Chapter 55 Chapter Eighteen

The next day Prince Andrew thought of yesterday's ball, but not for long: "Yes, it was a wonderful ball. And... yes, Natasha was lovely. She exuded a fresh air, as Those Petersburg women are different." That was all he thought about yesterday's ball.He drank his tea and sat down to work. However, due to excessive fatigue or lack of sleep, the work effect is not good.Prince Andrew could do nothing, and was as dissatisfied with himself as ever.He was delighted to hear of a visit. The visitor was Bitsky.This man was a member of various committees, was in every Petersburg society, enthusiastically embraced new ideas and Speransky, was eager to spread news in Petersburg, pursued fashionable ideas as well as fashionable clothes, and thus became various trends. ardent supporters.As soon as he took off his hat, he rushed into Prince Andrew's room in a state of anxiety, and immediately began to speak.He had just been informed of the details of this morning's State Council presided over by the Emperor, and he talked about it with excitement.The emperor's speech was wonderful.Only a constitutional monarch can make such a speech. "The emperor said frankly that the State Council and the Senate are both state institutions; he said that the government should not exercise its powers arbitrarily, but should act according to firm principles. The emperor said that finances should be reformed and revenues and expenditures should be made public." Bitz When he said it, he emphasized certain words and opened his eyes meaningfully.

"Yes, today's meeting is a new era, the greatest new era in history," Bitsky concluded. Prince Andrei had been impatiently waiting for the State Council, which he considered to be of great importance.Now that he heard about the meeting, he felt that it was not only unmoving, but meaningless.He listened to Bitsky's enthusiastic introduction and secretly laughed.All he thought was: "What does it matter to me and Bitsky what the Emperor is happy to say at the Council of State? Does all this make my life happier and more perfect?" This simple idea at once spoiled Prince Andrew's interest in reform.This evening he was going to the Speranski's for a dinner of "friends" (as the host called them).Dining at the home of the man he admired had attracted him, especially since he had not yet seen Speranski's family life, but now he did not want to go.

At the appointed time, however, Prince Andrew went into Speranski's private residence in the Dorida Gardens.In the parquet-floored dining room, which was exceptionally clean (clean like a monastery), Prince Andrew, arriving a little late, found that Speransky's friends had arrived at five o'clock.Except for Speranski's youngest daughter (who had a face like her father's) and her governess, there was no woman.Among the guests were Silvi, Magnitsky and Stolypin.Prince Andrei heard loud voices and loud laughter in the antechamber—the laughter was like a play on a stage.Someone let out a distinct ha-ha laugh, sounding a bit like Speranski.Prince Andrei had never heard Speransky laugh, so he was surprised by the high-pitched laughter of the government dignitary.

Prince Andrew entered the dining room.All were standing at a small table of cold dishes between the windows.Speranski, in his gray coat and medals, still in the white waistcoat and tie he wore at the famous Council of State, stood beaming at the table.The guests surrounded him.Magnitsky was telling Speranski an anecdote, and Speranski laughed before he finished listening.Magnitsky's words were again drowned out in laughter as Prince Andrew entered.Stolypin smiled lowly and ate the cheese bread.Sylvie chuckled in a low voice.Speranski let out a shrill laugh. Speransky kept laughing, and held out his white and tender hand to Prince Andrew.

"I'm glad you're here, Prince!" said Speranski. "Wait a minute..." he said to Magnitsky, interrupting him. , not business." He turned to Magnitsky again, laughing again. Prince Andrew listened to the laughter with amazement and disappointment, and looked at the laughing Speransky.He felt it was not Speranski but someone else.Speranski, who had seemed so enigmatic and alluring before, was suddenly bland. The conversation did not stop for a moment during the meal, and all kinds of jokes were told endlessly.Before Magnitsky had finished, the other man was vying for something more ridiculous.Most of the jokes involve officialdom or an official.These figures in the officialdom seem so boring that they can only be treated with good-natured ridicule.Speranski said that at the State Council this morning someone asked a deaf senior official what his opinion was, and he said that was his opinion.Silvey described the examination of a case in which the absurdity of the persons involved was simply astonishing.Stolypin stammered into the conversation, speaking vigorously of the corruptions of the old regime, as if to make the conversation more serious.Magnitsky made fun of Stolypin's excitement.Sylvie cracked a joke, and the conversation became lighthearted again.

Speranski clearly likes to take a break from work and hang out with friends.The guests knew his wishes, and tried their best to make him happy, and at the same time they were happy themselves.But Prince Andrey found this chatter dull and dull.Speranski's high-pitched voice overwhelmed him, his incessant, artificial laughter repelled him.Prince Andrew did not laugh, but he was afraid of disappointing everyone.In fact, no one paid attention to his emotions, and everyone seemed very happy. Several times Prince Andrew tried to join the conversation, but every time his words rose from the water like a cork.He couldn't really laugh with them.

There's nothing bad or inappropriate about what they say, and it's all witty and possibly funny, but not only can't they say really funny things, they probably don't even know. After dinner, Speranski's daughter and governess rose.Speranski stroked his daughter with his white hands, and kissed her again.Prince Andrei found this movement also very unnatural. The men stayed and drank wine, according to British custom.When it came to Napoleon's actions in Spain, everyone agreed, except Prince Andrei, who disagreed with them.Speranski smiled, evidently trying to change the unpleasant subject, and told an anecdote that had nothing to do with it.Everyone was silent for a while.

Speranski sat for a while at the table, corked the half-drunk bottle, said: "Good wine is everywhere these days." Then he handed the bottle to the servant and got up.Everyone stood up, talked lively, and went to the living room.Speranski received two letters by courier.He took the letter to the study.As soon as he was gone, there was less activity and the guests began to chat quietly and in low voices. "Well, now the reading!" said Speransky, coming out of the study. "He has amazing talents!" said Speransky to Prince Andrew.Immediately Magnitsky stood up, took his pose, and read in French his witty poems about several famous people of Petersburg, interrupted several times by applause.Prince Andrew waited until the reading was over, went up to Speransky and took his leave.

"Where are you going so early?" asked Speranski. "I promised to go to a party..." They said nothing more.Prince Andrew looked closely into those mirror-like eyes, and amused himself, how could he have hoped for Speranski and his activities, how could he have valued what Speransky had said. What did you do.Long after Prince Andrei left the Speranskys, that lifeless laughter still rang in his ears. When Prince Andrew returned home, he recalled all the events of the four months he had lived in Petersburg.He recalled his running, pleading, and what happened to the military regulations he had drawn up.This order has been accepted for review, but has not received any approval, because another very bad order has been sent to the emperor; he remembered the meetings of the Military Doctrine Committee (of which Berg was also a member); he wanted to go, at these meetings everyone Discussing the form and procedure of the meeting tirelessly, but deliberately avoiding the essence of the problem.He was ashamed to think of his legal work, and how seriously he had translated the Roman and French Codes into Russian.Then he thought vividly of Baogu Tsaravo, his affairs in the country, his trip to Ryazan.He thought of his serfs and the mayor of Dron, whom he was willing to give them personal freedom.Now he wondered how he could spend so much time on such pointless things.