Sonya sighed, and made no reply. The count, Petya, Madame Schos; Mavra Kuzminishna, and Vassilitch came into the drawing-room; am closing the doors, they all sat down, and sat so in silence, without lookin at each other for several seconds.
The count was the first to get up. With a loud sigh he crossed himsel before the holy picture. All the others did the same. Then the count prc ceeded to embrace Mavra Kuzminishna and Vassilitch, who were t remain in Moscow; and while they caught at his hand and kissed hi shoulder, he patted them on the back with vaguely affectionate and re assuring phrases. The countess went off to the little chapel, and Sony found her there on her knees before the holy pictures, that were still lei here and there on the walls. All the holy pictures most precious throug association with the traditions of the family were being taken with then
In the porch and in the yard the servants who were going—all of whor had been armed with swords and daggers by Petya—with their trousei tucked in their boots, and their sashes or leather belts tightly bracec took leave of those who were left behind.
As is invariably the case at starting on a journey, a great many thins were found to have been forgotten, or packed in the wrong place; an two grooms were kept a long while standing, one each side of the ope carriage door, ready to help the countess up the carriage steps, whil ' maids were flying with pillows and bags from the house to the carriage ; the coach, and the covered gig, and back again.
‘They will always forget everything as long as they live!’ said til countess. ‘You know that I can’t sit like that.’ And Dunyasha, wit clenched teeth and an aggrieved look on her face, rushed to the carriaf to arrange the cushions again without a word.
‘Ah, those servants,’ said the count, shaking his head.
The old coachman Efim, the only one whom the countess could tru: to drive her, sat perched up on the box, and did not even look round ; what was passing behind him. His thirty years’ experience had taugl |
WAR AND PEACE 817
im that it would be some time yet before they would say, ‘Now, in lod’s name, start! ’ and that when they had said it, they would stop him t least twice again to send back for things that had been forgotten; nd after that he would have to pull up once more for the countess herself 3 put her head out of window and beg him, for Christ’s sake, to drive arefully downhill. He knew this, and therefore awaited what was to pme with more patience than his horses, especially the left one, the hestnut Falcon, who was continually pawing the ground and champing he bit. At last all were seated; the carriage steps were pulled up, and ae door slammed, and the forgotten travelling-case had been sent for, nd the countess had popped her head out and given the usual injunc- ons. Then Efim deliberately took his hat off and began crossing himself, 'he postillion and all the servants did the same.
‘With God’s blessing!’ said Efim, putting his hat on. ‘Off!’ The postil- on started his horse. The right-shaft horse began to pull, the high brings creaked, and the carriage swayed. The footman jumped up on lie box while it was moving. The carriage jolted as it drove out of the ard on to the uneven pavement; the other vehicles jolted in the same 'ay as they followed in a procession up the street. All the occupants of le carriages, the coach and the covered gig, crossed themselves on seeing ae church opposite. The servants, who were staying in Moscow, walked long on both sides of the carriages to see them off.
Natasha had rarely felt such a joyful sensation as she experienced at lat moment sitting in the carriage by the countess and watching, as ley slowly moved by her, the walls of forsaken, agitated Moscow. Now nd then she put her head out of the carriage window and looked back, nd then in front of the long train of waggons full of wounded soldiers receding them. Foremost of them all she could see Prince Andrey’s closed arriage. She did not know who was in it, and every time she took stock f the procession of waggons she looked out for that coach. She knew it 'ould be the foremost. In Kudrino, and from Nikitsky Street, from ’ryesny, and from Podnovinsky several trains of vehicles, similar to the lostovs’, came driving out, and by the time they reached Sadovoy Street he carriages and carts were two deep all along the road.
As they turned round Suharev Tower, Natasha, who was quickly and rquisitively scrutinising the crowd driving and walking by, uttered a ry of delight and surprise:
‘Good Heavens! Mamma, Sonya, look; it’s he!’
. ‘Who ? who ? ’
s ‘Look, do look! Bezuhov,’ said Natasha, putting her head out of the arriage window and staring at a tall, stout man in a coachman’s long oat, obviously a gentleman disguised, from his carriage and gait. He ,'as passing under the arch of the Suharev Tower beside a yellow-looking, eardless, little old man in a frieze cloak.
