you, and for my brother and his son.’
She paused again. No one broke the silence.
‘We have trouble in common, and we will share it all equally. All that is mine is yours,’ she said, looking up at the faces before her. All the eyes were gazing at her with the same expression, the meaning of which she could not fathom. Whether it were curiosity, devotion, gratitude, or apprehension, and distrust, the expression on all the faces was alike.
‘Very thankful for your kindness, only it’s not for us to take the master’s corn,’ said a voice from the back.
‘But why not?’ said the princess. No one answered, and Princess Marya, looking up at the crowd, noticed that now all the eyes dropped at once on meeting hers.
‘Why don’t you want to?’ she asked again.
No one replied.
Princess Marya was oppressed by the silence; she tried to catch somebody’s eye. [
‘Why don’t you speak!’ she said, addressing a very old man whotrtas ; standing near her, his arms propped on his stick. ‘Tell me if you th'ihft something more is needed. I will do anything,’ she said, catching his eyec But as though angered by her doing so, he bent his head, and said: >dT ■ B ‘Why should we agree? We don’t want your corn.’
‘Why are we to give up everything? We’re not willing . . . NaoowilH ing. It’s not with our consent. We are sorry for you, but we are not willing You go away by yourself, alone . . .’ was protested from different of the crowd. And again all the faces in the crowd wore the same expired! sion; and now it was unmistakably not an expression of curiosity*!And gratitude, but an expression of exasperated determination. eeeom ''
‘But you misunderstand me,’ said Princess Marya, with a melanchp smile. ‘Why don’t you want to move away? I promise to settlecybupn’ provide for you. And here the enemy will plunder you . . .’ But hervjoi^ was drowned by the voices of the crowd. Morid '
‘We’re not willing, let him plunder us! We won’t take your coring won’t agree!’ eaadiim !
