Book Two: 1805 - Chapter II

by Leo Tolstoy

　　"He's coming!" shouted the signaler at that moment.

　　The regimental commander, flushing, ran to his horse, seized thestirrup with trembling hands, threw his body across the saddle,righted himself, drew his saber, and with a happy and resolutecountenance, opening his mouth awry, prepared to shout. The regimentfluttered like a bird preening its plumage and became motionless.

　　"Att-ention!" shouted the regimental commander in a soul-shakingvoice which expressed joy for himself, severity for the regiment,and welcome for the approaching chief.

　　Along the broad country road, edged on both sides by trees, came ahigh, light blue Viennese caleche, slightly creaking on its springsand drawn by six horses at a smart trot. Behind the caleche gallopedthe suite and a convoy of Croats. Beside Kutuzov sat an Austriangeneral, in a white uniform that looked strange among the Russianblack ones. The caleche stopped in front of the regiment. Kutuzovand the Austrian general were talking in low voices and Kutuzov smiledslightly as treading heavily he stepped down from the carriage just asif those two thousand men breathlessly gazing at him and theregimental commander did not exist.

　　The word of command rang out, and again the regiment quivered, aswith a jingling sound it presented arms. Then amidst a dead silencethe feeble voice of the commander in chief was heard. The regimentroared, "Health to your ex... len... len... lency!" and again allbecame silent. At first Kutuzov stood still while the regimentmoved; then he and the general in white, accompanied by the suite,walked between the ranks.

　　From the way the regimental commander saluted the commander in chiefand devoured him with his eyes, drawing himself up obsequiously, andfrom the way he walked through the ranks behind the generals,bending forward and hardly able to restrain his jerky movements, andfrom the way he darted forward at every word or gesture of thecommander in chief, it was evident that he performed his duty as asubordinate with even greater zeal than his duty as a commander.Thanks to the strictness and assiduity of its commander theregiment, in comparison with others that had reached Braunau at thesame time, was in splendid condition. There were only 217 sick andstragglers. Everything was in good order except the boots.

　　Kutuzov walked through the ranks, sometimes stopping to say a fewfriendly words to officers he had known in the Turkish war,sometimes also to the soldiers. Looking at their boots he severaltimes shook his head sadly, pointing them out to the Austriangeneral with an expression which seemed to say that he was not blaminganyone, but could not help noticing what a bad state of things it was.The regimental commander ran forward on each such occasion, fearing tomiss a single word of the commander in chief's regarding the regiment.Behind Kutuzov, at a distance that allowed every softly spoken word tobe heard, followed some twenty men of his suite. These gentlementalked among themselves and sometimes laughed. Nearest of all to thecommander in chief walked a handsome adjutant. This was PrinceBolkonski. Beside him was his comrade Nesvitski, a tall staff officer,extremely stout, with a kindly, smiling, handsome face and moist eyes.Nesvitski could hardly keep from laughter provoked by a swarthy hussarofficer who walked beside him. This hussar, with a grave face andwithout a smile or a change in the expression of his fixed eyes,watched the regimental commander's back and mimicked his everymovement. Each time the commander started and bent forward, the hussarstarted and bent forward in exactly the same manner. Nesvitski laughedand nudged the others to make them look at the wag.

　　Kutuzov walked slowly and languidly past thousands of eyes whichwere starting from their sockets to watch their chief. On reaching thethird company he suddenly stopped. His suite, not having expectedthis, involuntarily came closer to him.

　　"Ah, Timokhin!" said he, recognizing the red-nosed captain who hadbeen reprimanded on account of the blue greatcoat.

　　One would have thought it impossible for a man to stretch himselfmore than Timokhin had done when he was reprimanded by theregimental commander, but now that the commander in chief addressedhim he drew himself up to such an extent that it seemed he could nothave sustained it had the commander in chief continued to look at him,and so Kutuzov, who evidently understood his case and wished himnothing but good, quickly turned away, a scarcely perceptible smileflitting over his scarred and puffy face.

　　"Another Ismail comrade," said he. "A brave officer! Are yousatisfied with him?" he asked the regimental commander.

　　And the latter- unconscious that he was being reflected in thehussar officer as in a looking glass- started, moved forward, andanswered: "Highly satisfied, your excellency!"

　　"We all have our weaknesses," said Kutuzov smiling and walkingaway from him. "He used to have a predilection for Bacchus."

　　The regimental commander was afraid he might be blamed for thisand did not answer. The hussar at that moment noticed the face ofthe red-nosed captain and his drawn-in stomach, and mimicked hisexpression and pose with such exactitude that Nesvitski could not helplaughing. Kutuzov turned round. The officer evidently had completecontrol of his face, and while Kutuzov was turning managed to make agrimace and then assume a most serious, deferential, and innocentexpression.

