第95章

第95章princeandreymountedhishorsebutlingeredatthebattery,lookingatthesmokeofthecannonfromwhichtheballhadflown.hiseyesmovedrapidlyoverthewideplain.heonlysawthatthepreviouslyimmobilemassesofthefrenchwereheavingtoandfro,andthatitreallywasabatteryontheleft.thesmokestillclungaboutit.twofrenchmenonhorseback,doubtlessadjutants,weregallopingonthehill.asmallcolumnoftheenemy,distinctlyvisible,weremovingdownhill,probablytostrengthentheline.thesmokeofthefirstshothadnotclearedaway,whentherewasafreshpuffofsmokeandanothershot.thebattlewasbeginning.princeandreyturnedhishorseandgallopedbacktogruntetolookforprincebagration.behindhimheheardthecannonadebecominglouderandmorefrequent.ourmenwereevidentlybeginningtoreply.musketshotscouldbeheardbelowatthespotwherethelineswereclosest.lemarroishadonlyjustgallopedtomuratwithnapoleon’smenacingletter,andmurat,abashedandanxioustoeffacehiserror,atoncemovedhisforcestothecentreandtowardsbothflanks,hopingbeforeeveningandthearrivaloftheemperortodestroytheinsignificantdetachmentbeforehim.

“ithasbegun！hereitcomes！”thoughtprinceandrey,feelingthebloodrushtohisheart.“butwhere？whatformismytoulontotake？”hewondered.

passingbetweenthecompaniesthathadbeeneatingporridgeanddrinkingvodkaaquarterofanhourbefore,hesaweverywherenothingbutthesamerapidmovementsofsoldiersforminginranksandgettingtheirguns,andoneveryfacehesawthesameeagernessthathefeltinhisheart.“ithasbegun！hereitcomes！terribleanddelightful！”saidthefaceofeveryprivateandofficer.beforehereachedtheearthworksthatwerebeingthrownup,hesawintheeveninglightofthedullautumndaymenonhorsebackcrossingtowardshim.theforemost,wearingacloakandanastrachancap,wasridingonawhitehorse.itwasprincebagration.princeandreystoppedandwaitedforhimtocomeup.princebagrationstoppedhishorse,andrecognisingprinceandreynoddedtohim.hestillgazedonaheadwhileprinceandreytoldhimwhathehadbeenseeing.

theexpression：“ithasbegun！itiscoming！”wasdiscernibleevenonprincebagration’sstrong,brownface,withhishalf-closed,lustreless,sleepy-lookingeyes.princeandreyglancedwithuneasycuriosityatthatimpassiveface,andhelongedtoknow：wasthatmanthinkingandfeeling,andwhatwashethinkingandfeelingatthatmoment？“isthereanythingatalltherebehindthatimpassiveface？”princeandreywondered,lookingathim.princebagrationnoddedintokenofhisassenttoprinceandrey’swords,andsaid：“verygood,”withanexpressionthatseemedtosignifythatallthathappened,andallthatwastoldhim,wasexactlywhathehadforeseen.princeandrey,pantingfromhisrapidride,spokequickly.princebagrationutteredhiswordsinhisorientalaccentwithpeculiardeliberation,asthoughimpressinguponhimthattherewasnoneedofhurry.hedid,however,spurhishorseintoagallopinthedirectionoftushin’sbattery.princeandreyrodeafterhimwithhissuite.thepartyconsistedofanofficerofthesuite,bagration’sprivateadjutant,zherkov,anorderlyofficer,thestaff-officeronduty,ridingabeautifulhorseofenglishbreed,andacivilianofficial,theauditor,whohadaskedtobepresentfromcuriositytoseethebattle.theauditor,aplumpmanwithaplumpface,lookedabouthimwithana？vesmileofamusement,swayingaboutonhishorse,andcuttingaqueerfigureinhiscloakonhissaddleamongthehussars,cossacks,andadjutants.

“thisgentlemanwantstoseeabattle,”saidzherkovtobolkonsky,indicatingtheauditor,“buthasbeguntofeelqueeralready.”

“come,leaveoff,”saidtheauditor,withabeamingsmileatoncena？veandcunning,asthoughhewereflatteredatbeingtheobjectofzherkov’sjests,andwaspurposelytryingtoseemstupiderthanhewasinreality.

“it’sverycurious,monmonsieurprince,”saidthestaff-officeronduty.（hevaguelyrememberedthatthetitleprincewastranslatedinsomepeculiarwayinfrench,butcouldnotgetitquiteright.）bythistimetheywereallridinguptotushin’sbattery,andaballstruckthegroundbeforethem.

“whatwasthatfalling？”askedtheauditor,smilingna？vely.

“afrenchpancake,”saidzherkov.

“that’swhattheyhityouwith,then？”askedtheauditor.“howawful！”andheseemedtoexpandalloverwithenjoyment.hehadhardlyutteredthewordswhenagaintherewasasuddenterriblewhiz,whichendedabruptlyinathudintosomethingsoft,andflop—acossack,ridingalittlebehindandtotherightoftheauditor,droppedfromhishorsetotheground.zherkovandthestaff-officerbentforwardovertheirsaddlesandturnedtheirhorsesaway.theauditorstoppedfacingthecossack,andlookingwithcuriosityathim.thecossackwasdead,thehorsewasstillling.