“Whyareyouinabluecoat?Offwithit!…Sergeant!changehiscoat…thedir…”Beforehehadtimetofinishtheword—
“General,Iamboundtoobeyorders,butIamnotboundtoputupwith…”Dolohovhastenedtosay。
“Notalkingintheranks!…Notalking,notalking!”
“Notboundtoputupwithinsults,”Dolohovwenton,loudlyandclearly。Theeyesofthegeneralandthesoldiermet。Thegeneralpaused,angrilypullingdownhisstiffscarf。
“Changeyourcoat,ifyouplease,”hesaidashewalkedaway。
Chapter2
“COMING!”thesentinelshoutedatthatmoment。Thegeneral,turningred,rantohishorse,withtremblinghandscaughtatthestirrup,swunghimselfup,settledhimselfinthesaddle,drewouthissword,andwithapleasedandresolutefaceopenedhismouthononeside,inreadinesstoshout。Theregimentflutteredallover,likeabirdpreeningitswings,andsubsidedintostillness。
“Silence!”roaredthegeneral,inasoul—quakingvoice,expressingatoncegladnessonhisownaccount,severityasregardstheregiment,andwelcomeasregardstheapproachingcommander—in—chief。
Ahigh,blueViennacoachwithseveralhorseswasdrivingatasmarttrot,rumblingonitssprings,alongthebroadunpavedhigh—road,withtreesplantedoneachsideofit。Thegeneral’ssuiteandanescortofCroatsgallopedafterthecoach。BesideKutuzovsatanAustriangeneralinawhiteuniform,thatlookedstrangeamongtheblackRussianones。Thecoachdrewuponreachingtheregiment。KutuzovandtheAustriangeneralweretalkingofsomethinginlowvoices,andKutuzovsmiledslightlyas,treadingheavily,heputhisfootonthecarriagestep,exactlyasthoughthosetwothousandmengazingbreathlesslyathimandattheirgeneral,didnotexistatall。
Thewordofcommandrangout,againtheregimentquiveredwithaclankingsoundasitpresentedarms。Inthedeathlysilencetheweakvoiceofthecommander—in—chiefwasaudible。Theregimentroared:“GoodhealthtoyourEx……lency……lency……lency!”Andagainallwasstill。AtfirstKutuzovstoodinonespot,whiletheregimentmoved;thenKutuzovbeganwalkingonfootamongtheranks,thewhitegeneralbesidehim,followedbyhissuite。
Fromthewaythatthegeneralincommandoftheregimentsalutedthecommander—in—chief,fixinghiseyesintentlyonhim,rigidlyrespectfulandobsequious,fromthewayinwhich,craningforward,hefollowedthegeneralsthroughtheranks,withaneffortrestraininghisquiveringstrut,anddartedupateverywordandeverygestureofthecommander—in—chief,—itwasevidentthatheperformedhisdutiesasasubordinatewithevengreaterzestthanhisdutiesasacommandingofficer。Thankstothestrictnessandassiduityofitscommander,theregimentwasinexcellentformascomparedwiththeothersthathadarrivedatBraunauatthesametime。Thesickandthestragglersleftbehindonlynumberedtwohundredandseventeen,andeverythingwasingoodorderexceptthesoldiers’boots。
Kutuzovwalkedthroughtheranks,stoppingnowandthen,andsayingafewfriendlywordstoofficershehadknownintheTurkishwar,andsometimestothesoldiers。Lookingattheirboots,heseveraltimesshookhisheaddejectedly,andpointedthemouttotheAustriangeneralwithanexpressionasmuchastosaythatheblamednooneforit,buthecouldnothelpseeingwhatabadstateofthingsitwas。Thegeneralincommandoftheregiment,oneveryoccasionsuchasthis,ranforward,afraidofmissingasinglewordthecommander—in—chiefmightutterregardingtheregiment。BehindKutuzov,atsuchadistancethateveryword,evenfeeblyarticulated,couldbeheard,followedhissuite,consistingofsometwentypersons。Thesegentlemenweretalkingamongthemselves,andsometimeslaughed。Nearestofalltothecommander—in—chiefwalkedahandsomeadjutant。ItwasPrinceBolkonsky。BesidehimwashiscomradeNesvitsky,atallstaff—officer,excessivelystout,withagood—natured,smiling,handsomeface,andmoisteyes。Nesvitskycouldhardlysuppresshismirth,whichwasexcitedbyaswarthyofficerofhussarswalkingnearhim。Thisofficer,withoutasmileorachangeintheexpressionofhisfixedeyes,wasstaringwithaseriousfaceatthecommandingofficer’sback,andmimickingeverymovementhemade。Everytimethecommandingofficerquiveredanddartedforward,theofficerofhussarsquiveredanddartedforwardinpreciselythesameway。Nesvitskylaughed,andpokedtheotherstomakethemlookatthemimic。
Kutuzovwalkedslowlyandlistlesslybythethousandsofeyeswhichwerealmostrollingoutoftheirsocketsintheefforttowatchhim。Onreachingthethirdcompany,hesuddenlystopped。Thesuite,notforeseeingthishalt,couldnothelppressingupclosertohim。
“Ah,Timohin!”saidthecommander—in—chief,recognisingthecaptainwiththerednosewhohadgotintotroubleovertheblueovercoat。
OnewouldhavethoughtitimpossibletostandmorerigidlyerectthanTimohinhaddonewhenthegeneralincommandoftheregimenthadmadehisremarkstohim;butattheinstantwhenthecommander—in—chiefaddressedhim,thecaptainstoodwithsucherectrigiditythatitseemedthat,werethecommander—in—chieftoremainforsometimelookingathim,thecaptaincouldhardlysustaintheordeal,andforthatreasonKutuzov,realisinghisposition,andwishinghimnothingbutgood,hurriedlyturnedaway。AscarcelyperceptiblesmilepassedoverKutuzov’spodgyface,disfiguredbythescarofawound。
“AnotheroldcomradeatIsmail!”hesaid。“Agallantofficer!Areyousatisfiedwithhim?”Kutuzovaskedofthegeneralincommand。
Andthegeneral,allunconsciousthathewasbeingreflectedasinamirrorintheofficerofhussarsbehindhim,quivered,pressedforward,andanswered:“Fully,yourmosthighexcellency。”
“Weallhaveourweaknesses,”saidKutuzov,smilingandwalkingawayfromhim。“HehadapredilectionforBacchus。”
Thegeneralincommandwasafraidthathemightbetoblameforthis,andmadenoanswer。Theofficerofhussarsatthatinstantnoticedthefaceofthecaptainwiththerednose,andtherigidlydrawn—instomach,andmimickedhisfaceandattitudeinsuchalife—likemannerthatNesvitskycouldnotrestrainhislaughter。Kutuzovturnedround。Theofficercouldapparentlydoanythinghelikedwithhisface;attheinstantKutuzovturnedround,theofficerhadtimetogetinagrimacebeforeassumingthemostserious,respectful,andinnocentexpression。
Thethirdcompanywasthelast,andKutuzovseemedpondering,asthoughtryingtorecallsomething。PrinceAndreysteppedforwardandsaidsoftlyinFrench:“Youtoldmetoremindyouofthedegradedofficer,Dolohov,servingintheranksinthisregiment。”
“WhereisDolohov?”askedKutuzov。
Dolohov,attiredbynowinthegreyovercoatofaprivatesoldier,didnotwaittobecalledup。Theslenderfigureofthefair—hairedsoldier,withhisbrightblueeyes,steppedoutoftheline。Hewentuptothecommander—in—chiefandpresentedarms。
“Acomplainttomake?”Kutuzovaskedwithaslightfrown。
“ThisisDolohov,”saidPrinceAndrey。
“Ah!”saidKutuzov。“Ihopethiswillbealessontoyou,doyourdutythoroughly。TheEmperorisgracious。AndIshallnotforgetyou,ifyoudeserveit。”
Thebrightblueeyeslookedatthecommander—in—chiefjustasimpudentlyasatthegeneralofhisregiment,asthoughbyhisexpressiontearingdowntheveilofconventionthatremovedthecommander—in—chiefsofarfromthesoldier。
“TheonlyfavourIbegofyourmosthighexcellency,”hesaidinhisfirm,ringing,deliberatevoice,“istogivemeachancetoatoneformyoffence,andtoprovemydevotiontohismajestytheEmperor,andtoRussia。”
Kutuzovturnedaway。TherewasagleaminhiseyesofthesamesmilewithwhichhehadturnedawayfromCaptainTimohin。Heturnedawayandfrowned,asthoughtoexpressthatallDolohovhadsaidtohimandallhecouldsay,hehadknownlong,longago,thathewassicktodeathlongagoofit,andthatitwasnotatallwhatwaswanted。Heturnedawayandwenttowardsthecoach。
TheregimentbrokeintocompaniesandwenttowardsthequartersassignedthematnogreatdistancefromBraunau,wheretheyhopedtofindbootsandclothes,andtorestaftertheirhardmarches。
“Youwon’tbearmeagrudge,ProhoIgnatitch?”saidthecommandinggeneral,overtakingthethirdcompanyandridinguptoCaptainTimohin,whowaswalkinginfrontofit。Thegeneral’sfacebeamedwithadelighthecouldnotsuppressafterthesuccessfulinspection。“It’sintheTsar’sservice…can’tbehelped…sometimesonehastobealittlesharpatinspection。I’mthefirsttoapologise;youknowme。…Hewasverymuchpleased。”Andheheldouthishandtothecaptain。
“Uponmyword,general,asifI’dmakesobold,”answeredthecaptain,hisnoseflushingredder。Hesmiled,andhissmilerevealedthelossoftwofrontteeth,knockedoutbythebutt—endofagunatIsmail。
“AndtellDolohovthatIwon’tforgethim;hecanbeeasyaboutthat。Andtellme,please,whatabouthim,how’shebehavinghimself…I’vebeenmeaningtoinquire…”
“He’sveryexactinthedischargeofhisduties,yourexcellency…buthe’sacharacter…”saidTimohin。
“Why,whatsortofacharacter?”askedthegeneral。
“It’sdifferentondifferentdays,yourexcellency,”saidthecaptain;“atonetimehe’ssensibleandwell—educatedandgood—natured。Andthenhe’llbelikeawildbeast。InPoland,heallbutkilledaJew,ifyouplease。…”
“Well,well,”saidthegeneral,“stillonemustfeelforayoungmanintrouble。Hehasgreatconnections,youknow。…Soyou…”
“Oh,yes,yourexcellency,”saidTimohin,withasmilethatshowedheunderstoodhissuperiorofficer’swishinthematter。
“Verywell,then,verywell。”
ThegeneralsoughtoutDolohovintheranksandpulleduphishorse。
“Inthefirstactionyoumaywinyourepaulettes,”hesaidtohim。
Dolohovlookedroundandsaidnothing。Therewasnochangeinthelinesofhisironically—smilingmouth。
“Well,that’sallrightthen,”thegeneralwenton。“Aglassofbrandytoeverymanfromme,”headded,sothatthesoldierscouldhear。“Ithankyouall。Godbepraised!”Andridingroundthecompany,hegallopedofftoanother。
“Well,he’sreallyagoodfellow,onecangetonverywellunderhim,”saidTimohintothesubalternofficerwalkingbesidehim。
“Thekingofhearts,that’stheonlywordforhim,”thesubalternsaid,laughing。(Thegeneralwasnicknamedthekingofhearts。)
Thecheerfulstateofmindoftheofficersaftertheinspectionwassharedbythesoldiers。Thecompanieswentalongmerrily。Soldiers’voicescouldbeheardonallsideschattingaway。
“Why,don’ttheysayKutuzov’sblindinoneeye?”
