第87章

第87章onreachingthevillage,hegotoffhishorse,andwentintothefirsthousewiththeintentionofrestingforamomentatleast,eatingsomething,andgettingallthemortifyingimpressionsthatweretorturinghimintosomeclearshape.“thisisamobofscoundrels,notanarmy,”hethought,goinguptothewindowofthefirsthouse,whenafamiliarvoicecalledhimbyhisname.

helookedround.outofalittlewindowwasthrustthehandsomefaceofnesvitsky.nesvitsky,munchingsomethinginhismoistmouthandbeckoningtohim,calledhimin.

“bolkonsky！bolkonsky！don’tyouhear,eh？makehaste,”heshouted.

goingintothehouse,princeandreyfoundnesvitskyandanotheradjutanthavingameal.theyhastilyturnedtobolkonskywiththeinquiry,hadheanynews？ontheirfamiliarfacesprinceandreyreadalarmanduneasiness.thatexpressionwasparticularlynoticeableinnesvitsky’sface,usuallysofulloflaughter.

“whereisthecommander-in-chief？”askedbolkonsky.

“hereinthishouse,”answeredtheadjutant.

“well,isittrue,aboutthepeaceandcapitulation？”askednesvitsky.

“iaskyou.iknownothingexceptthatihavehadgreatdifficultyingettingthroughtoyou.”

“andthethingsthathavebeengoingon,myboy！awful！iwaswrongtolaughatmack;there’sworseinstoreforus,”saidnesvitsky.“butsitdown,havesomethingtoeat.”

“youwon’tfindyourageoranythingnow,prince,andgodknowswhat’sbecomeofyourpyotr,”saidtheotheradjutant.

“wherearetheheadquarters？”

“weshallspendthenightinznaim.”

“well,igoteverythingiwantedpackedupontwohorses,”saidnesvitsky;“andcapitalpackstheymadeforme,fittoscamperasfarasthebohemianmountainsatleast.thingsareinabadway,myboy.but,isay,youmustbeill,shiveringlikethat？”nesvitskyqueried,noticinghowprinceandreyshuddered,asthoughincontactwithagalvanicbattery.

“no;i’mallright,”answeredprinceandrey.hehadrecalledatthatinstanttheincidentwiththedoctor’swifeandthetransportofficer.

“whatisthecommander-in-chiefdoinghere？”heasked.

“ican’tmakeoutanything,”saidnesvitsky.

“iknowonething,thatit’sallloathsome,loathsome,loathsome,”saidprinceandrey,andhewentintothehousewherethecommander-in-chiefwasstopping.

passingbykutuzov’scarriage,theexhaustedsaddle-horsesofhissuite,andthecossackstalkingloudlytogether,princeandreywentintotheouterroom.kutuzovhimselfwas,asprinceandreyhadbeentold,intheinnerroomofthehutwithprincebagrationandweierother.thelatterwastheaustriangeneral,whohadtakenschmidt’splace.intheouterroomlittlekozlovskywassquattingonhisheelsinfrontofacopying-clerk.thelatterwassittingonatubturnedupsidedown,hewaswritingrapidlywiththecuffsofhisuniformtuckedup.kozlovsky’sfacewascareworn;hetoolookedasifhehadnotsleptallnight.heglancedatprinceandrey,anddidnotevennodtohim.

“thesecondline.…ready？”hewenton,dictatingtotheclerk：“thekievgrenadiers,thepodolsky…”