第135章

第135章beforethetsarhadreachedit,eachregimentinitsspeechlessimmobilityseemedlikealifelessbody.butassoonasthetsarwasonalevelwithit,eachregimentbrokeintolifeandnoise,whichjoinedwiththeroarofalltheline,bywhichthetsarhadpassedalready.intheterrific,deafeninguproarofthosevoices,betweenthesquaremassesoftroops,immobileasthoughturnedtostone,movedcarelessly,butsymmetricallyandfreely,somehundredsofmenonhorseback,thesuite,andinfrontofthemtwofigures—theemperors.uponthesewasentirelyconcentratedtherepressed,passionateattentionofallthatmassofmen.

thehandsome,youthfulemperoralexander,intheuniformofthehorseguards,inatriangularhatwiththebaseinfront,attractedthegreatershareofattentionwithhispleasantfaceandsonorous,lowvoice.

rostovwasstandingnearthetrumpeters,andwithhiskeeneyesherecognisedthetsarfromadistanceandwatchedhimapproaching.whenthetsarwasonlytwentypacesaway,andnikolaysawclearlyineverydetailthehandsome,young,andhappyfaceoftheemperor,heexperiencedafeelingoftendernessandecstasysuchashehadneverknownbefore.everythinginthetsar—everyfeature,everymovement—seemedtohimfullofcharm.

haltingbeforethepavlogradregiment,thetsarsaidsomethinginfrenchtotheaustrianemperorandsmiled.

seeingthatsmile,rostovunconsciouslybegantosmilehimselfandfeltanevenstrongerrushofloveforhisemperor.helongedtoexpresshisloveforthetsarinsomeway.heknewitwasimpossible,andhewantedtocry.thetsarcalledupthecoloneloftheregimentandsaidafewwordstohim.

“bygod！whatwouldhappentomeiftheemperorweretoaddressme！”thoughtrostov;“ishoulddieofhappiness.”

thetsaraddressedtheofficers,too.

“allofyou,gentlemen”（everywordsoundedtorostovlikeheavenlymusic）,“ithankyouwithallmyheart.”

howhappyrostovwouldhavebeenifhecouldhavediedonthespotforhisemperor.

“youhavewontheflagsofst.georgeandwillbeworthyofthem.”

“onlytodie,todieforhim！”thoughtrostov.

thetsarsaidsomethingmorewhichrostovdidnotcatch,andthesoldiers,strainingtheirlungs,roared“hurrah！”

rostov,too,bendingoverinhissaddle,shoutedwithallhismight,feelinghewouldliketodohimselfsomeinjurybythisshout,ifonlyhecouldgivefullexpressiontohisenthusiasmforthetsar.

thetsarstoodforseveralsecondsfacingthehussars,asthoughhewerehesitating.

“howcouldtheemperorhesitate？”rostovwondered;butthen,eventhathesitationseemedtohimmajesticandenchanting,likeallthetsardid.

thetsar’shesitationlastedonlyaninstant.thetsar’sfoot,inthenarrow-pointedbootoftheday,touchedthebellyofthebayenglishthoroughbredhewasriding.thetsar’shandinitswhiteglovegatheredupthereinsandhemovedoff,accompaniedbytheirregularlyheavingseaofadjutants.furtherandfurtherherodeaway,stoppingattheotherregiments,andatlastthewhiteplumeofhishatwasallthatrostovcouldseeabovethesuitethatencircledtheemperors.

amongthegentlemenofthesuite,rostovnoticedbolkonsky,sittinghishorseinaslack,indolentpose.rostovrememberedhisquarrelwithhimonthepreviousdayandhisdoubtwhetherheoughtoroughtnottochallengehim.“ofcourse,ioughtnot,”rostovreflectednow.…”andisitworththinkingandspeakingofitatsuchamomentasthepresent？atthemomentofsuchafeelingoflove,enthusiasm,andself-sacrifice,whatareallourslightsandsquabbles？iloveeveryone,iforgiveeveryoneatthismoment,”thoughtrostov.

whenthetsarhadmadetheroundofalmostalltheregiments,thetroopsbegantofilebyhiminaparademarch,androstovonbedouin,whichhehadlatelyboughtfromdenisov,wastheofficerattherear,thatis,hadtopasslast,alone,anddirectlyinviewofthetsar.

beforehereachedthetsar,rostov,whowasacapitalhorseman,setspurstwicetohisbedouin,andeededinforcinghimintothatfranticformofgallopintowhichbedouinalwaysdroppedwhenhewasexcited.bendinghisfoamingnosetohischest,archinghistail,andseemingtoskimthroughtheairwithouttouchingtheearth,bedouin,asthoughhe,too,wereconsciousofthetsar’seyeuponhim,flewbyinsuperbstyle,withagracefulhighactionofhislegs.

rostovhimselfdrewbackhislegsanddrewinhisstomach,andfeelinghimselfallofapiecewithhishorse,rodebythetsarwithafrowningbutblissfulface,lookingaregulardevil,asdenisovusedtosay.

“bravo,pavlograds！”saidthetsar.

“mygod！shouldn’tibehappyifhebademeflingmyselfintofirethisinstant,”thoughtrostov.

whenthereviewwasover,theofficers,bothofthereinforcementsandofkutuzov’sarmy,begantogathertogetheringroups.conversationssprangupaboutthehonoursthathadbeenconferred,abouttheaustriansandtheiruniforms,andtheirfrontline,aboutbonaparteandthebadtimeinstoreforhimnow,especiallywhenessen’scorps,too,shouldarrive,andprussiashouldtakeourside.butthechiefsubjectofconversationineverycirclewastheemperoralexander;everywordhehaduttered,everygesturewasdescribedandexpatiateduponwithenthusiasm.

therewasbutonedesireinall：undertheemperor’sleadershiptofacetheenemyassoonaspossible.underthecommandoftheemperorhimselftheywouldnotfailtoconqueranyonewhatever：sothoughtrostovandmostoftheofficersafterthereview.

afterthereviewtheyallfeltmorecertainofvictorythantheycouldhavebeenaftertwodecisivevictories.