“Tobesureheis。Quiteblindofoneeye。”
“Nay…lads,he’smoresharp—eyedthanyouare。Seehowhelookedatourbootsandthings。”…
“Isay,mate,whenhelookedatmylegs…well,thinksI…”
“AndtheotherwasanAustrianwithhim,thatlookedasifhe’dbeenchalkedallover。Aswhiteasflour。Ibettheyrubhimupaswerubupourguns。”
“Isay,Fedeshou…didhesayanythingastowhenthebattlesaregoingtobegin?Youstoodnearer。TheydidsayBonapartehimselfwasinBrunovo。”
“Bonaparte!Whatnonsensethefellowtalks!Whatwon’tyouknownext!Nowit’sthePrussianthat’srevolting。TheAustrian,doyousee,ispacifyinghim。Whenhe’squiet,thenthewarwillbeginwithBonaparte。AndhetalksofBonaparte’sbeinginBrunovo!It’splainthefellow’safool。You’dbetterkeepyourearsopen。”
“Thosedevilsofquartermasters!…Thefifthcompany’sturnedintothevillagebynow,andthey’recookingtheirporridge,andwe’renotthereyet。”
“Giveusabiscuit,oldman。”
“Anddidyougivemetobaccoyesterday?Allright,mylad。Well,well,Godbewithyou。”
“Theymighthavemadeahalt,orwe’llhavetodoanotherfourmileswithnothingtoeat。”
“Isay,itwasfinehowthoseGermansgaveuscarriages。Onedrovealong,somethinglike。”
“Buthere,lads,thefolksareregularlystrippedbare。ThereitwasallPolesofsomesort,allundertheRussiancrown,butnowwe’vecometotheregularGermans,myboy。”
“Singerstothefront,”thecaptaincalled。Andfromthedifferentranksabouttwentymenadvancedtothefront。Thedrummer,whowastheirleader,turnedroundfacingthechorusandwavinghisarm,struckupasoldier’ssong,beginning:“Thesunwasscarcelydawning,”andendingwiththewords:“So,lads,we’llmarchtoglorywithFatherKamensky。”…ThissonghadbeencomposedinTurkey,andnowwassunginAustria,theonlychangebeingthesubstitutionofthewords“FatherKutuzov”for“FatherKamensky。”
Jerkingoutthelastwordsinsoldierlyfashionandwavinghisarms,asthoughhewereflingingsomethingontheground,thedrummer,alean,handsomesoldierofforty,lookedsternlyatthesoldier—chorusandfrowned。Then,havingsatisfiedhimselfthatalleyeswerefixeduponhim,hegesticulated,asthoughhewerecarefullyliftingsomeunseenpreciousobjectoverhisheadinbothhands,holdingittheresomeseconds,andallatoncewithadesperatemovementflingingitaway。
“Ah,thethresholdofmycottage,
Mynewcottage。”
Heretwentyvoicescaughtuptherefrain,andthecastanetplayer,inspiteoftheweightofhisweaponandknapsack,boundednimblyforward,andwalkedbackwardsfacingthecompany,shakinghisshoulders,andseemingtomenacesomeonewiththecastanets。Thesoldierssteppedoutintimetothesong,swingingtheirarmsandunconsciouslyfallingintostep。Behindthecompanycamethesoundofwheels,therumbleofsprings,andthetrampofhorses。Kutuzovandhissuiteweregoingbacktothetown。Thecommander—in—chiefmadeasignforthesoldierstogoonfreely,andheandallhissuitelookedasthoughtheytookpleasureinthesoundofthesinging,andthespectacleofthedancingsoldierandthegaily,smartlymarchingmen。Inthesecondrowfromtherightflank,besidewhichthecarriagepassed,theycouldnothelpnoticingtheblue—eyedsoldier,Dolohov,whomarchedwithaspecialjauntinessandgraceintimetothesong,andlookedatthefacesofthepersonsdrivingbywithanexpressionthatseemedtopityeveryonewhowasnotatthatmomentmarchingintheranks。Thecornetofhussars,theofficerofKutuzov’ssuite,whohadmimickedthegeneral,fellbackfromthecarriageandrodeuptoDolohov。
Thecornetofhussars,Zherkov,hadatonetimebelongedtothefastsetinPetersburg,ofwhichDolohovhadbeentheleader。ZherkovhadmetDolohovabroadasacommonsoldier,andhadnotseenfittorecognisehim。Butnow,afterKutuzov’sconversationwiththedegradedofficer,headdressedhimwithallthecordialityofanoldfriend。
“Friendofmyheart,howareyou?”hesaid,throughthesinging,makinghishorsekeeppacewiththemarchingsoldiers。
“HowamI?”Dolohovansweredcoldly。“Asyousee。”Thelivelysonggaveapeculiarflavourtothetoneoffree—and—easygaiety,withwhichZherkovspoke,andthestudiedcoldnessofDolohov’sreplies。
“Well,howdoyougetonwithyourofficers?”askedZherkov。
“Allright;they’regoodfellows。Howdidyoumanagetopokeyourselfontothestaff?”
“Iwasattached;I’monduty。”
Theyweresilent。
“MygaygoshawkItookwithme,
FrommyrightsleeveIsethimfree,”
saidthesong,arousinganinvoluntarysensationofcourageandcheerfulness。Theirconversationwouldmostlikelyhavebeendifferent,iftheyhadnotbeentalkingwhilethesongwassinging。
“Isittrue,theAustrianshavebeenbeaten?”askedDolohov。
“Devilknows;theysayso。”
“I’mglad,”Dolohovmadeabrief,sharpreply,aswasrequiredtofitinwiththetune。
“Isay,comeroundtoussomeevening;we’llhaveagameoffaro,”saidZherkov。
“Ismoneysoplentifulamongyou?”
