第231章

第231章rostov,likethewholearmyindeed,wasfarfromhavingpassedthroughthatrevolutionoffeelinginregardtonapoleonandthefrench—transformingthemfromfoesintofriends—thathadtakenplaceatheadquartersandinboris.inthearmyeveryonewasstillfeelingthesamemingledhatred,fear,andcontemptforbonaparteandthefrench.onlyrecentlyrostovhadarguedwithanofficerofplatov’scossacksthequestionwhetherifnapoleonwastakenprisonerhewastobetreatedasanemperororasacriminal.onlyalittlewhilepreviouslyrostovhadmetawoundedfrenchcolonelontheroad,andhadmaintainedtohimwithheatthattherecouldbenopeaceconcludedbetweenalegitimateemperorandthecriminalbonaparte.consequentlyitstruckrostovasstrangetoseefrenchofficersinboris’squarterswearingtheuniformsatwhichhewasusedtolookingwithverydifferenteyesfromthelineofpickets.assoonashecaughtsightofafrenchofficer,thatfeelingofwar,ofhostility,whichhealwaysexperiencedatthesightoftheenemy,cameuponhimatonce.hestoodstillonthethresholdandaskedinrussianwhetherdrubetskoylivedthere.boris,hearingastrangevoiceinthepassage,wentouttomeethim.forthefirstmomentwhenherecognisedrostov,hisfacebetrayedhisannoyance.

“ah,that’syou,veryglad,verygladtoseeyou,”hesaid,however,smilingandmovingtowardshim.butrostovhaddetectedhisfirstimpulse.

“ihavecomeatabadtime,itseems,”saidhe;“ishouldn’thavecome,butit’sonamatterofimportance,”hesaidcoldly.…

“no,iwasonlysurprisedatyourgettingawayfromtheregiment.iwillbewithyouinamoment,”hesaidinreplytoavoicecallinghim.

“iseeihavecomeatabadtime,”repeatedrostov.

theexpressionofannoyancehadbynowvanishedfromboris’sface;evidentlyhavingreflectedandmadeuphismindhowtoact,hetookhimbybothhandswithmarkedcomposureandledhimintothenextroom.boris’seyes,gazingserenelyandunflinchinglyatrostov,seemedasitwereveiledbysomething,asthoughasortofscreen—thebluespectaclesofconventionallife—hadbeenputoverthem.soitseemedtorostov.

“oh,please,don’ttalknonsense,asifyoucouldcomeatawrongtime,”saidboris.borisledhimintoaroomwheresupperwaslaid,introducedhimtohisguests,mentioninghisname,andexplainingthathewasnotacivilian,butanofficerinthehussars,andhisoldfriend.“countzhilinsky,countn.n.,captains.s.,”hesaid,naminghisguests.rostovlookedfrowningatthefrenchmen,bowedreluctantly,andwasmute.

zhilinskywasobviouslynotpleasedtoreceivethisunknownrussianoutsiderintohiscircle,andsaidnothingtorostov.borisappearednottonoticetheconstraintproducedbythenewcomer,andwiththesameamiablecomposureandthesameveiledlookinhiseyeswithwhichhehadwelcomedrostov,heendeavouredtoenliventheconversation.withcharacteristicfrenchcourtesyoneofthefrenchofficersturnedtorostov,ashesatinstubbornsilence,andsaidtohimthathehadprobablycometotilsittoseetheemperor.

“no,icameonbusiness,”wasrostov’sshortreply.rostovhadbeenoutofhumourfromthemomentwhenhedetectedthedissatisfactiononthefaceofboris,andasisalwaysthecasewithpersonswhoareill-humoured,itseemedtohimthateveryonelookedathimwithhostileeyes,andthathewasineveryone’sway.andinfacthewasineveryone’sway,andhewastheonlypersonleftoutofthegeneralconversation,asitsprangupagain.andwhatishesittingonherefor？wasthequestionaskedbytheeyesofthegueststurneduponhim.hegotupandwentuptoboris.

“i’minyourway,though,”hesaidtohiminanundertone;“letushaveatalkaboutmybusiness,andi’llgoaway.”

“oh,no,nottheleast,”saidboris.“butifyouaretired,cometomyroomandliedownandrest.”

“well,really…”

theywentintothelittleroomwhereborisslept.rostov,withoutsittingdown,beganspeakingatoncewithirritation—asthoughboriswereinsomewaytoblameinthematter.hetoldhimofdenisov’sscrape,askingwhetherhewouldandcouldthroughhisgeneralintercedewiththeemperorindenisov’sfavour,andthroughhimpresenttheletter.whentheywerealonetogether,rostovwasforthefirsttimedistinctlyawarethathefeltanawkwardnessinlookingborisintheface.boriscrossingonelegovertheother,andstrokingtheslenderfingersofhisrighthandwithhisleft,listenedtorostov,asagenerallistenstoareportpresentedbyasubordinate,atonetimelookingaway,atthenextlookingrostovstraightinthefacewiththesameveiledlookinhiseyes.everytimehedidso,rostovfeltillatease,anddroppedhiseyes.

“ihaveheardofaffairsofthesort,andiknowthattheemperorisverysevereinsuchcases.ithinkithadbetternotbetakenbeforehismajesty.tomymind,itwouldbebettertoapplydirectlytothecommanderofthecorps.…butgenerallyspeaking,ibelieve…”

“thenyoudon’tcaretodoanything,sosayso！”rostovalmostshouted,notlookingborisintheface.

borissmiled.

“onthecontrary,iwilldowhatican,onlyiimagine…”

atthatmomenttheyheardthevoiceofzhilinskyatthedoor,callingboris.

“well,goalong,go,go…”saidrostov,andrefusingsupperandremainingaloneinthelittleroom,hewalkedupanddownforalongwhile,listeningtothelight-heartedfrenchchatterinthenextroom.