In all circles of Petersburg society, the Rumyantsev faction, the Francophile faction, the Maria Fedorovna faction, the Tsarina faction and other factions were engaged in an unprecedentedly fierce and intricate struggle. As usual, the court The clamor of the helpers drowned out the disputes of the various factions.But the stable, luxurious life in Petersburg, concerned only with phantoms of reality, remained the same, and through this way of life it took great effort to realize the dangers and difficulties in which the common people of Russia stood.The emperor's visits, the balls, the French theaters were the same as ever, the courtly attention, the search for office, the intrigues were the same.Only the upper classes are doing their best to remind the people of the present difficult situation.The common people whispered that the current situation is so difficult, and the two empresses are going their own way and obstructing each other.Empress Maria Feodorovna was only concerned about the safety of the charitable and educational institutions she was in charge of, and made arrangements to evacuate all these institutions to Kazan.The objects of these organs are all bound up.And Empress Elizabeth Alexeyevna, when people asked her for orders, she replied with her inherent Russian patriotism that she could not issue orders to state organs, because this is His Majesty's state affairs, and it is up to her A personal decision, she said she would be the last to leave Petersburg.

-------- ① Maria Feodorovna was the queen of the late Tsar Paul, while Elizabeth was the queen of the reigning Tsar Alexander. On August 26, the day of the Battle of Borodino, a party was held at Anna Pavlovna's house, the highlight of which was the reading of the bishop's letter attached to the dedication of the statue of St. Sergius to His Majesty. The letter is seen as a model of patriotic ecclesiastical rhetoric.The letter will be read aloud by Prince Vasily, renowned for his art of reciting (he often reads it to the Empress).It is said to create, to move forward.Reaffirmed that the law of the unity of opposites is the core of dialectics. , the key to his recitations is to be loud and melodious, to utter the words alternately with desperate whines and soft whispers, completely disregarding the meaning of the words, and the reader whines now on one line, now complains on another. Voice.This reading, like all evenings at Anna Fyodorovna's, was political.There will be several dignitaries at this evening's evening, who should be ashamed and patriotically encouraged to go to the French theater.Quite a number of people had already arrived, but Anna Pavlovna saw in the drawing room that the people who should be there had not yet arrived, so the reading was suspended for the time being, and everyone was allowed to chat casually.

The news of the day in the Petersburg Daily Gazette was Countess Bezukhova's illness.The countess was unexpectedly ill a few days ago, and missed several parties that were so attractive because of her presence. At the same time, it was heard that she did not receive anyone, and did not invite several well-known people in Petersburg who often treated her. Instead, she trusted an Italian doctor to treat her in a new and unusual way. It was well known that the illness of the charming countess arose from the inconvenience of being married to two husbands at the same time, and that the Italian remedy consisted in eliminating this inconvenience; but in the presence of Anna Pavlovna not only who Don't dare to think like this, and it seems that no one knows.

"Onditquelapauvrecomtesseesttresmal. Lemedecinditquec'estl'anginepectorale. "L'angine? Oh, c'estune maladie terrible! "Onditque les rivaux seson tre concilies graceal' angine..." ① Everyone repeated the word angine with great interest. "Levieuxcomteesttouchantacequ'ondit．Ilapleurecommeunenfantquandlemedecinluiaditquelecasetaitdangereux." "Oh, ceseraituneperteterrible. C'estunefemmeravissante." "Vousparlezdelapauvrecomtesse," said Anna Pavlovna, coming up, "J'aienvoyesavoirdesesnouvelles. Onm'aditqu'elleallaitunpeumieux. Oh, sansdoute, c'estlapluscharmantefemmedumonde." She smiled at her excitement. "Nousappartenonsadescampsdifferents, maiscelanem'empechepasdel'estimer, commeellelemerite. Elleestbienmalheureuse." Anna Pavlovna added.

-------- ①I heard that the poor countess is seriously ill.The doctor said it was angina.Angina?Oh, what a terrible disease!I heard that two enemies reconciled because of angina... ②I heard that the old earl was very sad.When the doctor said his condition was dangerous, he cried like a child.Oh, it would be a big loss.Such a charming woman.Are you talking about the poor countess?I've sent someone to say hello.They said she was better.Oh, there is no doubt that this is the most charming woman in the world. ③We belong to different camps, but this does not prevent me from showing due respect to her.How unfortunate she is.