“Docome。”
“Ican’t;I’veswornnotto。Iwon’tdrinkorplaytillI’mpromoted。”
“Well,butinthefirstaction…”
“Thenweshallsee。”Againtheypaused。
“Youcome,ifyouwantanything;onecanalwaysbeofuseonthestaff。…”
Dolohovgrinned。“Don’ttroubleyourself。WhatIwant,I’mnotgoingtoaskfor;Itakeitformyself。”
“Oh,well,Ionly…”
“Well,andIonly。”
“Good—bye。”
“Good—bye。”
“Andfarandfree
Tohisowncountry。”
Zherkovputspurstohishorse,whichthreetimespickedupitslegsexcitedly,notknowingwhichtostartfrom,thengallopedoffroundthecompany,andovertookthecarriage,keepingtimetootothesong。
Chapter3
ONRETURNINGfromthereview,Kutuzov,accompaniedbytheAustriangeneral,wenttohisprivateroom,andcallinghisadjutant,toldhimtogivehimcertainpapers,relatingtotheconditionofthenewlyarrivedtroops,andletters,receivedfromArchdukeFerdinand,whowasincommandofthearmyatthefront。PrinceAndreyBolkonskycameintothecommander—in—chief’sroomwiththepapershehadaskedfor。KutuzovandtheAustrianmemberoftheHofkriegsrathweresittingoveraplanthatlayunfoldedonthetable。
“Ah!”…saidKutuzov,lookingroundatBolkonsky;andinvitinghisadjutant,asitwere,byhiswordtowait,hewentoninFrenchwiththeconversation。
“Ihaveonlyonethingtosay,general,”saidKutuzov,withanagreeableeleganceofexpressionandintonation,thatforcedonetolistenforeachdeliberatelyutteredword。ItwasevidentthatKutuzovhimselflistenedtohisvoicewithpleasure。“Icanonlysayonething,thatifthematterdependedonmypersonalwishes,thedesireofhismajesty,theEmperorFrancis,shouldlongagohavebeenaccomplished;Ishouldlongagohavejoinedthearchduke。And,uponmyhonour,believemethatformepersonallytohandoverthechiefcommandofthearmytomoreexperiencedandskilfulgenerals—suchasAustriaissorichin—andtothrowoffallthisweightyresponsibility,formepersonallywouldbearelief。Butcircumstancesaretoostrongforus,general。”AndKutuzovsmiledwithanexpressionthatseemedtosay:“Youareperfectlyatlibertynottobelieveme,andindeedit’samatterofperfectindifferencetomewhetheryoubelievemeornot,butyouhavenogroundsforsayingso。Andthat’sthewholepoint。”TheAustriangenerallookeddissatisfied,buthehadnochoicebuttoanswerKutuzovinthesametone。
“Onthecontrary,”hesaidinaquerulousandirritatedvoice,thatcontrastedwiththeflatteringintentionofthewordsheuttered;“Onthecontrary,theparticipationofyourmosthighexcellencyincommonactionishighlyappreciatedbyhismajesty。ButweimaginethatthepresentdelayrobsthegallantRussiantroopsandtheircommander—in—chiefofthelaurelstheyareaccustomedtowinninginaction,”heconcludedaphrasehehadevidentlypreparedbeforehand。
Kutuzovbowed,stillwiththesamesmile。
“ButIamconvincedofthis,andrelyingonthelastletterwithwhichhisHighnesstheArchdukeFerdinandhashonouredme,IimaginethattheAustriantroopsunderthecommandofsotalentedaleaderasGeneralMack,havebynowgainedadecisivevictoryandhavenolongerneedofouraid,”saidKutuzov。
Thegeneralfrowned。ThoughtherewasnopositivenewsofthedefeatoftheAustrians,thereweretoomanycircumstancesinconfirmationoftheunfavourablereports;andsoKutuzov’ssuppositioninregardtoanAustrianvictorysoundedverymuchlikeasneer。ButKutuzovsmiledblandly,stillwiththesameexpression,whichseemedtosaythathehadarighttosupposeso。AndinfactthelastletterhehadreceivedfromthearmyofGeneralMackhadgivenhimnewsofvictory,andofthemostfavourablestrategicalpositionofthearmy。
“Givemethatletter,”saidKutuzov,addressingPrinceAndrey。“Here,ifyouwillkindlylook”—andKutuzov,withanironicalsmileaboutthecornersofhismouth,readinGermanthefollowingpassagefromtheletteroftheArchdukeFerdinand:
“Wehaveaforce,perfectlykepttogether,ofnearly70,000men,inordertoattackanddefeattheenemyiftheyshouldpasstheLech。AswearemastersofUlm,wecannotlosetheadvantageofremainingmastersalsoofbothsidesoftheDanube;andmoreoverable,shouldtheenemynotcrosstheLech,topassovertheDanubeatanymoment,throwourselvesupontheirlineofcommunications,recrosstheDanubelowerdown,andentirelyresisttheenemy’saimiftheyshouldattempttoturntheirwholeforceuponourfaithfulally。InthiswayweshallawaitcourageouslythemomentwhentheImperialRussianisready,andshallthen,inconjunction,easilyfindapossibilityofpreparingforthefoethatfatewhichhesorichlydeserves。”
KutuzovconcludedthisperiodwithaheavysighandlookedintentlyandgeniallyatthememberoftheHofkriegsrath。
“Butyouknow,yourexcellency,thesageprecepttopreparefortheworst,”saidtheAustriangeneral,obviouslywishingtohavedonewithjestsandtocometobusiness。Hecouldnothelpglancingroundattheadjutant。
“Excuseme,general,”Kutuzovinterruptedhim,andhe,too,turnedtoPrinceAndrey。“Here,mydearboy,getallthereportsfromourscoutsfromKozlovsky。HerearetwolettersfromCountNostits,hereisaletterfromhisHighnesstheArchdukeFerdinand,hereisanother,”hesaid,givinghimseveralpapers。“AndofallthismakeoutclearlyinFrenchamemorandumshowingalltheinformationwehavehadofthemovementsoftheAustrianArmy。Well,doso,andthenshowittohisexcellency。”
PrinceAndreybowedintokenofunderstandingfromthefirstwordnotmerelywhathadbeensaid,butalsowhatKutuzovwouldhavelikedtohavesaidtohim。Hegatheredupthepapers,andmakingacomprehensivebow,steppedsoftlyoverthecarpetandwentoutintothereception—room。
AlthoughsoshortatimehadpassedsincePrinceAndreyhadleftRussia,hehadchangedgreatlyduringthattime。Intheexpressionofhisface,inhisgestures,inhisgait,therewasscarcelyatracetobeseennowofhisformeraffectation,ennui,andindolence。Hehadtheairofamanwhohasnottimetothinkoftheimpressionheismakingonothers,andisabsorbedinwork,bothagreeableandinteresting。Hisfaceshowedmoresatisfactionwithhimselfandthosearoundhim。Hissmileandhisglanceweremorelight—heartedandattractive。
Kutuzov,whomhehadovertakeninPoland,hadreceivedhimverycordially,hadpromisednottoforgethim,hadmarkedhimoutamongtheotheradjutants,hadtakenhimwithhimtoViennaandgivenhimthemoreseriouscommissions。FromVienna,Kutuzovhadwrittentohisoldcomrade,PrinceAndrey’sfather。
“Yourson,”hewrote,“givespromiseofbecominganofficer,whowillmakehisnamebyhisindustry,firmness,andconscientiousness。Iconsidermyselfluckytohavesuchanassistantathand。”
OnKutuzov’sstaff,amonghisfellow—officers,andinthearmygenerally,PrinceAndreyhad,ashehadhadinPetersburgsociety,twoquiteoppositereputations。Some,theminority,regardedPrinceAndreyasabeingdifferentfromthemselvesandfromallothermen,expectedgreatthingsofhim,listenedtohim,wereenthusiasticinhispraise,andimitatedhim,andwithsuchpeoplePrinceAndreywasfrankandagreeable。Others,themajority,didnotlikePrinceAndrey,andregardedhimasasulky,cold,anddisagreeableperson。Butwiththelatterclass,too,PrinceAndreyknewhowtobehavesothathewasrespectedandevenfearedbythem。
ComingoutofKutuzov’sroomintothereception—room,PrinceAndreywentinwithhispaperstohiscomrade,theadjutantonduty,Kozlovsky,whowassittinginthewindowwithabook。
“Whatisit,prince?”queriedKozlovsky。
“Iamtoldtomakeanoteofthereasonwhywearenotmovingforward。”
“Andwhyaren’twe?”
PrinceAndreyshruggedhisshoulders
“NonewsfromMack?”askedKozlovsky。
“No。”
“Ifitweretruethathehadbeenbeaten,newswouldhavecome。”
“Mostlikely,”saidPrinceAndrey,andhemovedtowardsthedoortogoout。Buthewasmetonthewaybyatallmanwhoatthatinstantwalkedintothereception—room,slammingthedoor。Thestranger,whohadobviouslyjustarrived,wasanAustriangeneralinalongcoat,withablackkerchieftiedroundhishead,andtheorderofMariaTheresaonhisneck。PrinceAndreystoppedshort。
“Commander—in—chiefKutuzov?”thegeneralaskedquickly,speakingwithaharshGermanaccent。Helookedabouthimonbothsides,andwithoutapausewalkedtothedooroftheprivateroom。
“Thecommander—in—chiefisengaged,”saidKozlovsky,hurriedlygoinguptotheunknowngeneralandbarringhiswaytothedoor。“WhomamItoannounce?”
