lountess Marya was sitting at the opposite end of the table. As soon sier husband sat down to the table, from the gesture with which he nk up his table-napkin and quickly pushed back the tumbler and wine- hs set at his place, she knew that he was out of humour, as he some- ies was, particularly before the soup, and when he came straight in to iner from his work. Countess Marya understood this mood in her hus- ;d very well, and when she was herself in a good temper, she used to ? t quietly till he had swallowed his soup, and only then began to talk :iim and to make him admit that he had no reason to be out of temper. Ijt to-day she totally forgot this principle of hers; she had a miserable Ese of his being vexed with her without cause, and she felt wretched.
1 asked him where he had been. He answered. She asked again whether vlrything were going well on the estate. He frowned disagreeably at her natural tone, and made a hasty reply.
I was right then,’ thought Countess Marya, ‘and what is he cross with
i for?’ In the tone of his answer she read ill-will towards her and a (ire to cut short the conversation. She felt that her words were un- ;ural; but she could not restrain herself, and asked a few more istions.
"he conversation at dinner, thanks to Denisov, soon became general
ii animated, and she did not say more to her husband. When they rose rn table, and according to custom came up to thank the old countess, iintess Marya kissed her husband, offering him her hand, and asked ry he was cross with her.
i r ou always have such strange ideas; I never thought of being cross,’ (said.
lut that word always answered her: Yes, I am angry, and I don’t ! ose to say.
Nikolay lived on such excellent terms with his wife that even Sonya
II the old countess, who from jealousy would have been pleased to see 1 agreement between them, could find nothing to reproach them with; ) there were moments of antagonism even between them. Sometimes, rticularly just after their happiest periods, they had a sudden feeling )estrangement and antagonism; that feeling was most frequent during
10S4 WAR AND PEACE
the times when Countess Marya was with child. They happened ted just now at such a period of antagonism.
‘Well, messieurs et mesdames,’ said Nikolay loudly, and with a slaj of cheerfulness (it seemed to his wife that this was on purpose to mor.y her), T have been since six o’clock on my legs. To-morrow will ben infliction, so to-day I’ll go and rest.’ And saying nothing more to Coun ,s Marya, he went off to the little divan-room, and lay down on the s t ,
‘That’s how it always is,’ thought his wife. ‘He talks to everybody it not to me. I see, I see that I am repulsive to him, especially in this coii- tion.’ She looked down at her high waist and then into the looking-gis at her sallow and sunken face, in which the eyes looked bigger than e r.
And everything jarred upon her: Denisov’s shout and guffaw;) Natasha’s chatter, and above all the hasty glance Sonya stole at a,
Sonya was always the first excuse Countess Marya pitched on for n irritability.
After sitting a little while with her guests, not understanding a wj they were saying, she slipped out and went to the nursery.
The children were sitting on chairs playing at driving to Moscow, invited her to join them. She sat down and played with them, but e thought of her husband and his causeless ill-temper worried her all e time. She got up, and walked with difficulty on tiptoe to the little div ■ room.
‘Perhaps he is not asleep. I will speak plainly to him,’ she saido herself. Andryusha, her elder boy, followed her on tiptoe, imitating If, His mother did not notice him.
‘Dear Marie, I believe he is asleep; he was so tired,’ said Sonya, mi: ing her in the next room (it seemed to Countess Marya that she u everywhere). ‘Andryusha had better not wake him.’
Countess Marya looked round, saw Andryusha behind her, felt tl Sonya was right, and for that very reason flushed angrily, and with tl dent difficulty restrained herself from a cruel retort. She said nothi; and, so as not to obey her, let Andryusha follow her, but signed to Jjr to be quiet, and went up to the door. Sonya w^ent out by the other dc From the room where Nikolay was asleep, his wife could hear his e r breathing, every tone of which was so familiar. As she listened to it, ( could see his smooth, handsome brow, his moustaches, the whole ff she had so often gazed at in the stillness of the night when he was aslo Nikolay suddenly stirred and cleared his throat. And at the same instl Andryusha shouted from the door, ‘Papa, mamma’s here!’ His moti turned pale with dismay and made signs to the boy. He was quiet, a there followed a terrible silence that lasted a minute. She knew to Nikolay disliked being waked. Suddenly she heard him stir and clear) throat again, and in a tone of displeasure he said:
‘I’m never given a moment’s peace. Marie, is it you? Why did \l bring him here?’
‘I only came to look ... I did not see . . . I’m so sorry . . .’
