Chapter 4 Chapter Four

Not long afterward, it was not the old rhetoric teacher, but the guarantor, Wilarsky, who came to this dark and magnificent palace to look for Pierre, who recognized him from the guarantor's voice.Pierre replied to the question again as to the firmness of his ambitions: "Yes, yes, I agree," he said with a childlike smile, showing his fat chest, wearing a leather boot on one foot and not wearing the other, and he took unsteady and timid steps, Walk close to Villarsky's long sword held out against his bare chest.He was ushered out of the room, wandered up and down the corridors, and finally led to the door of the chapter.In answer to Villarski's coughing and a few thuds with a special Masonic mallet, the door ahead of them swung open.A man with a bass voice (Pierre's eyes were still blindfolded) asked him several questions: who was he, where did he live, when was he born, etc.Later, he was led somewhere, and the handkerchief that was blindfolded was not removed for him. As he walked, someone said to him a few words with allegories: the hardships of the pilgrimage, the sacred friendship, the eternal and eternal creation Lord, be brave (he should bravely endure hardship and danger).During this pilgrimage, Pierre found that some people sometimes called him the seeker, sometimes the sufferer, and sometimes the petitioner. Hammers and swords made various noises.When someone led him to something, he found that there was a panic among the leaders.He heard people around him arguing in low voices, and one stubbornly insisted on leading him across the carpet.Afterwards they took his right hand, placed it on something, made him press a compass with his left hand firmly to his left breast, and bade him repeat the words of loyalty to the Masonic statutes that were read by others. oath.Then a few candles were blown out, alcohol was lit (Pierre smelled it), and they said he would be able to see a small ray of light.They took off the handkerchief from his eyes, and Pierre, as in a dream, saw, in the light of the faint light of the alcoholic flame, several figures standing in their aprons like rhetoric teachers. On the opposite side, there are several long swords aimed at his chest.A man in a blood-stained white shirt stood between them.Seeing this, Pierre puffed out his chest, moved his feet, and walked towards several long swords, hoping that the long swords would pierce his chest.But the long sword avoided him, and someone immediately blindfolded him again.

"Now you see a small ray of light," someone can be heard telling him.Then they lighted the candle again, and said to him that there was enough light for him to see, and they took off the handkerchief from his eyes, and suddenly a dozen of them said in unison: "Sic Transit Gloria Mandi."① -------- ①Latin: so the glory of the world fades away. Pierre began to regain consciousness gradually, looking around the room in which he was staying and the people in it.There were about a dozen people sitting around a long table covered with a black cloth, in the same attire as the people he had seen earlier.There were several people whom Pierre had met in Petersburg society.An unknown young man was sitting on the chairman's seat, with a special cross hanging around his neck.The Italian priest whom Pierre had seen two years before at Anna Pavlovna's was sitting on the right-hand seat.Here was also a most important official and a Swiss governess who had formerly lived in the Kuragins' house.Everyone was solemnly silent, listening to the chairman with the gavel in his hand.A flaming star was inlaid on the wall, and a carpet of various designs was spread beside the table, and on the other side of the table was something in the shape of an altar with the Gospels and skulls.Around the table were seven objects in the shape of a cathedral candelabra.Two brothers led Pierre to the altar, put his legs at right angles, ordered him to lie down, and said that he should prostrate himself before the temple gate.

"He has to get a shovel first." A brother said softly. "Ah! that's enough, stop talking," said another. Pierre did not obey, and looked around with his near-sighted, disturbed eyes, suddenly suspicious: "Where am I? What am I doing? Are they laughing at me? Shouldn't I be ashamed to think of it?" But this This doubt lasted only for a moment.Pierre looked around at the serious faces of the people around him, recalling everything he had been through, and he knew in his heart that he could not give up halfway.He was taken aback by the thought of his own suspicions, and desperately wanted to bring back to himself the old pity, so he prostrated himself at the gate of the temple.There was indeed a greater pity in his mind than ever before.Not long after he lay on his back, someone told him to stand up, put a white leather apron on him like others, and gave him a shovel and three pairs of gloves. At this time, the head of the Masonic branch spoke to him. speak.He told him to do his best to keep nothing from staining the white of the apron of chastity and purity, and then told him about the shovel for which he knew no purpose, and told him to work with it to purify his heart. , Get rid of all kinds of bad habits, and use it to soothe the hearts of others generously.Then he talked about the first pair of men's gloves, saying that he didn't know what the point was, but Pierre should keep them, and about the other pair of men's gloves, he said he should wear them to the meeting, and finally he The third pair of women's gloves is described as follows:

"Dear brother, this pair of ladies' gloves is for you. Please pass it on to the woman you respect the most. You will choose a virtuous Masonic wife for yourself in the future, and you will make her believe in you through this gift. The purity of heart.” He was silent for a moment, and added, “But dear brother, there is one rule that must be obeyed, not to let these gloves beautify unclean hands.” When the president of the branch said the last few words , it seemed to Pierre, that the chairman was perplexed.Pierre was even more ashamed, he blushed like a child until tears welled up in his eyes, he began to look around uneasily, and there was an embarrassing silence.

The silence was broken by a brother who led Pierre to the carpet and began to read to him from his notebook the figures drawn on the carpet (sun, moon, mallet, plumb bob, shovel, cube, pillar, three windows, etc.).Then they assigned him a seat, showed him the club badge, gave him the code word to get started, and finally allowed him to sit.The chapter president begins to read the chapter constitution.The statute was very long, and Pierre, unable to understand what was being read for joy, excitement, and shame, listened to the last few sentences of the statute, and took them by heart. "In our temple," read the Chapter President, "we recognize no rank but that which lies between virtue and vice. Take care not to make a distinction which would impair equality. Must fly to the aid of brother and brother , no matter who he is, he must teach those who go astray, lift up those who fall, and never hold grudges or enmity against brothers and sisters. Everyone should be kind. Kindle the flame of virtue in everyone's heart. And share happiness with others , never let jealousy disturb this pure pleasure."

"Please forgive your enemies, don't take revenge, you can only do good to him, and in this way implement the supreme canon, you can search for the ancient solemn and majestic relics that you have lost." After he finished these words, owe She bowed, embraced Pierre, and kissed him. With tears of joy in his eyes, Pierre looked around, not knowing how to respond to the congratulations of the people around him, or to the impression of his new acquaintance.He does not recognize any acquaintances, but regards everyone as brothers and sisters, and is eager to start working with them.

The chapter president tapped the gavel, everyone took their seats, and one of them read an injunction on the necessity of humility. The president of the branch suggested that everyone fulfill the final obligation, and the prominent official known as the charity collector circled around the brothers and sisters.Pierre would have liked to put all the money he had in the charity register, but he was afraid of appearing arrogant in doing so, so he wrote the same amount of donations as everyone else. The meeting was over, and Pierre returned home as if he had returned from a long journey, as if, after decades on the way, he had been completely changed and had fallen behind the old order and habits of life.