TheunknowngenerallookeddisdainfullydownattheshortfigureofKozlovsky,asthoughsurprisedthattheycouldbeignorantofhisidentity。
“Thecommander—in—chiefisengaged,”Kozlovskyrepeatedtranquilly。
Thegeneral’sfacecontracted,hislipstwitchedandquivered。Hetookoutanotebook,hurriedlyscribbledsomethinginpencil,toreouttheleaf,handedittoKozlovsky,andwithrapidstepswalkedtothewindow,droppedontoachairandlookedroundatthepersonsintheroom,asthoughaskingwhattheywerelookingathimfor。Thenthegeneralliftedhishead,cranedhisneckforwardasthoughintendingtosaysomething,butimmediately,asthoughcarelesslybeginningtohumtohimself,utteredastrangesoundwhichbrokeoffatonce。Thedooroftheprivateroomopened,andKutuzovappearedinthedoorway。
Thegeneralwiththebandagedhead,bentforwardasthoughfleeingfromdanger,strodetowardsKutuzov,histhinlegsmovingswiftly。
“YouseetheunfortunateMack,”hearticulatedinFrenchinabreakingvoice。
ThefaceofKutuzov,ashestoodinthedoorway,remainedforseveralinstantsperfectlyunmoved。Thenafrownseemedtorunoverhisface,likeawave,leavinghisforeheadsmoothagain;hebowedhisheadrespectfully,closedhiseyes,usheredMackinbeforehimwithoutaword,andclosedthedoorbehindhim。
Thereport,whichhadbeenincirculationbeforethis,ofthedefeatoftheAustriansandthesurrenderofthewholearmyatUlm,turnedouttobethetruth。Withinhalfanhouradjutantshadbeendespatchedinvariousdirectionswithorders。ItwasevidentthattheRussiantroopswhichhadhithertobeeninactive,weredestinedsoontomeettheenemy。
PrinceAndreywasoneofthoserarestaff—officerswhoseinterestswereconcentratedonthegeneralprogressofthewar。OnseeingMackandlearningthedetailsofhisoverthrow,hegraspedthefactthathalfthecampaignwaslost;heperceivedallthedifficultyofthepositionoftheRussiantroops,andvividlypicturedtohimselfwhatlaybeforetheArmy,andtheparthewouldhavetoplayintheworkinstoreforthem。Hecouldnothelpfeelingarushofjoyfulemotionatthethoughtofthehumiliationofself—confidentAustria,andtheprospectwithinaweek,perhaps,ofseeingandtakingpartinthemeetingoftheRussianswiththeFrench,thefirstsinceSuvorov’sday。ButhewasafraidofthegeniusofBonaparte,whichmightturnouttobemorepowerfulthanallthebraveryoftheRussiantroops;andatthesametimehecouldnotbeartoentertaintheideaofthedisgraceofhisfavouritehero。
Excitedandirritatedbytheseideas,PrinceAndreywenttowardshisownroomtowritetohisfather,towhomhewroteeveryday。InthecorridorhemetNesvitsky,thecomradewithwhomhesharedaroom,andthecomicman,Zherkov。Theywere,asusual,laughingatsomejoke。
“Whatareyoulookingsodismalabout?”askedNesvitsky,noticingPrinceAndrey’spalefaceandgleamingeyes。
“There’snothingtobegayabout,”answeredBolkonsky。
JustasPrinceAndreymetNesvitskyandZherkov,therecametowardsthemfromtheotherendofthecorridorStrauch,anAustriangeneral,whowasonKutuzov’sstaffinchargeoftheprovisioningoftheRussianarmy,andthememberoftheHofkriegsrath,whohadarrivedthepreviousevening。Therewasplentyofroominthewidecorridorforthegeneralstopassthethreeofficerseasily。ButZherkov,pullingNesvitskybackbythearm,criedinabreathlessvoice:
“Theyarecoming!…theyarecoming!…moveaside,makeway!please,makeway。”
Thegeneralsadvancedwithanairofwishingtoavoidburdensomehonours。Thefaceofthecomicman,Zherkov,suddenlyworeastupidsmileofglee,whichheseemedunabletosuppress。
“YourExcellency,”hesaidinGerman,movingforwardandaddressingtheAustriangeneral,“Ihavethehonourtocongratulateyou。”Hebowed,andawkwardly,aschildrendoatdancing—lessons,hebeganscrapingfirstwithonelegandthenwiththeother。ThememberoftheHofkriegsrathlookedseverelyathim,butseeingtheseriousnessofhisstupidsmile,hecouldnotrefusehimamoment’sattention。Hescreweduphiseyesandshowedthathewaslistening。
“Ihavethehonourtocongratulateyou。GeneralMackhasarrived,quitewell,onlyslightlywoundedhere,”headded,pointingwithabeamingsmiletohishead。
Thegeneralfrowned,turnedawayandwenton。
“Gott,wiena?v!”hesaidangrily,whenhewasafewstepsaway。
NesvitskywithachucklethrewhisarmsroundPrinceAndrey,butBolkonsky,turningevenpaler,pushedhimawaywithafuriousexpression,andturnedtoZherkov。Thenervousirritability,intowhichhehadbeenthrownbythesightofMack,thenewsofhisdefeatandthethoughtofwhatlaybeforetheRussianarmy,foundaventinangeratthemisplacedjestofZherkov。
“Ifyou,sir,”hebegancuttingly,withaslighttremblinginhislowerjaw,“liketobeaclown,Ican’tpreventyourbeingso,butifyoudaretoplaythefoolanothertimeinmypresence,I’llteachyouhowtobehave。”
NesvitskyandZherkovweresoastoundedatthisoutburstthattheygazedatBolkonskywithopeneyes。
“Why,Ionlycongratulatedthem,”saidZherkov。
“Iamnotjestingwithyou;besilent,please!”shoutedBolkonsky,andtakingNesvitsky’sarm,hewalkedawayfromZherkov,whocouldnotfindanyreply。
“Come,whatisthematter,mydearboy?”saidNesvitsky,tryingtosoothehim。
“What’sthematter?”saidPrinceAndrey,standingstillfromexcitement。“Why,yououghttounderstandthatwe’reeitherofficers,whoservetheirTsarandtheircountryandrejoiceinthesuccess,andgrieveatthedefeatofthecommoncause,orwe’rehirelings,whohavenointerestinourmaster’sbusiness。Fortythousandmenmassacredandthearmyofouralliesdestroyed,andyoufindsomethinginthattolaughat,”hesaid,asthoughbythisFrenchphrasehewerestrengtheninghisview。“Itisallverywellforaworthlessfellowlikethatindividualofwhomyouhavemadeafriend,butnotforyou,notforyou。Nonebutschoolboyscanfindamusementinsuchjokes,”PrinceAndreyaddedinRussian,utteringthewordwithaFrenchaccent。HenoticedthatZherkovcouldstillhearhim,andwaitedtoseewhetherthecornetwouldnotreply。Butthecornetturnedandwentoutofthecorridor。
Chapter4
THEPAVLOGRADSKYREGIMENTofhussarswasstationedtwomilesfromBraunau。ThesquadroninwhichNikolayRostovwasservingasensignwasbilletedonaGermanvillage,Salzeneck。Theofficerincommandofthesquadron,CaptainDenisov,knownthroughthewholecavalrydivisionunderthenameofVaskaDenisov,hadbeenassignedthebestquartersinthevillage。EnsignRostovhadbeensharinghisquarters,eversinceheovertooktheregimentinPoland。
Onthe8thofOctober,theverydaywhenatheadquartersallwasastiroverthenewsofMack’sdefeat,theroutineoflifewasgoingonasbeforeamongtheofficersofthissquadron。
Denisov,whohadbeenlosingallnightatcards,hadnotyetreturnedhome,whenRostovrodebackearlyinthemorningfromaforagingexpedition。Rostov,inhisensign’suniform,rodeuptothesteps,withajerktohishorse,swunghislegoverwithasupple,youthfulaction,stoodamomentinthestirrupasthoughloathtopartfromthehorse,atlastsprangdownandcalledtheorderly。
“Ah,Bondarenko,friendofmyheart,”hesaidtothehussarwhorushedheadlonguptohishorse。“Walkhimupanddown,mydearfellow,”hesaid,withthatgayandbrotherlycordialitywithwhichgood—heartedyoungpeoplebehavetoeveryone,whentheyarehappy。
“Yes,yourexcellency,”answeredtheLittleRussian,shakinghisheadgood—humouredly。
“Mindnow,walkhimaboutwell!”
