第130章

第130章onthe12thofnovember，kutuzov’sarmy，encampednearolmutz，waspreparingtobereviewedonthefollowingdaybythetwoemperors—therussianandtheaustrian.theguards，whohadonlyjustarrivedfromrussia，spentanightfifteenverstsfromolmutz，andatteno’clockthenextmorningwentstraighttobereviewedintheolmutzplain.

thatdaynikolayrostovhadreceivedanotefromborisinforminghimthattheismailovskyregimentwasquarteredforthenightfifteenverstsfromolmutz，andthathewantedtoseehimtogivehimaletterandsomemoney.themoneyrostovparticularlyneededjustnow，whenthetroopsafteractiveservicewerestationednearolmutz，andthecampswarmedwithwell-equippedcanteenkeepersandaustrianjews，offeringallkindsofattractions.thepavlogradhussarshadbeenkeepinguparoundofgaiety，fêtesinhonourofthepromotionsreceivedinthefield，andexcursionstoolmutztoacertaincarolinelahongroise，whohadrecentlyopenedarestauranttherewithgirlsaswaiters.rostovhadjustbeencelebratinghiscommissionasacornet；hehadboughtdenisov’shorsebedouin，too，andwasindebtallroundtohiscomradesandthecanteenkeepers.ongettingthenotefromboris，rostovrodeintoolmutzwithacomrade，dinedthere，drankabottleofwine，androdeonalonetotheguards’camptofindthecompanionofhischildhood.rostovhadnotyetgothisuniform.hewaswearingashabbyensign’sjacketwithaprivatesoldier’scross，equallyshabbyriding-trouserslinedwithwornleather，andanofficer’ssabrewithaswordknot.thehorsehewasridingwasofthedonbreed，boughtofacossackonthemarch.acrushedhussarcapwasstuckjauntilybackononesideofhishead.asherodeuptothecampoftheismailovskyregiment，hewasthinkingofhowhewouldimpressborisandallhiscomradesintheguardsbylookingsothoroughlyahussarwhohasbeenunderfireandrougheditatthefront.

theguardshadmadetheirmarchasthoughitwereapleasureexcursion，pridingthemselvesontheirsmartnessanddiscipline.theymovedbyshortstages，theirknapsackswerecarriedinthetransportons，andateveryhalttheaustriangovernmentprovidedtheofficerswithexcellentdinners.theregimentsmadetheirentryintotownsandtheirexitfromthemwithbandsplaying，and，accordingtothegrandduke’sorder，thewholemarchhad（apointonwhichtheguardspridedthemselves）beenperformedbythesoldiersinstep，theofficerstoowalkingintheirproperplaces.borishadthroughoutthemarchwalkedandstayedwithberg，whowasbythistimeacaptain.berg，whohadreceivedhiscompanyonthemarch，hadeededingainingtheconfidenceofhissuperiorofficersbyhisconscientiousnessandaccuracy，andhadestablishedhisfinancialpositiononaverysatisfactorybasis.borishadduringthesameperiodmadetheacquaintanceofmanypersonslikelytobeofusetohim，andbymeansofaletterofrecommendationbroughtfrompierre，hadmadetheacquaintanceofprinceandreybolkonsky，throughwhomhehadhopesofobtainingapostonthestaffofthecommander-in-chief.bergandboris，whohadrestedwellafterthepreviousday’smarch，weresittingsmartlyandneatlydressed，inthecleanquartersassignedthem，playingdraughtsataroundtable.bergwasholdingbetweenhiskneesasmokingpipe.boris，withhischaracteristicnicety，wasbuildingthedraughtsintoapyramidwithhisdelicate，whitefingers，whilehewaitedforbergtoplay.hewaswatchinghispartner’sface，obviouslythinkingofthegame，hisattentionconcentrated，asitalwayswas，onwhathewasengagedin.

“well，howareyougoingtogetoutofthat？”hesaid.

“iamgoingtotry，”answeredberg，touchingthepieces，andtakinghishandawayagain.

atthatinstantthedooropened.

“hereheisatlast！”shoutedrostov.“andbergtoo.ah，petisanfan，alleycoosheydormir！”hecried，repeatingthesayingoftheiroldnurse’sthathadoncebeenajokewithhimandboris.

“goodness，howchangedyouare！”borisgotuptogreetrostov，butasherose，hedidnotforgettoholdtheboard，andtoputbackthefallingpieces.hewasabouttoembracehisfriend，butnikolaydrewbackfromhim.withthatpeculiarlyyouthfulfeelingoffearingbeatentracks，ofwantingtoavoidimitation，toexpressone’sfeelingsinsomenewwayofone’sown，soastoescapetheformsoftenconventionallyusedbyone’selders，nikolaywantedtodosomethingstrikingonmeetinghisfriend.hewantedsomehowtogivehimapinch，togivebergashove，anythingratherthantokiss，aspeoplealwaysdidonsuchoccasions.boris，onthecontrary，embracedrostovinacomposedandfriendlymanner，andgavehimthreekisses.

itwasalmostsixmonthssincetheyhadseeneachother.andbeingatthestagewhenyoungmentaketheirfirststepsalongthepathoflife，eachfoundimmensechangesintheother，quitenewreflectionsofthedifferentsocietyinwhichtheyhadtakenthosefirststeps.bothhadchangedgreatlysincetheywerelasttogether，andbothwantedtoshowassoonaspossiblewhatachangehadtakenplace.

“ah，youdamnedfloorpolishers！smartandclean，asifyou’dbeenenjoyingyourselves；notlikeuspoordevilsatthefront，”saidrostov，withmartialer，andwithbaritonenotesinhisvoicethatwerenewtoboris.hepointedtohismud-stainedriding-breeches.thegermanwomanofthehousepoppedherheadoutofadooratrostov’sloudvoice.

“aprettywoman，eh？”saidhe，winking.

“whydoyoushoutso？youarefrighteningthem，”saidboris.“ididn’texpectyouto-day，”headded.“ionlysentthenoteofftoyouyesterday—throughanadjutantofkutuzov’s，who’safriendofmine—bolkonsky.ididn’texpecthewouldsendittoyousoquickly.well，howareyou？beenunderfirealready？”askedboris.