Chapter 17 Part 1 - Fourteen

Nekhludoff went to his aunt's this time because he was passing through their estate on the way to the front of his unit, and the two aunts had kindly invited him, but mainly because he wanted to see Kakashi. Qiusha.Perhaps in the depths of his soul he had been drawn to Katyusha by the now-unbridled animal impulse, but he did not realize it.He just wanted to revisit the places where he had lived happily, to see the two ridiculous and amiable aunts who had always been very loving and admiring to him, and to see the innocent and lovely Katyusha who left him with pleasant memories. He arrived on Good Friday at the end of March.It was the first thaw, the roads were muddy, and the rain was pouring, and he was drenched and frozen, but he was alive and refreshed--as he always was in those days. "Is she still at their house?" he thought to himself as the carriage reached the old landed manor which his aunt's family knew well.The manor yard was piled with snow that had fallen from the roof, surrounded by a low wall.He had hoped that she would run up the steps at the sound of his bell, but all he could see were two barefoot women with their skirts tucked in, coming out of the side door with buckets, apparently scrubbing the floor.There was no sign of her at the entrance of the main gate, only Jihong, the servant, came out alone.He is wearing an apron and appears to be cleaning the house as well.Aunt Sophia came into the hall in her silk dress and nightcap.

-------- ①The last Friday before Easter. "Oh, it's great that you're here at last!" said Aunt Sophia, kissing him. "Aunt Maria isn't feeling well. She's tired from church. We've had communion." "Congratulations, Aunt Sophia," said Nekhludoff, kissing Aunt Sophia's hand, "I'm sorry I got you wet." "Go to your room. You're soaking wet. You've got a beard. . . Katyusha! Katyusha! Bring him coffee." "I'm coming!" A familiar voice came from the corridor. Nekhludoff's heart was beating with joy. "She's still here!" It was as if the sun was peeping out of the clouds.Nekhludoff cheerfully followed Tikhon to change in the room where he had lived before.

Nekhludoff was eager to ask Tikhon about Katyusha: how was she?how have you been?Are you getting married soon?But Tikhon's attitude was so respectful and solemn, and he insisted on showering him with water himself, that Nekhludoff was too embarrassed to ask him about Katyusha, but could only ask his grandchildren how they were doing. , what about the old horse called "Brother" and Borcon the watchdog.It turns out that the grandchildren and the old horse are very good and strong, only Bolcong went crazy last year. Nekhludoff took off his wet clothes and was about to put on clean clothes when he heard hurried steps and a knock at the door.Nekhludoff heard who it was from the footsteps and the knock at the door.Only she walks and knocks like that.

He put on his damp military overcoat and walked to the door. "Come in!" Sure enough, it was her, Katyusha.It's still the same as before, but it's more beautiful and cute.Those pure black eyes, squinting slightly, still looked at people from foot to head with such a smile.She was still wearing a white apron.My aunt sent her a bar of soap, fresh from the wrapper, and two hand towels: a large Russian bath towel and a washcloth.Whether it was the unused legible soap, or the two hand towels, or Katyusha herself, everything was clean, fresh, simple, and lovely.Her lovely, well-defined red lips were puckered with the same uncontrollable joy she had seen the last time she saw him.

"Welcome, Dmitry Ivanitch!" she said with difficulty, flushing. "Hello... hello," said Nekhludoff, not knowing whether to use "you" or "you" to address her, blushing just like her. "How are you?" "Thank God... You see, my aunt told me to bring you your favorite rose soap," she said, putting the soap on the table, and throwing the handkerchief on the arm of the chair. "My nephew has his own," said Tikhon, boasting of his guest's wealth, pointing triumphantly to Nekhludoff's large dressing-case.Inside the chest were many bottles with silver caps, brushes, pomade, perfume, and other cosmetics.

"Thank you, aunt. I am so glad to be here," said Nekhludoff, feeling as bright and warm as before. She only smiled slightly when she heard this, and left. The two aunts had always been fond of Nekhludoff, and they were especially happy to see him this time.Dmitry went out to fight and could be wounded or killed.This made the two aunts love him very much. Nekhludoff had planned to stay at his aunt's only for a day and a night, but seeing Katyusha he decided to stay two days longer and leave after Easter.So he sent a telegram to his friend and colleague Shen Baoke, asking him to come to his aunt's house too.They had originally agreed to meet at Odessa.

On the first day Nekhludoff saw Katyusha, he felt an old love for her.As before, he was excited when he saw Katyusha's white apron, he was happy when he heard her footsteps, her voice, her laughter, and he saw her watery eyes like black plums, especially when she smiled. , he was fascinated, mainly because when they met, he was flustered as soon as he saw her flushed face.He found that he was in love, but he didn't feel that love was a mystery like before. He didn't even dare to admit that he was in love, and he thought that a person can only fall in love once in a lifetime.Now he was in love again, and realized it, and was happy about it.He vaguely knows what love is all about and what the outcome will be.

Nekhludoff, like everyone else, had two persons in him at the same time.One is a spiritual person, and what he pursues is the happiness that is unified with others; the other is a beastly person, who blindly pursues personal happiness and sacrifices the happiness of all mankind for the sake of personal happiness.In the present period, when the egoism aroused by Petersburg life and army life had taken hold of him viciously, the animal man had the upper hand and completely overwhelmed the spiritual man.However, when he saw Katyusha, the old love relapsed, and the spiritual man raised his head again and dominated his actions again.During the two days leading up to Easter, Nekhludoff was constantly engaged in an inner struggle that he did not even know about.

He knew in his heart that he should go, he had no reason to stay at his aunt's house, and he knew that nothing good would happen if he stayed, but he was so happy here that he didn't want to face the danger, so he stayed. On the evening of Saturday, the day before Easter, the priest came in a sleigh with deacons and chanters to say the morning prayers.They said they had to walk the three miles from the church to their aunt's house, across ponds and dry land, with great difficulty. Nekhludoff, standing with his aunt and servants, had finished his morning prayers, and at the same time fixed his eyes on Katyusha, who was standing at the door, bringing the censer.He kissed the priest and the two aunts three times, and was about to go to bed when he heard Matrona, Aunt Maria's old maid, in the corridor with Katyusha, about to go to church to bake the Easter cakes. and the purification ceremony of milk cakes.He secretly made up his mind:

"I'll go as well." The way to the church is not suitable for horse-drawn carriages, nor is it easy to use sledges.Nekhludoff, who was as casual at his aunt's as at his own, ordered his servants to saddle his stallion called "Brother", and instead of going to bed, put on a smart military uniform and breeches, and put on He put on his military overcoat, got on the fat and strong old horse that could not stop neighing, and ran towards the church through the pond and snow in the dark.