Anotherhussarrusheduptothehorsetoo,butBondarenkohadalreadyholdofthereins。
Itwasevidentthattheensignwasliberalwithhistips,andthathisservicewasaprofitableone。Rostovstrokedthehorseontheneckandthenonthehaunch,andlingeredonthesteps。
“Splendid!Whatahorsehewillbe!”hesaidtohimself,andsmilingandholdinghissword,heranupthesteps,clankinghisspurs。TheGerman,onwhomtheywerebilleted,lookedoutofthecowshed,wearingajerkinandapointedcap,andholdingafork,withwhichhewasclearingoutthedung。TheGerman’sfacebrightenedatoncewhenhesawRostov。Hesmiledgood—humouredlyandwinked。“Good—morning,good—morning!”herepeated,apparentlytakingpleasureingreetingtheyoungman。
“Atworkalready?”saidRostov,stillwiththesamehappy,fraternalsmilethatwasconstantlyonhiseagerface。“LonglivetheAustrians!LonglivetheRussians!HurrahfortheEmperorAlexander!”hesaid,repeatingphrasesthathadoftenbeenutteredbytheGerman。TheGermanlaughed,camerightoutofthecowshed,pulledoffhiscap,andwavingitoverhishead,cried:
“Andlonglivealltheworld!”
Rostovtoo,liketheGerman,wavedhiscapoverhisbead,andlaughingcried:“Andhurrahforalltheworld!”ThoughtherewasnoreasonforanyspecialrejoicingeitherfortheGerman,clearingouthisshed,orforRostov,comingbackfromforagingforhay,boththesepersonsgazedatoneanotherindelightedecstasyandbrotherlylove,waggedtheirheadsateachotherintokenoftheirmutualaffection,andpartedwithsmiles,theGermantohiscowshed,andRostovtothecottagehesharedwithDenisov。
“Where’syourmaster?”heaskedofLavrushka,Denisov’svalet,wellknowntoalltheregimentasarogue。
“Hishonour’snotbeeninsincetheevening。He’sbeenlosing,forsure,”answeredLavrushka。“Iknowbynow,ifhewins,he’llcomehomeearlytoboastofhisluck;butifhe’snotbackbymorning,itmeansthathe’slost,—he’llcomebackinarage。ShallIbringcoffee?”
“Yes,bringit。”
Tenminuteslater,Lavrushkabroughtinthecoffee。
“He’scoming!”saidhe;“nowfortrouble!”
RostovglancedoutofthewindowandsawDenisovreturninghome。Denisovwasalittlemanwitharedface,sparklingblackeyes,tousledblackwhiskersandhair。Hewaswearinganunbuttonedtunic,widebreechesthatfellinfolds,andonthebackofhisheadacrushedhussar’scap。Gloomily,withdowncasthead,hedrewnearthesteps。
“Lavrushka,”heshouted,loudlyandangrily,lispingther,“come,takeitoff,blockhead!”
“Well,Iamtakingitoff,”answeredLavrushka’svoice。
“Ah!youareupalready,”saidDenisov,comingintotheroom。
“Longago,”saidRostov;“I’vebeenoutalreadyafterhay,andIhaveseenFr?uleinMathilde。”
“Really?AndI’vebeenlosing,myboy,allnight,likethesonofadog,”criedDenisov,notpronouncinghisr’s。“Suchill—luck!suchill—luck!…Assoonasyouleft,myluckwasgone。Hey,tea?”
Denisov,puckeringuphisfaceasthoughheweresmiling,andshowinghisshort,strongteeth,beganwithhisshort—fingeredhandsrufflinguphisthick,blackhair,thatwastangledlikeaforest。
“Thedevilwasinmetogotothatrat”(thenicknameofanofficer),hesaid,rubbinghisbrowandfacewithbothhands。“Onlyfancy,hedidn’tdealmeonecard,notone,notonecard!”Denisovtookthelightedpipethatwashandedtohim,grippeditinhisfist,andscatteringsparks,hetappeditonthefloor,stillshouting。
“Heletsmehavethesimple,andbeatstheparole;letsmegetthesimple,andbeatstheparole。”
Hescatteredthesparks,brokethepipe,andthrewitaway。ThenDenisovpaused,andallatonceheglancedbrightlyatRostovwithhisgleamingblackeyes。
“Iftherewereonlywomen。Buthere,exceptdrinking,there’snothingtodo。Ifonlywecouldgettofightingsoon。…Hey,who’sthere?”hecalledtowardsthedoor,catchingthesoundsofthickbootsandclankingspursthatcametoastop,andofarespectfulcough。
“Thesergeant!”saidLavrushka。Denisovpuckereduphisfacemorethanever。
“That’sanuisance,”hesaid,flingingdownapursewithseveralgoldcoinsinit。“Rostov,count,there’sadearboy,howmuchisleft,andputthepurseunderthepillow,”hesaid,andhewentouttothesergeant。Rostovtookthemoneyandmechanicallysortingandarranginginheapstheoldandnewgold,hebegancountingitover。
“Ah,Telyanin!Good—morning!Iwascleanedoutlastnight,”heheardDenisov’svoicesayingfromtheotherroom。
“Wherewasthat?AtBykov’s?Attherat’s?…Iknewit,”saidathinvoice,andthereupontherewalkedintotheroomLieutenantTelyanin,alittleofficerinthesamesquadron。
Rostovputthepurseunderthepillow,andshookthedamplittlehandthatwasofferedhim。Telyaninhadforsomereasonbeentransferredfromtheguardsjustbeforetheregimentsetout。Hehadbehavedverywellintheregiment,buthewasnotliked,andRostov,inparticular,couldnotendurehim,andcouldnotconcealhisgroundlessaversionforthisofficer。
“Well,youngcavalryman,howismyRookdoingforyou?”(Rookwasariding—horseTelyaninhadsoldtoRostov。)Thelieutenantneverlookedthepersonhewasspeakingtointheface。Hiseyeswerecontinuallyflittingfromoneobjecttoanother。“Isawyouridingtoday…”
“Oh,he’sallright;agoodhorse,”answeredRostov,thoughthehorse,forwhichhehadpaidsevenhundredroubles,wasnotworthhalfthatsum。“He’sbeguntogoalittlelameintheleftforeleg…”headded。
“Thehoofcracked!That’snomatter。I’llteachyou,I’llshowyouthesortofthingtoputonit。”
“Yes,pleasedo,”saidRostov。
“I’llshowyou,I’llshowyou,it’snotasecret。Butyou’llbegratefultomeforthathorse。”
“ThenI’llhavethehorsebroughtround,”saidRostov,anxioustoberidofTelyanin。Hewentouttoorderthehorsetobebroughtround。
IntheouterroomDenisovwassquattingonthethresholdwithapipe,facingthesergeant,whowasgivinghimsomereport。OnseeingRostov,Denisovscreweduphiseyes,andpointingoverhisshoulderwithhisthumbtotheroomwhereTelyaninwassitting,hefrownedandshookhisheadwithanairofloathing。
“Ugh!Idon’tlikethefellow,”hesaid,regardlessofthepresenceofthesergeant。
Rostovshruggedhisshouldersasthoughtosay,“NordoI,butwhat’sonetodo?”Andhavinggivenhisorder,hewentbacktoTelyanin。
ThelatterwasstillsittinginthesameindolentposeinwhichRostovhadlefthim,rubbinghislittlewhitehands。
“Whatnastyfacesthereareinthisworld!”thoughtRostovashewentintotheroom。
“Well,haveyougivenordersforthehorsetobefetchedout?”saidTelyanin,gettingupandlookingcarelesslyabouthim。
“Yes。”
“Well,youcomealongyourself。IonlycameroundtoaskDenisovaboutyesterday’sorder。Haveyougotit,Denisov?”
“Notyet。Butwhereareyouoffto?”
“I’mgoingtoshowthisyoungmanherehowtoshoeahorse,”saidTelyanin。
Theywentoutdownthestepsandintothestable。Thelieutenantshowedhowtoputontheremedy,andwentawaytohisownquarters。
WhenRostovwentbacktherewasabottleofvodkaandsomesausageonthetable。Denisovwassittingatthetable,andhispenwassqueakingoverthepaper。HelookedgloomilyintoRostov’sface。
“Iamwritingtoher,”hesaid。Heleanedhiselbowonthetablewiththepeninhishand,andobviouslyrejoicedatthepossibilityofsayingbywordofmouthallhemeanttowrite,hetoldthecontentsofhislettertoRostov。“Yousee,mydearboy,”hesaid,“weareplungedinslumber,wearethechildrenofdustandashes,untilwelove…butlove,andyouareagod,youarepure,asonthefirstdayofcreation。…Who’sthatnow?Sendhimtothedevil!I’venotime!”heshoutedtoLavrushka,who,notintheslightestdaunted,wentuptohim。
“Why,whoshoulditbe?Youtoldhimtocomeyourself。Thesergeanthascomeforthemoney。”
Denisovfrowned,seemedabouttoshoutsomereply,butdidnotspeak。
“It’sanuisance,”hesaidtohimself。“Howmuchmoneywasthereleftthereinthepurse?”heaskedRostov。
“Sevennewandthreeoldgoldpieces。”
“Oh,it’sanuisance!Well,whyareyoustandingthere,youmummy?Sendthesergeant!”DenisovshoutedtoLavrushka。
“Please,Denisov,takethemoneyfromme;I’veplenty,”saidRostov,blushing。
“Idon’tlikeborrowingfrommyownfriends;Idislikeit,”grumbledDenisov。
“Butifyouwon’ttakemoneyfrommelikeacomrade,you’lloffendme。I’vereallygotit,”repeatedRostov。
“Oh,no。”AndDenisovwenttothebedtotakethepursefromunderthepillow。
“Wheredidyouputit,Rostov?”
