Chapter 4 Chapter Four

The Paulgrad Hussars were quartered two miles from Braunau.The cavalry company of cadet Nikolai Rostov was camped in the German village of Zalzenek.The captain of the cavalry company, Captain Denisov, was known throughout the cavalry division as Vasika Denisov, and a splendid house in the village was allotted to him.He had lived with the company commander since the cadets caught up with the team in Poland. On October 8th, just as the news of Mark's failure was disturbing everyone in the base camp, the marching life of the cavalry company was still calm.In the early morning, when Rostov came back from buying fodder on his horse, Denisov, who had lost money playing cards all night, had not yet returned home.Rostov, in a cadet uniform, was urging his horse to the front of the steps, and, with a young man's nimble gesture, drew one leg and stood for a moment in the stirrups, as if he did not want to leave his mount, then he He jumped off his horse and called out to Ma Bian.

"Ah, Bondarenko, my dear friend," he said to the hussar, who was running desperately up to his horse. "Take your horse for a walk, my friend," said he, with that kindly, cheerful, gentle air which every good young man, when he is happy, deals with people. "My lord, I obey." A tuft (referring to the Ukrainian) replied happily shaking his head. "Be careful and take your horse for a walk!" Another hussar ran up to his horse, but Bondarenko had already thrown the reins.Obviously, the cadets paid a lot for drinks, and it was profitable to serve him.Rostov patted the horse's neck, then its rump, and stopped on the steps.

"Great! It's going to be a fine horse!" He said to himself, with a smile on his face, gently holding the saber, and the spurs clanged and rushed up the steps.The German owner, in a sweater and pointed hat, with a fork to remove manure, glanced out of the stall.As soon as the German saw Rostov, his face brightened.He smiled cheerfully and cast a wink: "Schon, gut Morgen! Schongutmorgen!" He repeated, apparently enjoying himself in the company of young people. "Schonfleissig!" said Rostov, still smiling cheerfully and kindly on his excited face. "Hoch Oestrreicher! Hoch Russen! Kaiser Alexanderhoch!" Turning his face to the German, he repeated the usual phrases of the German master.

① German: Good morning, good morning! ②German: I'm really working! ③ German: Long live the Austrians!Long live the Russians!Emperor Alexander, hurrah! The German laughed, walked out of the cowshed, took off his pointed hat, shook it over his head, and shouted: "Unddieganze Welthoch!"① Like the Germans, Rostov shook his military cap over his head and shouted with a smile: "Und Vivatdieganze Welt! ⑤ ①⑤German: Long live the world! Neither the German sweeping the stables nor Rostov, who came with the platoon to get the hay, had any reason to be particularly happy, but the two looked at each other with blissful joy and brotherly love. , shaking their heads in mutual affection, they walked away smiling, the German went back to the cowshed, and Rostov entered the farmhouse he and Denisov shared.

"What's the matter, sir?" he asked Denisov's servant, Lavrushka, a liar known throughout the regiment. "I haven't come back since I went out at night. I must have lost money," Lavrushka replied. Said, I lost all, and walked back angrily. Excuse me, do you want coffee?" "Bring it, bring it!" Ten minutes later Lavrushka brought coffee. "Here we come!" he said, "Now it's time to eat the mold." Rostov glanced at the window and saw Denisov coming home. Denisov was a short man with a red face, black eyes shining brightly, a dark mustache and very unkempt hair.He wore a hussar's cloak, which was left open and unbuttoned, and his wide breeches hung down in creases.The crumpled hussar cap was worn on the back of the head.With his head bowed and his face full of gloom, he walked towards the steps.

"Lavrushka," he yelled angrily, mispronouncing the "P," "hey, take it off, you idiot!" "I was taking off," Lavrushka replied. "Ah! You're up," said Denisov, coming into the room. "I've got up early," said Rostov, "I've come to get the hay, and I've seen Mademoiselle Matilda." "Is that true? Brother, I lost all my money last night like a pauper!" cried Denisov. "Unlucky! Unlucky! Things changed when you left." Terrible. Here, bring me some tea!" Denisov frowned, and in what appeared to be a smile, showing his strong short teeth, he stretched out his hands, and with his short fingers ruffled his thick, bushy black hair.

