第106章

第106章itwasnotnowasbeforeanunseenriverflowinginthedarkness,butagloomyseasubsidingandstillagitatedafterastorm.rostovgazedvacantlyandlistenedtowhatwaspassingbeforehimandaroundhim.aninfantrysoldiercameuptothefire,squattedonhisheels,heldhishandstothefire,andturnedhisface.

“youdon’tmind,yourhonour？”hesaid,lookinginquiringlyattushin.“herei’vegotlostfrommycompany,yourhonour;idon’tknowmyselfwhereiam.it’sdreadful！”

withthesoldieraninfantryofficerapproachedthefirewithabandagedface.heaskedtushintohavethecannonmovedaverylittle,soastoletastoreonpassby.aftertheofficertwosoldiersranuptothefire.theywereswearingdesperatelyandfighting,tryingtopullabootfromoneanother.

“nofear！youpickeditup！that’ssmart！”oneshoutedinahuskyvoice.

thenathin,palesoldierapproached,hisneckbandagedwithabloodstainedrag.withavoiceofexasperationheaskedtheartillerymenforwater.

“why,isonetodielikeadog？”hesaid.

tushintoldthemtogivehimwater.nextagood-humouredsoldierranup,tobegforsomered-hotembersfortheinfantry.

“someofyourfirefortheinfantry！gladtohalt,lads.thanksfortheloanofthefiring;we’llpayitbackwithinterest,”hesaid,carryingsomeglowingfirebrandsawayintothedarkness.

nextfoursoldierspassedby,carryingsomethingheavyinanovercoat.oneofthemstumbled.

“ay,thedevils,they’veleftfirewoodintheroad,”grumbledone.

“he’sdead;whycarryhim？”saidoneofthem.

“comeon,you！”andtheyvanishedintothedarknesswiththeirburden.

“doesitache,eh？”tushinaskedrostovinawhisper.

“yes,itdoesache.”

“yourhonour’ssentfortothegeneral.hereinacottageheis,”saidagunner,cominguptotushin.

“inaminute,mydear.”tushingotupandwalkedawayfromthefire,buttoninguphiscoatandsettinghimselfstraight.

inacottagethathadbeenpreparedforhimnotfarfromtheartillerymen’sfire,princebagrationwassittingatdinner,talkingwithseveralcommandingofficers,whohadgatheredabouthim.thelittleoldcolonelwiththehalf-shuteyeswasthere,greedilygnawingatamutton-bone,andthegeneraloftwenty-twoyears’irreproachableservice,flushedwithaglassofvodkaandhisdinner,andthestaff-officerwiththesignetring,andzherkov,stealinguneasyglancesateveryone,andprinceandrey,palewithsetlipsandfeverishlyglitteringeyes.

inthecornerofthecottageroomstoodafrenchflag,thathadbeencaptured,andtheauditorwiththena？vecountenancewasfeelingthestuffofwhichtheflagwasmade,andshakinghisheadwithapuzzledair,possiblybecauselookingattheflagreallyinterestedhim,orpossiblybecausehedidnotenjoythesightofthedinner,ashewashungryandnoplacehadbeenlaidforhim.inthenextcottagetherewasthefrenchcolonel,whohadbeentakenprisonerbythedragoons.ourofficerswereflockingintolookathim.princebagrationthankedtheseveralcommandingofficers,andinquiredintodetailsofthebattleandofthelosses.thegeneral,whoseregimenthadbeeninspectedatbraunau,submittedtotheprincethatassoonastheengagementbegan,hehadfallenbackfromthecopse,musteredthemenwhowerecuttingwood,andlettingthempassbyhim,hadmadeabayonetchargewithtwobattalionsandrepulsedthefrench.

“assoonasisaw,yourexcellency,thatthefirstbattalionwasthrownintoconfusion,istoodintheroadandthought,‘i’llletthemgetthroughandthenopenfireonthem’;andthat’swhatidid.”

thegeneralhadsolongedtodothis,hehadsoregrettednothavingeededindoingit,thatitseemedtohimnowthatthiswasjustwhathadhappened.indeedmightitnotactuallyhavebeenso？whocouldmakeoutinsuchconfusionwhatdidandwhatdidnothappen？

“andbythewayioughttonote,yourexcellency,”hecontinued,recallingdolohov’sconversationwithkutuzovandhisownlateinterviewwiththedegradedofficer,“thattheprivatedolohov,degradedtotheranks,tookafrenchofficerprisonerbeforemyeyesandparticularlydistinguishedhimself.”

“isawhere,yourexcellency,theattackofthepavlogradhussars,”zherkovputin,lookinguneasilyabouthim.hehadnotseenthehussarsatallthatday,buthadonlyheardaboutthemfromaninfantryofficer.“theybrokeuptwosquares,yourexcellency.”

whenzherkovbegantospeak,severalofficerssmiled,astheyalwaysdid,expectingajokefromhim.butastheyperceivedthatwhathewassayingallredoundedtothegloryofourarmsandoftheday,theyassumedaseriousexpression,althoughmanywereverywellawarethatwhatzherkovwassayingwasalieutterlywithoutfoundation.princebagrationturnedtotheoldcolonel.

“ithankyouall,gentlemen;allbranchesoftheservicebehavedheroically—infantry,cavalry,andartillery.howdidtwocannonscometobeabandonedinthecentre？”heinquired,lookingaboutforsomeone.（princebagrationdidnotaskaboutthecannonsoftheleftflank;heknewthatallofthemhadbeenabandonedattheverybeginningoftheaction.）“ithinkitwasyouisent,”headded,addressingthestaff-officer.

“onehadbeendisabled,”answeredthestaff-officer,“buttheother,ican’texplain;iwasthereallthewhilemyself,givinginstructions,andihadscarcelyleftthere.…itwasprettyhot,it’strue,”headdedmodestly.