第229章

第229章theassistantwalkedalongthecorridorandledrostovtotheofficers’wards,threeroomswithdoorsopeningbetweenthem.intheseroomstherewerebedsteads;theofficersweresittingandlyinguponthem.somewerewalkingabouttheroominhospitaldressing-gowns.thefirstpersonwhometrostovintheofficers’wardwasathinlittlemanwhohadlostonearm.hewaswalkingaboutthefirstroominanightcapandhospitaldressing-gown,withashortpipebetweenhisteeth.rostov,lookingintentlyathim,triedtorecallwherehehadseenhim.

“seewhereitwasgod’swillforustomeetagain,”saidthelittleman.“tushin,tushin,doyourememberibroughtyoualongaftersch？ngraben？theyhaveslicedabitoffme,see,…”saidhesmiling,andshowingtheemptysleeveofhisdressing-gown.“isitvassilydmitryevitchdenisovyouarelookingfor—afellow-lodgerhere？”hesaid,hearingwhoitwasrostovwanted.“here,here,”andheledhimintothenextroom,fromwhichtherecamethesoundofseveralmenlaughing.“howcantheyliveinthisplaceeven,muchlesslaugh？”thoughtrostov,stillawareofthatcorpse-likesmellthathadbeensooverpoweringinthesoldiers’ward,andstillseeingaroundhimthoseenviouseyesfollowinghimonbothsides,andthefaceofthatyoungsoldierwiththesunkeneyes.

denisov,covereduptohisheadwiththequilt,wasstillinbed,thoughitwastwelveo’clockintheday.

“ah,rostov！howareyou,howareyou？”heshouted,stillinthesamevoiceasintheregiment.butrostovnoticedwithgrief,behindthishabitualbrisknessander,somenew,sinister,smotheredfeelingthatpeepedoutinthewordsandintonationsandtheexpressionofthefaceofdenisov.

hiswound,triflingasitwas,hadstillnothealed,thoughsixweekshadpassedsincehewaswounded.hisfacehadthesameswollenpallorasallthefacesinthehospital.butthatwasnotwhatstruckrostov：whatstruckhimwasthatdenisovdidnotseempleasedtoseehim,andhissmilewasforced.denisovaskedhimnothingeitheroftheregimentorofthegeneralprogressofthewar.whenrostovtalkedofit,denisovdidnotlisten.

rostovevennoticedthatdenisovdislikedallreferencetotheregiment,andtothatotherfreelifegoingonoutsidethehospitalwalls.heseemedtobetryingtoforgetthatoldlife,andtobeinterestedonlyinhisquarrelwiththecommissariatofficials.inreplytorostov’sinquiryastohowthismatterwasgoing,hepromptlydrewfromunderhispillowacommunicationhehadreceivedfromthecommissioner,andaroughcopyofhisanswer.hegrewmoreeagerashebegantoreadhisanswer,andspeciallycalledrostov’sattentiontothebitingsarcasmwithwhichheaddressedhisfoes.denisov’scompanionsinthehospital,whohadgatheredroundrostov,asapersonnewlycomefromtheworldoffreedomoutside,graduallybegantomoveawayassoonasdenisovbeganreadinghisanswer.fromtheirfacesrostovsurmisedthatallthesegentlemenhadmorethanonceheardthewholestory,andhadhadtimetobeboredwithit.onlyhisnearestneighbour,astoutuhlan,satonhispallet-bed,scowlinggloomilyandsmokingapipe,andlittleone-armedtushinstilllistened,shakinghisheaddisapprovingly.inthemiddleofthereadingtheuhlaninterrupteddenisov.

“whatisayis,”hesaid,turningtorostov,“heoughtsimplytopetitiontheemperorforpardon.justnow,theysay,therewillbegreatrewardsgivenandtheywillsurelypardon.”

“mepetitiontheemperor！”saiddenisovinavoiceintowhichhetriedtothrowhisoldenergyandfire,butwhichsoundedliketheexpressionofimpotentirritability.“whatfor？ifihadbeenarobber,i’dbegformercy;why,i’mbeingcalledupfortryingtoshowuprobbers.letthemtryme,i’mnotafraidofanyone;ihaveservedmytsarandmycountryhonestly,andi’mnotathief！anddegrademetotheranksand…listen,itellthemstraightout,see,iwritetothem,‘ifihadbeenathiefofgovernmentproperty…’”

“it’sneatlyput,noquestionaboutit,”saidtushin.“butthat’snotthepoint,vassilydmitritch,”hetooturnedtorostov,“onemustsubmit,andvassilydmitritchherewon’tdoit.theauditortoldyou,youknow,thatitlooksseriousforyou.”

“well,letitbeserious,”saiddenisov.

“theauditorwroteapetitionforyou,”tushinwenton,“andyououghttosignitanddespatchitbythisgentleman.nodoubthe”（heindicatedrostov）“hasinfluenceonthestafftoo.youwon’tfindabetteropportunity.”

“butihavesaidiwon’tgocringingandfawning,”denisovinterrupted,andhewentonreadinghisanswer.

rostovdidnotdaretotryandpersuadedenisov,thoughhefeltinstinctivelythatthecourseproposedbytushinandtheotherofficerswasthesafest.hewouldhavefelthappyifhecouldhavebeenofassistancetodenisov,butheknewhisstubbornwillandstraightforwardhastytemper.

whenthereadingofdenisov’sbitingreplies,whichlastedoveranhour,wasover,rostovsaidnothing,andinthemostdejectedframeofmindspenttherestofthedayinthesocietyofdenisov’scompanions,whohadagaingatheredabouthim.hetoldthemwhatheknew,andlistenedtothestoriestoldbyothers.denisovmaintainedagloomysilencethewholeevening.

lateintheevening,whenrostovwasabouttoleave,heaskeddenisovifhehadnocommissionforhim.

“yes,waitabit,”saiddenisov.helookedroundattheofficers,andtakinghispapersfromunderhispillow,hewenttothewindowwheretherewasaninkstand,andsatdowntowrite.

“itseemsit’snogoodknockingone’sheadagainstastonewall,”saidhe,comingfromthewindowandgivingrostovalargeenvelope.itwasthepetitionaddressedtotheemperorthathadbeendrawnupbytheauditor.initdenisov,makingnoreferencetotheshortcomingofthecommissariatdepartment,simplyedformercy.“giveit,itseems…”hedidnotfinish,andsmiledaforcedandsicklysmile.