“Underthelowerpillow。”
“Butit’snotthere。”Denisovthrewboththepillowsonthefloor。Therewasnopurse。“Well,that’saqueerthing。”
“Waitabit,haven’tyoudroppedit?”saidRostov,pickingthepillowsuponeatatimeandshakingthem。Hetookoffthequiltandshookit。Thepursewasnotthere。
“CouldIhaveforgotten?No,forIthoughtthatyoukeepitlikeasecrettreasureunderyourhead,”saidRostov。“Ilaidthepursehere。Whereisit?”HeturnedtoLavrushka。
“Inevercameintotheroom。Whereyouputit,thereitmustbe。”
“Butitisn’t。”
“You’realwayslikethat;youthrowthingsdownanywhereandforgetthem。Lookinyourpockets。”
“No,ifIhadn’tthoughtofitsbeingasecrettreasure,”saidRostov,“butIrememberwhereIputit。”
Lavrushkaransackedthewholebed,glancedunderitandunderthetable,ransackedthewholeroomandstoodstillinthemiddleoftheroom。DenisovwatchedLavrushka’smovementsinsilence,andwhenLavrushkaflunguphishandsinamazementtosignifythatitwasnowhere,helookedroundatRostov。
“Rostov,noneofyourschoolboyjokes。”
Rostov,feelingDenisov’seyesuponhim,liftedhiseyesandinstantlydroppedthemagain。Allhisblood,whichfeltasthoughithadbeenlockedupsomewherebelowhisthroat,rushedtohisfaceandeyes。Hecouldhardlydrawhisbreath。
“Andthere’sbeennooneintheroombutthelieutenantandyourselves。Itmustbeheresomewhere,”saidLavrushka。
“Nowthen,youdevil’spuppet,bestiryourselfandlookforit!”Denisovshoutedsuddenly,turningpurpleanddashingatthevaletwithathreateninggesture。“Thepurseistobefound,orI’llflogyou!I’llflogyouall!”
Rostov,hiseyesavoidingDenisov,beganbuttoninguphisjacketfasteningonhissword,andputtingonhisforage—cap。
“Itellyouthepurseistobefound,”roaredDenisov,shakingtheorderlybytheshouldersandpushinghimagainstthewall。
“Denisov,lethimbe;Iknowwhohastakenit,”saidRostov,goingtowardsthedoorwithoutraisinghiseyes。
Denisovstopped,thoughtamoment,andevidentlyunderstandingRostov’shint,heclutchedhimbythearm。
“Nonsense!”heroaredsothattheveinsstoodoutonhisneckandforeheadlikecords。“Itellyou,you’vegoneoutofyourmind;Iwon’tallowit。Thepurseishere;I’llflaytheskinoffthisrascal,anditwillbehere。”
“Iknowwhohastakenit,”repeatedRostov,inashakingvoice,andhewenttothedoor。
“AndItellyou,you’renottodaretodoit,”shoutedDenisov,makingadashattheensigntodetainhim。ButRostovpulledhisarmaway,liftedhiseyes,andlookeddirectlyandresolutelyatDenisovwithasmuchfuryasifhehadbeenhisgreatestenemy。
“Doyouunderstandwhatyou’resaying?”hesaidinatremblingvoice;“exceptme,therehasbeennooneelseintheroom。Sothat,ifit’snotso,whythen…”
Hecouldnotuttertherest,andranoutoftheroom。
“Oh,damnyouandalltherest,”werethelastwordsRostovheard。
RostovwenttoTelyanin’squarters。
“Themaster’snotathome,he’sgonetothestaff,”Telyanin’sorderlytoldhim。“Hassomethinghappened?”theorderlyadded,wonderingattheensign’stroubledface。
“No,nothing。”
“You’veonlyjustmissedhim,”saidtheorderly。
ThestaffquartersweretwomilesandahalffromSalzeneck。Nothavingfoundhimathome,Rostovtookhishorseandrodetothequartersofthestaff。Inthevillage,wherethestaffwasquartered,therewasarestaurantwhichtheofficersfrequented。RostovreachedtherestaurantandsawTelyanin’shorseattheentry。
Inthesecondroomthelieutenantwassittingoveradishofsausagesandabottleofwine。
“Ah,youhavecomeheretoo,youngman,”hesaid,smilingandliftinghiseyebrows。
“Yes,”saidRostov,speakingasthoughtheutteranceofthewordcosthimgreateffort;andhesatdownatthenearesttable。
Bothweresilent;thereweretwoGermansandaRussianofficerintheroom。Everyonewasmute,andtheonlysoundsaudibleweretheclatterofknivesontheplatesandthemunchingofthelieutenant。WhenTelyaninhadfinishedhislunch,hetookoutofhispocketadoublepurse;withhislittlewhitefingers,thatwerecurvedatthetips,hepartedtherings,tookoutsomegold,andraisinghiseyebrows,gavethemoneytotheattendant。
“Makehaste,please,”hesaid。
Thegoldwasnew。RostovgotupandwenttoTelyanin。
“Letmelookatthepurse,”hesaidinalowvoice,scarcelyaudible。
Withshiftingeyes,buteyebrowsstillraised,Telyaningavehimthepurse。
“Yes,it’saprettypurse…yes…”hesaid,andsuddenlyheturnedwhite。“Youcanlookatit,youngman,”headded。
Rostovtookthepurseinhishandandlookedbothatitandatthemoneyinit,andalsoatTelyanin。Thelieutenantlookedabouthim,ashiswaywas,andseemedsuddenlytohavegrownverygood—humoured。
“IfwegotoVienna,IsuspectIshallleaveitallthere,butnowthere’snowheretospendourmoneyinthesewretchedlittleplaces,”hesaid。“Come,giveitme,youngman;I’mgoing。”
Rostovdidnotspeak。
“Whatareyougoingtodo?havelunchtoo?Theygiveyoudecentfood,”Telyaninwenton。“Giveitme。”Heputouthishandandtook。holdofthepurse。Rostovletgoofit。Telyanintookthepurseandbegancarelesslydroppingitintothepocketofhisridingtrousers,whilehiseyebrowswerecarelesslyliftedandhismouthstoodalittleopen,asthoughhewouldsay:“Yes,yes,I’mputtingmypurseinmypocket,andthat’saverysimplematter,andnoonehasanythingtodowithit。”
“Well,youngman?”hesaidwithasign,andfromunderhisliftedeyebrowsheglancedintoRostov’seyes。AkindofgleampassedwiththeswiftnessofanelectricflashfromTelyanin’seyestotheeyesofRostov,andbackagainandbackagainandagain,allinoneinstant。
“Comehere,”saidRostov,takingTelyaninbythearm。Healmostdraggedhimtothewindow。“That’sDenisov’smoney;youtookit…”hewhisperedinhisear。
“What?…what?…Howdareyou?What?”…saidTelyanin。Butthewordssoundedlikeaplaintive,despairingcryandprayerforforgiveness。AssoonasRostovheardthesoundofhisvoice,agreatweightofsuspense,likeastone,rolledoffhisheart。Hefeltglad,andatthesameinstanthepitiedthelucklesscreaturestandingbeforehim,buthehadtocarrythethingthroughtotheend。
“Godknowswhatthepeopleheremaythink,”mutteredTelyanin,snatchinguphisforage—capandturningtowardsasmallemptyroom。“Youmustexplain…”
“Iknowthat,andI’llproveit,”saidRostov。
“I…”
Theterrified,whitefaceofTelyaninbegantwitchingineverymuscle;hiseyesstillmoveduneasily,butontheground,neverrisingtothelevelofRostov’sface,andtearfulsobscouldbeheard。
“Count!…don’truinayoungman…hereisthewretchedmoney,takeit。”…Hethrewitonthetable。“I’veanoldfatherandmother!”
Rostovtookthemoney,avoidingTelyanin’seyes,andwithoututteringaword,hewentoutoftheroom。Butinthedoorwayhestoppedandturnedback。
“MyGod!”hesaid,withtearsinhiseyes,“howcouldyoudoit?”
