第435章

第435章“well,isshepretty？but,myboy,mypinkgirl’scharming;hernameisdunyasha.”…butglancingintorostov’sface,ilyinpaused.hesawhisheroandsuperiorofficerwasabsorbedinaverydifferenttrainofthought.

rostovlookedangrilyatilyin,andwithoutreplying,strodeoffrapidlytothevillage.

“i’llteachthem;i’llpaythemout;thescoundrels,”hemutteredtohimself.

alpatitchfollowedrostovataquicktrot,whichhecouldonlyjustkeepfrombreakingintoarun.

“whatdecisionhasyourhonourcometo？”hesaid,overtakinghim.rostovstoppedshort,andclenchinghisfistsmovedsuddenlyuptoalpatitchwithamenacinggesture.

“decision？whatdecision,oldshuffler？”heshouted.“whathaveyoubeenthinkingabout？eh？thepeasantsareunrulyandyoudon’tknowhowtomanagethem？you’reatraitoryourself.iknowyou.i’llflogtheskinoffthelotofyou…”and,asthoughafraidofwastingtheenergyofhisanger,heleftalpatitchandwentquicklyahead.alpatitch,swallowinghiswoundedfeelings,hurriedwithaswayingstepafterrostov,stillgivinghimthebenefitofhisreflectionsonthesubject.hesaidthatthepeasantswereinaverystubbornstate,thatatthemomentitwasimprudenttooppositionisethem,withoutanarmedforce,andwoulditnotbebetterfirsttosendforarmedforce.

“i’llgivethemarmedforce.…i’lloppositionisethem…”nikolaymutteredmeaninglessly,chokingwithirrationalanimalrageanddesiretoventthatrageonsomeone.withoutconsideringwhathewasgoingtodo,unconsciously,hemovedwitharapid,resolutestepuptothecrowd.andthenearerheapproached,themorealpatitchfeltthathisimprudentactionmightproducethehappiestresults.thepeasantsinthecrowdwerefeelingthesamethingastheywatchedhisfirmandrapidstepanddetermined,frowningface.

afterthehussarshadenteredthevillageandrostovhadgoneintoseetheprincess,acertainhesitationanddivisionofopinionhadbecomeapparentinthecrowd.someofthepeasantsbegantosaythatthehorsemenwererussians,anditmightbeexpectedtheywouldtakeitamissthattheyhadnotlettheiryoungladygo.dronwasofthatopinion;butassoonasheexpressedit,karpandothersfelluponhim.

“howmanyyearshaveyoubeenfatteningonthevillage？”shoutedkarp.“it’sallonetoyou！you’lldigupyourpotofmoneyandmakeoffwithit.whatisittoyouifourhomesareruinedornot？”

“weweretoldeverythingwastobeinorderandnoonetoleavetheirhomes,andnotathingtobemovedaway—andthat’sallaboutit！”shoutedanother.

“itwasyourson’sturn;butyousparedyourfatyoungster,”alittleoldmansuddenlyburstout,pouncingupondron,“andsentmyvankatobeshavedforasoldier.ugh,andyetweallhavetodie！”

“tobesure,weallhavetodie！”

“i’mnotonetogoagainstthemir,”saiddron.

“notonetogoagainstit,youhavegrownfatoffit.”…

twolankypeasantssaidtheirsay.assoonasrostov,accompaniedbyilyin,lavrushka,andalpatitchapproachedthecrowd,karp,thrustinghisfingersintohissash,walkedforwardwithaslightsmile.dron,onthecontrary,retreatedtotheback,andthecrowdhuddledclosertogether.

“hey！whoiselderamongyouhere？”shoutedrostov,walkingquicklyuptothecrowd.

“theelder？whatdoyouwanthimfor？…”askedkarp.buthehardlyhadtimetogetthewordsoutwhenhishatsentflyingoffhishead,andhewassentreelingfromaviolentblowonthehead.

“capsoff,traitors！”shoutedrostov’sfull-bloodedvoice.“whereistheelder？”heroaredfuriously.

“theelder,theelder’swanted.dronzaharitch,hecallsyou,”voiceswereheardsaying,hurriedlysubservient,andcapsweretakenoff.

“wecan’tbesaidtobeunruly;we’refollowingtheorders,”declaredkarp.andseveralvoicesatthebackbeganatthesameinstant：

“it’sastheelderssettle;therearetoomanyofyougivingorders…”

“talking？…mutiny！…scoundrels！traitors！”rostovshouted,withoutthinking,inavoiceunlikehisown,asheseizedkarpbythecollar.“bindhim,bindhim！”heshouted,thoughtherewasnoonetobindhimbutlavrushkaandalpatitch.

lavrushka,however,ranuptokarpandseizedhisarmsfrombehind.

“shallicallourfellowsfrombelowthehill,yourhonour？”heshouted.

alpatitchturnedtothepeasants,callingupontwoofthembynametobindkarp.thepeasantsobedientlysteppedoutofthecrowdandbeganundoingtheirbelts.

“where’sthevillageelder？”shoutedrostov.

dronwithapaleandfrowningface,steppedoutofthecrowd.

“areyoutheelder？bindhim,lavrushka,”shoutedrostov,asthoughtheordercouldmeetwithnosortofopposition.andinfacttwopeasantsdidbeginbindingdron,whotookoffhissash,andgaveitthemasthoughtoassistintheoperation.

“andallofyou,listentome,”rostovturnedtothepeasants.“marchstraighttoyourhomesthisminute,anddon’tletmehearyourvoicesagain.”

“why,wehaven’tdoneanyharm.itwasall,doyousee,throughfoolishness.onlyabitofnonsense…ialwayssaidthatitwasn’ttherightthing,”saidvoices,blamingoneanother.

“didn’titellyou？”saidalpatitch,resuminghisrightfulposition.“you’vedonewrong,lads.”