　　The third company was the last, and Kutuzov pondered, apparentlytrying to recollect something. Prince Andrew stepped forward fromamong the suite and said in French:

　　"You told me to remind you of the officer Dolokhov, reduced to theranks in this regiment."

　　"Where is Dolokhov?" asked Kutuzov.

　　Dolokhov, who had already changed into a soldier's gray greatcoat,did not wait to be called. The shapely figure of the fair-hairedsoldier, with his clear blue eyes, stepped forward from the ranks,went up to the commander in chief, and presented arms.

　　"Have you a complaint to make?" Kutuzov asked with a slight frown.

　　"This is Dolokhov," said Prince Andrew.

　　"Ah!" said Kutuzov. "I hope this will be a lesson to you. Do yourduty. The Emperor is gracious, and I shan't forget you if youdeserve well."

　　The clear blue eyes looked at the commander in chief just asboldly as they had looked at the regimental commander, seeming bytheir expression to tear open the veil of convention that separatesa commander in chief so widely from a private.

　　"One thing I ask of your excellency," Dolokhov said in his firm,ringing, deliberate voice. "I ask an opportunity to atone for my faultand prove my devotion to His Majesty the Emperor and to Russia!"

　　Kutuzov turned away. The same smile of the eyes with which he hadturned from Captain Timokhin again flitted over his face. He turnedaway with a grimace as if to say that everything Dolokhov had saidto him and everything he could say had long been known to him, that hewas weary of it and it was not at all what he wanted. He turned awayand went to the carriage.

　　The regiment broke up into companies, which went to theirappointed quarters near Braunau, where they hoped to receive boots andclothes and to rest after their hard marches.

　　"You won't bear me a grudge, Prokhor Ignatych?" said theregimental commander, overtaking the third company on its way to itsquarters and riding up to Captain Timokhin who was walking in front.(The regimental commander's face now that the inspection was happilyover beamed with irrepressible delight.) "It's in the Emperor'sservice... it can't be helped... one is sometimes a bit hasty onparade... I am the first to apologize, you know me!... He was verypleased!" And he held out his hand to the captain.

　　"Don't mention it, General, as if I'd be so bold!" replied thecaptain, his nose growing redder as he gave a smile which showed wheretwo front teeth were missing that had been knocked out by the butt endof a gun at Ismail.

　　"And tell Mr. Dolokhov that I won't forget him- he may be quiteeasy. And tell me, please- I've been meaning to ask- how is to ask-how is he behaving himself, and in general..."

　　"As far as the service goes he is quite punctilious, yourexcellency; but his character..." said Timokhin.

　　"And what about his character?" asked the regimental commander.

　　"It's different on different days," answered the captain. "One dayhe is sensible, well educated, and good-natured, and the next he's awild beast.... In Poland, if you please, he nearly killed a Jew."

　　"Oh, well, well!" remarked the regimental commander. "Still, onemust have pity on a young man in misfortune. You know he has importantconnections... Well, then, you just..."

　　"I will, your excellency," said Timokhin, showing by his smilethat he understood his commander's wish.

　　"Well, of course, of course!"

　　The regimental commander sought out Dolokhov in the ranks and,reining in his horse, said to him:

　　"After the next affair... epaulettes."

　　Dolokhov looked round but did not say anything, nor did themocking smile on his lips change.

　　"Well, that's all right," continued the regimental commander. "A cupof vodka for the men from me," he added so that the soldiers couldhear. "I thank you all! God be praised!" and he rode past that companyand overtook the next one.

　　"Well, he's really a good fellow, one can serve under him," saidTimokhin to the subaltern beside him.

　　"In a word, a hearty one..." said the subaltern, laughing (theregimental commander was nicknamed King of Hearts).

　　The cheerful mood of their officers after the inspection infectedthe soldiers. The company marched on gaily. The soldiers' voices couldbe heard on every side.

　　"And they said Kutuzov was blind of one eye?"

　　"And so he is! Quite blind!"

　　"No, friend, he is sharper-eyed than you are. Boots and leg bands...he noticed everything..."

　　"When he looked at my feet, friend... well, thinks I..."

　　"And that other one with him, the Austrian, looked as if he weresmeared with chalk- as white as flour! I suppose they polish him up asthey do the guns."

　　"I say, Fedeshon!... Did he say when the battles are to begin? Youwere near him. Everybody said that Buonaparte himself was at Braunau."