“Count,”saidTelyanin,comingnearertotheensign。
“Don’ttouchme,”saidRostov,drawingback。“Ifyou’reinneedtakethemoney。”
Hethrustapurseonhimandranoutoftherestaurant。
Chapter5
INTHEEVENINGofthesamedayalivelydiscussionwastakingplaceinDenisov’squartersbetweensomeofficersofthesquadron。
“ButItellyou,Rostov,thatyoumustapologisetothecolonel,”thetallstaff—captainwassaying,addressingRostov,whowascrimsonwithexcitement。Thestaff—captain,Kirsten,amanwithgrizzledhair,immensewhiskers,thickfeaturesandawrinkledface,hadbeentwicedegradedtotheranksforaffairsofhonour,andhadtwicerisenagaintoholdingacommission。
“IpermitnoonetotellmeI’mlying!”criedRostov。“HetoldmeIwaslyingandItoldhimhewaslying。Andthereitrests。Hecanputmeondutyeveryday,hecanplacemeunderarrest,butnoonecancompelmetoapologise,becauseifhe,asthecolonel,considersitbeneathhisdignitytogivemesatisfaction,then…”
“Butyouwaitabit,mygoodfellow;youlistentome,”interruptedthestaff—captaininhisbassvoice,calmlystrokinghislongwhiskers。“Youtellthecolonelinthepresenceofotherofficersthatanofficerhasstolen—”
“I’mnottoblamefortheconversationbeinginthepresenceofotherofficers。PossiblyIoughtnottohavespokenbeforethem,butI’mnotadiplomatist。That’sjustwhyIwentintothehussars;IthoughtthathereIshouldhavenoneedofsuchfinickyconsiderations,andhetellsmeI’maliar…solethimgivemesatisfaction。”
“That’sallveryfine,nooneimaginesthatyou’reacoward;butthat’snotthepoint。AskDenisovifit’snotutterlyoutofthequestionforanensigntodemandsatisfactionofhiscolonel?”
Denisovwasbitinghismoustachewithamoroseair,listeningtotheconversation,evidentlywithnodesiretotakepartinit。Tothecaptain’squestion,herepliedbyanegativeshakeofthehead。
“Youspeaktothecolonelinthepresenceofotherofficersofthisdirtybusiness,”pursuedthestaff—captain。“Bogdanitch”(Bogdanitchwaswhattheycalledthecolonel)“snubbedyou…”
“No,hedidn’t。HesaidIwastellinganuntruth。”
“Quiteso,andyoutalkednonsensetohim,andyoumustapologise。”
“Notonanyconsideration!”shoutedRostov。
“Ishouldn’thaveexpectedthisofyou,”saidthestaff—captainseriouslyandseverely。“Youwon’tapologise,but,mygoodsir,it’snotonlyhim,butalltheregiment,allofus,thatyou’veactedwronglyby;you’retoblameallround。Lookhere;ifyou’donlythoughtitover,andtakenadvicehowtodealwiththematter,butyoumustgoandblurtitallstraightoutbeforetheofficers。Whatwasthecoloneltodothen?Ishetobringtheofficerupfortrialanddisgracethewholeregiment?Onaccountofonescoundrelisthewholeregimenttobeputtoshame?Isthatthethingforhimtodo,toyourthinking?Itisnottoourthinking。AndBogdanitchdidtherightthing。Hetoldyouthatyouweretellinganuntruth。It’sunpleasant,butwhatcouldhedo?youbroughtitonyourself。Andnowwhentheytrytosmooththethingover,you’resohighandmighty,youwon’tapologise,andwanttohavethewholestoryout。You’rehuffyatbeingputonduty,butwhatisitforyoutoapologisetoanoldandhonourableofficer!WhateverBogdanitchmaybe,anywayhe’sanhonourableandgallantoldcolonel;you’reoffendedatthat,butdisgracingtheregiment’snothingtoyou。”Thestaff—captain’svoicebegantoquaver。“You,sir,havebeennexttonotimeintheregiment;you’rehereto—day,andto—morrowyou’llbepassedonsomewhereasanadjutant;youdon’tcareastrawforpeoplesaying:‘TherearethievesamongthePavlogradofficers!’Butwedocare!Don’twe,Denisov?Dowecare?”
Denisovstilldidnotspeakorstir;hisgleamingblackeyesglancednowandthenatRostov。
“Yourprideisdeartoyou,youdon’twanttoapologise,”continuedthestaff—captain,“butweoldfellows,aswegrewupintheregimentand,pleaseGod,wehopetodieinit,it’sthehonouroftheregimentisdeartous,andBogdanitchknowsthat。Ah,isn’titdeartous!Butthisisn’tright;it’snotright!Youmaytakeoffenceornot;butIalwaysspeaktheplaintruth。It’snotright!”
Andthestaff—captaingotupandturnedawayfromRostov。
“That’sthetruth,damnit!”shoutedDenisov,jumpingup。“Come,Rostov,come!”
Rostov,turningcrimsonandwhiteagain,lookedfirstatoneofficerandthenattheother。
“No,gentlemen,no…youmustn’tthink…Iquiteunderstand,you’rewronginthinkingthatofme…I…forme…forthehonouroftheregimentI’d…butwhytalk?I’llprovethatinactionandformethehonouroftheflag…well,nevermind,it’strue,I’mtoblame!”…Thereweretearsinhiseyes。“I’mwrong,wrongallround!Well,whatmoredoyouwant?”…
“Come,that’sright,count,”criedthestaff—captain,turningroundandclappinghimontheshoulderwithhisbighand。
“Itellyou,”shoutedDenisov,“he’sacapitalfellow。”
‘That’sbetter,count,”repeatedthecaptain,beginningtoaddresshimbyhistitleasthoughinacknowledgmentofhisconfession。“Goandapologise,yourexcellency。”
“Gentlemen,I’lldoanything,nooneshallhearawordfromme,”Rostovprotestedinanimploringvoice,“butIcan’tapologise,byGod,Ican’t,saywhatyouwill!HowcanIapologise,likealittleboybeggingpardon!”
Denisovlaughed。
“It’llbetheworseforyou,ifyoudon’t。Bogdanitchdoesn’tforgetthings;he’llmakeyoupayforyourobstinacy,”saidKirsten。
“ByGod,it’snotobstinacy!Ican’tdescribethefeelingitgivesme。Ican’tdoit。”
“Well,asyoulike,”saidthestaff—captain。“Whathasthescoundreldonewithhimself?”heaskedDenisov。
“Hehasreportedhimselfill;to—morrowtheorder’sgivenforhimtobestruckoff,”saidDenisov。
“Itisanillness,there’snootherwayofexplainingit,”saidthestaff—captain。
“Whetherit’sillnessorwhetherit’snot,he’dbetternotcrossmypath—I’dkillhim,”Denisovshoutedbloodthirstily。
Zherkovwalkedintotheroom。
“Howdoyoucomehere?”theofficerscriedtothenewcomeratonce。
“Tothefront,gentlemen。Mackhassurrenderedwithhiswholearmy。”
“Nonsense!”
“I’veseenhimmyself。”
“What?SeenMackalive,withallhisarmsandlegs?”
“Tothefront!tothefront!Givehimabottleforsuchnews。Howdidyoucomehere?”
“I’vebeendismissedbacktotheregimentagainonaccountofthatdevil,Mack。TheAustriangeneralcomplainedofme。IcongratulatedhimonMack’sarrival。…Whatisit,Rostov,youlookasifyou’djustcomeoutofahotbath?”
“We’vebeeninsuchamesstheselasttwodays,oldboy。”
TheregimentaladjutantcameinandconfirmedthenewsbroughtbyZherkov。Theywereunderorderstoadvancenextday。
“Tothefront,gentlemen!”
“Well,thankGod!we’vebeenstickingheretoolong。”
Chapter6
KUTUZOVfellbacktoVienna,destroyingbehindhimthebridgesovertheriverInn(inBraunau)andtheriverTraun(inLinz)。Onthe23rdofOctobertheRussiantroopscrossedtheriverEnns。TheRussianbaggage—waggonsandartilleryandthecolumnsoftroopswereinthemiddleofthatdaystretchinginalongstringacrossthetownofEnnsonbothsidesofthebridge。Thedaywaswarm,autumnal,andrainy。ThewideviewthatopenedoutfromtheheightswheretheRussianbatteriesstoodguardingthebridgewasattimesnarrowedbytheslantingrainthatshutitinlikeamuslincurtain,thenagainwidenedout,andinthebrightsunlightobjectscouldbedistinctlyseeninthedistance,lookingasifcoveredwithacoatofvarnish。Thelittletowncouldbeseenbelowwithitswhitehousesanditsredroofs,itscathedralanditsbridge,onbothsidesofwhichstreamedmassesofRussiantroops,crowdedtogether。AtthebendoftheDanubecouldbeseenshipsandtheislandandacastlewithapark,surroundedbythewatersformedbytheEnnsfallingintotheDanube,andtheprecipitousleftbankoftheDanube,coveredwithpineforest,withamysteriousdistanceofgreentree—topsandbluishgorges。Beyondthepineforest,thatlookedwildanduntouchedbythehandofman,rosetheturretsofanunnery;andinthefardistanceinfront,onthehillonthefurthersideoftheEnns,couldbeseenthescoutsoftheenemy。
Betweenthecannonsontheheightstoodthegeneralincommandoftherear—guardandanofficerofthesuitescanningthecountrythroughafield—glass。Alittlebehindthem,theresatonthetrunkofacannon,Nesvitsky,whohadbeendespatchedbythecommander—in—chieftotherear—guard。TheCossackwhoaccompaniedNesvitskyhadhandedhimoveraknapsackandaflask,andNesvitskywasregalingtheofficerswithpiesandrealdoppel—k?mmel。Theofficerssurroundedhiminadelightedcircle,someontheirknees,somesittingcross—legged,likeTurks,onthewetgrass。
“Yes,therewassomesenseinthatAustrianprincewhobuiltacastlehere。It’samagnificentspot。Whyaren’tyoueating,gentlemen?”saidNesvitsky。
“Thankyouverymuch,prince,”answeredoneoftheofficers,enjoyingtheopportunityoftalkingtoastaff—officialofsuchimportance。“It’salovelyspot。Wemarchedrightbythepark;wesawtwodeerandsuchasplendidhouse!”
