Война и мир

Chapter 14

           Whenyoustandexpectingtheoverstrainedstringtosnapatanymoment,wheneveryoneisexpectingtheinevitablecatastrophe,asmanyaspossiblemustjoinhandsascloselyastheycantowithstandthegeneralcalamity.Everythingthatisyoungandstrongisbeingenticedawayanddepraved.Oneisluredbywomen,anotherbyhonors,athirdbyambitionormoney,andtheygoovertothatcamp.Noindependentmen,suchasyouorI,areleft.WhatIsayiswidenthescopeofoursociety,letthemotd’ordrebenotvirtuealonebutindependenceandactionaswell!”

           Nicholas,whohadlefthisnephew,irritablypushedupanarmchair,satdowninit,andlistenedtoPierre,coughingdiscontentedlyandfrowningmoreandmore.

           “Butactionwithwhataim?”hecried.“Andwhatpositionwillyouadopttowardthegovernment?”

           “Why,thepositionofassistants.Thesocietyneednotbesecretifthegovernmentallowsit.Notmerelyisitnothostiletogovernment,butitisasocietyoftrueconservatives—asocietyofgentlemeninthefullmeaningofthatword.ItisonlytopreventsomePugachëvorotherfromkillingmychildrenandyours,andArakchéevfromsendingmeofftosomeMilitarySettlement.Wejoinhandsonlyforthepublicwelfareandthegeneralsafety.”

           “Yes,butit’sasecretsocietyandthereforeahostileandharmfulonewhichcanonlycauseharm.”

           “Why?DidtheTugendbundwhichsavedEurope”(theydidnotthenventuretosuggestthatRussiahadsavedEurope)“doanyharm?TheTugendbundisanallianceofvirtue:itislove,mutualhelp...itiswhatChristpreachedontheCross.

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