　　"Buonaparte himself!... Just listen to the fool, what he doesn'tknow! The Prussians are up in arms now. The Austrians, you see, areputting them down. When they've been put down, the war with Buonapartewill begin. And he says Buonaparte is in Braunau! Shows you're a fool.You'd better listen more carefully!"

　　"What devils these quartermasters are! See, the fifth company isturning into the village already... they will have their buckwheatcooked before we reach our quarters."

　　"Give me a biscuit, you devil!"

　　"And did you give me tobacco yesterday? That's just it, friend!Ah, well, never mind, here you are."

　　"They might call a halt here or we'll have to do another fourmiles without eating."

　　"Wasn't it fine when those Germans gave us lifts! You just sit stilland are drawn along."

　　"And here, friend, the people are quite beggarly. There they allseemed to be Poles- all under the Russian crown- but here they'reall regular Germans."

　　"Singers to the front " came the captain's order.

　　And from the different ranks some twenty men ran to the front. Adrummer, their leader, turned round facing the singers, andflourishing his arm, began a long-drawn-out soldiers' song, commencingwith the words: "Morning dawned, the sun was rising," andconcluding: "On then, brothers, on to glory, led by FatherKamenski." This song had been composed in the Turkish campaign and nowbeing sung in Austria, the only change being that the words "FatherKamenski" were replaced by "Father Kutuzov."

　　Having jerked out these last words as soldiers do and waved his armsas if flinging something to the ground, the drummer- a lean,handsome soldier of forty- looked sternly at the singers and screwedup his eyes. Then having satisfied himself that all eyes were fixed onhim, he raised both arms as if carefully lifting some invisible butprecious object above his head and, holding it there for some seconds,suddenly flung it down and began:

　　"Oh, my bower, oh, my bower...!"

　　"Oh, my bower new...!" chimed in twenty voices, and the castanetplayer, in spite of the burden of his equipment, rushed out to thefront and, walking backwards before the company, jerked hisshoulders and flourished his castanets as if threatening someone.The soldiers, swinging their arms and keeping time spontaneously,marched with long steps. Behind the company the sound of wheels, thecreaking of springs, and the tramp of horses' hoofs were heard.Kutuzov and his suite were returning to the town. The commander inchief made a sign that the men should continue to march at ease, andhe and all his suite showed pleasure at the sound of the singing andthe sight of the dancing soldier and the gay and smartly marching men.In the second file from the right flank, beside which the carriagepassed the company, a blue-eyed soldier involuntarily attractednotice. It was Dolokhov marching with particular grace and boldness intime to the song and looking at those driving past as if he pitied allwho were not at that moment marching with the company. The hussarcornet of Kutuzov's suite who had mimicked the regimental commander,fell back from the carriage and rode up to Dolokhov.

　　Hussar cornet Zherkov had at one time, in Petersburg, belonged tothe wild set led by Dolokhov. Zherkov had met Dolokhov abroad as aprivate and had not seen fit to recognize him. But now that Kutuzovhad spoken to the gentleman ranker, he addressed him with thecordiality of an old friend.

　　"My dear fellow, how are you?" said he through the singing, makinghis horse keep pace with the company.

　　"How am I?" Dolokhov answered coldly. "I am as you see."

　　The lively song gave a special flavor to the tone of free and easygaiety with which Zherkov spoke, and to the intentional coldness ofDolokhov's reply.

　　"And how do you get on with the officers?" inquired Zherkov.

　　"All right. They are good fellows. And how have you wriggled ontothe staff?"

　　"I was attached; I'm on duty."

　　Both were silent.

　　"She let the hawk fly upward from her wide right sleeve," went thesong, arousing an involuntary sensation of courage and cheerfulness.Their conversation would probably have been different but for theeffect of that song.

　　"Is it true that Austrians have been beaten?" asked Dolokhov.

　　"The devil only knows! They say so."

　　"I'm glad," answered Dolokhov briefly and clearly, as the songdemanded.

　　"I say, come round some evening and we'll have a game of faro!" saidZherkov.

　　"Why, have you too much money?"

　　"Do come."

　　"I can't. I've sworn not to. I won't drink and won't play till I getreinstated."

　　"Well, that's only till the first engagement."

　　"We shall see."

　　They were again silent.

　　"Come if you need anything. One can at least be of use on thestaff..."

　　Dolokhov smiled. "Don't trouble. If I want anything, I won't beg-I'll take it!"

　　"Well, never mind; I only..."

　　"And I only..."

　　"Good-by."

　　"Good health..."

　　"It's a long, long way. To my native land..."Zherkov touched his horse with the spurs; it pranced excitedlyfrom foot to foot uncertain with which to start, then settled down,galloped past the company, and overtook the carriage, still keepingtime to the song.