“Look,prince,”saidanother,whowoulddearlyhavelikedtotakeanotherpie,butwasashamedto,andthereforeaffectedtobegazingatthecountryside;“look,ourinfantryhavejustgotinthere。Overthere,nearthemeadowbehindthevillage,threeofthemaredraggingsomething。Theywillcleanoutthatpalacenicely,”hesaid,withevidentapproval。
“Nodoubt,”saidNesvitsky。“No;butwhatIshouldlike,”headded,munchingapieinhismoist,handsomemouth,“wouldbetoslipinthere。”Hepointedtotheturretednunnerythatcouldbeseenonthemountainside。Hesmiled,hiseyesnarrowingandgleaming。“Yes,thatwouldbefirst—rate,gentlemen!”Theofficerslaughed。
“Onemightatleastscarethenunsalittle。ThereareItaliangirls,theysay,amongthem。Uponmyword,I’dgivefiveyearsofmylifeforit!”
“Theymustbebored,too,”saidanofficerwhowasratherbolder,laughing。
Meanwhiletheofficerofthesuite,whowasstandinginfront,pointedsomethingouttothegeneral;thegenerallookedthroughthefield—glass。
“Yes,soitis,soitis,”saidthegeneralangrily,takingthefield—glassawayfromhiseyeandshrugginghisshoulders;“theyaregoingtofireatthematthecrossingoftheriver。Andwhydotheylingerso?”
Withthenakedeye,lookinginthatdirection,onecoulddiscerntheenemyandtheirbatteries,fromwhichamilky—whitesmokewasrising。Thesmokewasfollowedbythesoundofashotinthedistance,andourtroopswereunmistakablyhurryingtotheplaceofcrossing。
Nesvitskygotuppuffingandwentuptothegeneral,smiling。
“Wouldn’tyourexcellencytakesomelunch?”hesaid。
“It’sabadbusiness,”saidthegeneral,withoutansweringhim;“ourmenhavebeentooslow。”
“Shouldn’tIrideover,yourexcellency?”saidNesvitsky。
“Yes,rideover,please,”saidthegeneral,repeatinganorderthathadalreadyoncebeforebeengivenindetail;“andtellthehussarsthattheyaretocrosslastandtoburnthebridge,asIsentorders,andthatthey’retooverhaultheburningmaterialsonthebridge。”
“Verygood,”answeredNesvitsky。HecalledtheCossackwithhishorse,toldhimtopickuptheknapsackandflask,andlightlyswunghisheavypersonintothesaddle。
“Uponmyword,Iamgoingtopayavisittothenuns,”hesaidtotheofficerswhowerewatchinghim,smiling,andherodealongthewindingpathdownthemountain。
“Nowthen,captain,tryhowfarit’llcarry,”saidthegeneral,turningtotheartilleryofficer。“Havealittlefuntopassthetime。”
“Men,totheguns!”commandedtheofficer,andinamomentthegunnersrangailyfromthecampfiresandloadedthebigguns。
“One!”theyheardthewordofcommand。Numberoneboundedbacknimbly。Thecannonboomedwithadeafeningmetallicsound,andwhistlingovertheheadsofourmenunderthemountainside,thegrenadeflewacross,andfallingalongwayshortoftheenemyshowedbytherisingsmokewhereithadfallenandburst。
Thefacesofthesoldiersandofficerslightenedupatthesound。Everyonegotupandbusilywatchedthemovementsofourtroopsbelow,whichcouldbeseenasinthehollowofahand,andthemovementsoftheadvancingenemy。Atthesameinstant,thesuncameoutfullyfrombehindtheclouds,andthefullnoteofthesolitaryshotandthebrillianceofthebrightsunshinemeltedintoasingleinspiritingimpressionoflight—heartedgaiety。
Chapter7
OVERTHEBRIDGEtwooftheenemy’sshotshadalreadyflownandtherewasacrushonthebridge。InthemiddleofthebridgestoodNesvitsky。Hehaddismountedandstoodwithhisstoutpersonjammedagainsttherailings。HelookedlaughinglybackathisCossack,whowasstandingseveralpacesbehindhimholdingthetwohorsesbytheirbridles。EverytimeNesvitskytriedtomoveon,theadvancingsoldiersandwaggonsboredownuponhimandshovedhimbackagainsttherailings。Therewasnothingforhimtodobuttosmile。
“Hithere,mylad,”saidtheCossacktoasoldierinchargeofawaggon—loadwhowasforcinghiswaythroughthefoot—soldiersthatpressedrightuptohiswheelsandhishorses;“whatareyouabout?No,youwaitabit;youseethegeneralwantstopass。”
Buttheconvoysoldier,takingnonoticeoftheallusiontothegeneral,bawledtothesoldierswhoblockedtheway:“Hi!fellows,keeptotheleft!waitabit!”Butthefellows,shouldertoshoulder,withtheirbayonetsinterlocked,movedoverthebridgeinonecompactmass。Lookingdownovertherails,PrinceNesvitskysawthenoisy,rapid,butnothighwavesoftheEnns,which,swirlingineddiesroundthepilesofthebridge,chasedoneanotherdownstream。Lookingonthebridgehesawthelivingwavesofthesoldiers,allalikeastheystreamedby:shakoeswithcoversonthem,knapsacks,bayonets,longrifles,andundertheshakoesbroad—jawedfaces,sunkencheeks,andlooksoflistlessweariness,andlegsmovingovertheboardsofthebridge,thatwerecoatedwithstickymud。Sometimesamongthemonotonousstreamsofsoldiers,likeacrestofwhitefoamonthewavesoftheEnns,anofficerforcedhiswaythrough,inacloak,withafaceofadifferenttypefromthesoldiers。Sometimes,likeachipwhirlingontheriver,therepassedoverthebridgeamongthewavesofinfantryadismountedhussar,anorderly,oraninhabitantofthetown。Sometimes,likealogfloatingdowntheriver,theremovedoverthebridge,hemmedinonallsides,abaggage—waggon,pileduphighandcoveredwithleathercovers。
“Why,they’relikeariverburstingitsbanks,”saidtheCossack,stoppinghopelessly。“Aretheremanymoreoverthere?”
“Amillion,allbutone!”saidacheerfulsoldierinatorncoat,winking,ashepassedoutofsight;afterhimcameanothersoldier,anolderman。
“Ifhe”(hemeanttheenemy)“startspoppingatthebridgejustnow,”saidtheoldsoldierdismally,addressinghiscompanion,“you’llforgettoscratchyourself。”Andhepassedon。Afterhimcameanothersoldierridingonawaggon。
“Wherethedevildidyouputtheleg—wrappers?”saidanorderly,runningafterthewaggonandfumblinginthebackpartofit。Andhetoopassedonwiththewaggon。
Thencamesomehilarioussoldiers,whohadunmistakablybeendrinking。
“Anddidn’theupwiththebuttendofhisgunandgivehimonerightintheteeth,”onesoldierwassayinggleefullywithawidesweepofhisarm。
“Itjustwasadeliciousham,”answeredtheotherwithachuckle。Andtheypassedon,sothatNesvitskyneverknewwhohadreceivedtheblowinhisteeth,andwhatthehamhadtodowithit。
“Yes,they’reinahurrynow!Whenheletflyabitofcoldlead,onewouldhavethoughttheywereallbeingkilled,”saidanunderofficer,angrilyandreproachfully。
“Whenitwhizzedbyme,uncle,thebullet,”saidayoungsoldierwithahugemouth,scarcelyabletokeepfromlaughing,“Iturnedfairlynumb。Uponmysoul,wasn’tIinafright,tobesure!”saidthesoldier,makingasortofboastofhisterror。
He,too,passedon。Afterhimcameawaggonunlikeallthathadpassedoverbefore。ItwasaGermanVorspannwithtwohorses,loaded,itseemed,withthegoodsofawholehousehold。ThehorseswereledbyaGerman,andbehindwasfastenedahandsome,brindledcowwithanimmenseudder。Onpiled—upfeather—bedssatawomanwithasmallbaby,anoldwoman,andagood—looking,rosy—cheekedGermangirl。Theywereevidentlycountrypeople,moving,whohadbeenallowedthroughbyspecialpermit。Theeyesofallthesoldierswereturneduponthewomen,and,whilethewaggonmovedby,astepatatime,allthesoldiers’remarksrelatedtothetwowomen。Everyfaceworealmostthesamesmile,reflectingindecentideasaboutthewomen。
“Hey,thesausage,he’smovingaway!”
“Sellusyourmissis,”saidanothersoldier,addressingtheGerman,whostrodealongwithdowncasteyes,lookingwrathfulandalarmed。