An imprudent young man, thinking that Anna Pavlovna's words meant to unravel the mystery surrounding the countess' condition, inadvertently refused to invite a famous doctor, and a doctor who might have given dangerous drugs The quack who treated the countess expressed surprise. "Vosinformationspeuventetremeilleuresqueles mienues． ①Anna Pavlovna suddenly and viciously attacked the ignorant young man. C'estle medecinin Btimedelareined'Espagne. ②Anna Pavlovna thus defeated the young man, turned and walked towards Bilibin. The man, who was talking about the Austrians in another circle, wrinkled the skin of his face, obviously ready to loosen it at any moment, Say unmot" (a quip).

"Jetrouvequec'est charmant!" he was speaking of a diplomatic document which was sent to Vienna together with the Austrian flag captured by Wittgenstein, leheros de Petropol, as he was called in Petersburg. "Why, what's the matter?" Anna Pavlovna asked him, in order to silence the mot she already knew. So Bilibin recounted the original text of the diplomatic document drafted by him: "L'empereurrenovieles drapeaux Autrichiens," said Bilibin, "drapeaux amisetegares qu'ilatrouve hors de la route." ⑤ Bilibin finished speaking, relaxing the skin of his face.

"Charmant, charmant." said Prince Vasily. -------- ①Your information may be more accurate than mine. ②But I know from reliable sources that this doctor is very knowledgeable.He is the physician to the Queen of Spain. ③I found this wonderful! ④Heroes of Petersburg. ⑤The emperor returned the Austrian flags, these friendly and misguided flags, which he found outside the right path. (Intended to satirize Austria's alliance with Russia not long ago, and then attacked Russia with Napoleon.) ⑥ It's wonderful, it's wonderful. "C'est la route de Varsovie peut-etre," said Prince Hippolyte in a surprisingly loud voice.Everyone turned their eyes to him, not understanding the meaning of his words.Prince Hippolyte also looked around with joyful surprise.He was as confused as anyone else about what he meant by saying this.More than once during his service in the diplomatic service he had noticed the tact of sudden words spoken in this way, and he had given the first opportunity to say what first came to his tongue. "Perhaps, it will work well," he thought, "and if it doesn't, they'll make a mistake." Sure enough, at the moment when an awkward silence prevailed, Anna Pavlovna waited for his arrival. The unpatriotic figure who was giving the speech came in, and, smiling and threatening Hippolyte with her finger, she invited Prince Vasily to come and sit down at the table, handed him two candles and a manuscript, and asked him start reading.The audience was silent.

-------- ①This is Warsaw Avenue, it is possible. "Your Majesty the Most Merciful Emperor!" began Prince Vasily gravely, looking around the audience as if to ask if anyone would object to this, but no one spoke. "Moscow, the first capital city, New Jerusalem, welcome your own Christ," he said suddenly, adding the accent to his own words, "like a mother's open arms to receive her ardent son, and see through the fog your kingdom Glorious glory, he sings: 'Hosanna', happy posterity!" Prince Vasily recited the last words of this passage in a crying voice.

Bilibin carefully observed his nails, and many of them looked frightened, as if they were asking what was wrong with them.Anna Pavlovna repeated softly, predictably, like an old woman saying her prayers: "Let that daring Goliath . . . " she finished these words in a low voice. Prince Vasili continued to read: "Let the daring Goliath spread the horrors of death from France over all Russia, faithful faith, the slingshot of the Russian David, will suddenly pierce the head of the bloodthirsty madman. Let this holy The holy image of Sergiy, the defender of the well-being of our country in ancient times, is dedicated to His Majesty the Emperor. I am saddened, because my weakened strength prevents me from facing the face of the most merciful face. I pray fervently to heaven for the blessing of the Almighty For a righteous people, mercifully fulfill your Majesty's wishes."

"Quelleforce! Quelstyle!" ② Both the reader and the writer were praised. Anna Pavlovna's guests, encouraged by their listening, talked at length about the state of affairs in their country, and made various speculations about the outcome of the fighting in the next few days. "Vousverrez," said Anna Pavlovna, "to-morrow, on His Majesty's birthday, we shall have news. I have a foreboding." -------- ① Goliath the Gathian, a Philistine warrior, was killed by David with a slingshot.See Chapter Seventeen of The Book of Samuel. ② How powerful!What a style! ③You will see.