第235章

第235章lazarevlookeddarklyatthelittlemanwithwhitehandswhowasdoingsomethingtohim，andstillstandingrigidly，presentingarms，helookedagainstraightintoalexander’sface，asthoughhewereaskinghim：“washetogoonstandingthere，orwasithispleasureforhimtogonow，orperhapstodosomethingelse？”butnoorderwasgivenhim，andheremainedforagoodwhilestillinthesamerigidposition.

theemperorsmountedtheirhorsesandrodeaway.thepreobrazhenskybattalionbrokeup，and，minglingwiththefrenchguards，satdowntothetablespreparedforthem.

lazarevwasputintheplaceofhonour.frenchandrussianofficersembracedhim，congratulatedhim，andshookhandswithhim.crowdsofofficersandcommonpeopleflockedupsimplytolookatlazarev.therewasacontinualhumoflaughterandfrenchandrussianchatterroundthetablesinthesquare.twoofficerswithflushedfacespassedbyrostov，lookingcheerfulandhappy.

“whatdoyousaytothebanquet，myboy？allservedonsilver，”onewassaying.“seenlazarev？”

“yes.”

“theysaythepreobrazhenskiesaretogivethemadinnertomorrow.”

“isay，whatluckforlazarev！twelvehundredfrancspensionforlife.”

“here’sacap，lads！”criedapreobrazhenskysoldier，puttingonafrenchsoldier’sfurcap.

“it’sawfullynice，first-rate！”

“haveyouheardthewatchword？”saidanofficeroftheguardstoanother.“thedaybeforeyesterdayitwas‘napoléon，france，bravoure’；to-dayit’s‘alexandre，russie，grandeur.”onedayouremperorgivesit，andnextdaynapoleon.to-morrowtheemperoristosendthest.georgetothebravestofthefrenchguards.can’tbehelped！mustrespondinthesameway.”

boris，withhiscomradezhilinsky，hadcometootolookatthebanquet.onhiswaybackborisnoticedrostov，whowasstandingatthecornerofahouse.“rostov！goodday；wehaven’tseeneachother，”hesaid，andcouldnotrefrainfromaskinghimwhatwasthematter，sostrangelygloomyandtroubledwasthefaceofrostov.

“nothing，nothing，”answeredrostov.

“areyoucomingin？”

“yes.”

rostovstoodalongwhileinthecorner，lookingatthefêtefromadistance.hisbrainwasseethinginanagonisingconfusion，whichhecouldnotworkouttoanyconclusion.horribledoubtswerestirringinhissoul.hethoughtofdenisovwithhischangedexpression，hissubmission，andallthehospitalwithtorn-offlegsandarms，withthefilthanddisease.sovividlyherecalledthathospitalsmellofcorpsethathelookedroundtoascertainwherethestenchcamefrom.thenhethoughtofthatself-satisfiedbonaparte，withhiswhitehands—treatednowwithcordialityandrespectbytheemperoralexander.forwhat，then，hadthoselegsandarmsbeentornoff，thosemenbeenkilled？thenhethoughtoflazarevrewarded，anddenisovpunishedandunpardoned.hecaughthimselfinsuchstrangereflectionsthathewasterrifiedatthem.

hungerandthesavourysmellofthepreobrazhenskydinnerrousedhimfromthismood；hemustgetsomethingtoeatbeforegoingaway.hewenttoanhotelwhichhehadseeninthemorning.inthehotelhefoundsuchacrowdofpeople，andofofficerswhohadcome，ashehad，inciviliandress，thathehaddifficultyingettingdinner.twoofficersofhisowndivisionjoinedhimattable.theconversationnaturallyturnedonthepeace.thetwoofficers，rostov’scomrades，likethegreaterpartofthearmy，werenotsatisfiedwiththepeaceconcludedafterfriedland.theysaidthathadtheykeptonalittlelongeritwouldhavemeantnapoleon’sdownfall；thathistroopshadneitherprovisionsnorammunition.nikolayateinsilenceanddrankheavily.hefinishedtwobottlesofwinebyhimself.theinwardfermentworkingwithinhimstillfrettedhim，andfoundnosolution.hedreadedgivinghimselfuptohisthoughts，andcouldnotgetawayfromthem.allofasudden，ononeoftheofficerssayingthatitwashumiliatingtolookatthefrench，rostovbeganshoutingwithaviolencethatwasquiteunprovoked，andconsequentlygreatlyastoundedtheofficers.

“andhowcanyoujudgewhatwouldbebest！”heshouted，withhisfacesuddenlysuffusedwitharushofblood.“howcanyoujudgeoftheactionoftheemperor？whatrighthavewetocriticisehim？wecannotcomprehendtheaimsortheactionsoftheemperor！”

“butididn’tsayawordabouttheemperor，”theofficersaidinjustificationofhimself，unabletoputanyotherinterpretationonrostov’sviolencethanthathewasdrunk.

butrostovdidnotheedhim.

“wearenotdiplomaticclerks，wearesoldiers，andnothingmore，”hewenton.“commandustodie—thenwedie.andifwearepunished，itfollowswe’reinfault；it’snotforustojudge.ifit’shismajestytheemperor’spleasuretorecognisebonaparteasemperor，andtoconcludeanalliancewithhim，thenitmustbetherightthing.ifwewereoncetobegincriticisingandreasoningabouteverything，nothingwouldbeleftholytous.inthatwayweshallbesayingthereisnogod，nothing，”criednikolay，bringinghisfistdownonthetable.hisremarksseemedutterlyirrelevanttohiscompanions，butfollowedquiteconsistentlyfromthetrainofhisownideas.“it’sourbusinesstodoourduty，tohackthemtopieces，andnottothink；that’sallaboutit，”heshouted.

“andtodrink，”putinoneoftheofficers，whohadnodesiretoquarrel.

“yes，andtodrink，”assentednikolay.“hi，youthere！anotherbottle！”heroared.