"Beguiled, drag me to this big mouse (an officer's nickname)," he said, rubbing his forehead and cheeks with his hands, "just imagine, he didn't give me a single card. " Denisov took the lighted pipe that was handed him, clutched it tightly in his hand, knocked on the floor, sparks fell, and continued to roar: "If you bet all-or-nothing, you will let it. If you double your bet, you will take it. If you bet all you want, you will let it. He scattered the sparks on the ground, knocked out the pipe, and threw it aside.Then he was silent for a moment, and suddenly looked cheerfully at Rostov with his bright black eyes.

"Even if there are women. Otherwise, there's nothing to do here except drinking, so it's better to fight quickly..." "Hey, who's there?" he said, turning to the door, when he heard the clink of spurs, the clunk of thick-soled boots, and the cautious cough. "Cavalry chief!" said Lavrushka. Denisov frowned more tightly. "Too bad," he said, throwing away the purse containing the few gold coins. "Rostov, my dear, count how much money is left in there, and then put it under the pillow." After saying this, he went up to the cavalry chief.

Rostov took out the money, mechanically arranged the new and old gold coins in neat piles, and began to count the money. "Ah! Telyanin, hello! I lost everything yesterday," Denisov's voice came from another room. "Who's there? Bykov the Big Mouse? . . . I know it," said another man in a high-pitched voice, and then Lieutenant Telyanin entered the room, a small man, too. An officer in that cavalry company. Rostov threw the purse under the pillow and shook the wet little hand that was stretched out to him.For unknown reasons, Telyanin was transferred from the Guards before the expedition.He performed very well in the regiment, but everyone disliked him, especially Rostov, who could neither restrain nor conceal his groundless dislike for the officer.

"Hello, young cavalryman, how is it? You think my crow is good?" he asked (Crow was a young horse that Telyanin had sold to Rostov). The lieutenant never looked his interlocutor in the eye when he was talking to someone, and his eyes often moved quickly from one object to another. "I saw you riding past today..." "Yes, it's a fine horse," replied Rostov. The horse cost seven hundred rubles, but it wasn't worth half that price. added. "Cracked hoof! It's all right. I'll teach you and show you how to put the pegs on." "Yes, please advise me," said Rostov.

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you, it's no secret. Buy this horse and you'll thank me later." "Then I'll have the horse brought," said Rostov, who, wanting to avoid Telyanin, went out and had the horse brought. Denisov, pipe in hand, was sitting bent over the threshold of the hall, facing the cavalry chief who was telling him something.Seeing Rostov, Denisov frowned, pointed his thumb over his shoulder to the room where Telyanin was sitting, frowned again, and shook himself in disgust. "Well, I don't like the bad thing," he said savagely to the chief of cavalry. Rostov shrugged his shoulders as if to say: "I hate him too, but what can I do!" He gave his orders and went back to Telyanin. Telyanin remained sitting, still in the same languid manner as when Rostov had left him, rubbing his little white hands. "Such abominable people are common." Rostov thought for a while as he entered the room. "Well, have you ordered the horses to be led?" said Telyanin, getting up and looking around casually. "It has been ordered." "Let's go together. You know, I just stopped by to ask Denisov about yesterday's order. Denisov, did you get the order?" "Not yet. Where are you going?" "I want to teach young people to shoehorse horses," Telyanin said. They stepped out of the steps and went to the stables.The lieutenant explained how to shoe the horse, and went back. When Rostov returned, there was a bottle of schnapps and a sausage on the table, and Denisov was sitting at the table writing, clicking his pen.He looked sullenly into Rostov's face. "I'll write her a letter," he said. With the pen in his hand, leaning on his elbows on the table, he was evidently glad to have the opportunity to say at once succinctly all he wanted to write, and told Rostov the contents of the letter. "My friend, do you know," he said, "when we don't fall in love, we just go to sleep. We are all mortals like floating clouds... As long as we fall in love, we will become gods, like the head of the world. Such a holy day . . . Who's coming again? Send him to hell. There's no time!" he called to Lavrushka, who was coming up to him without timidity. "Who else will come? You ordered him yourself. The cavalry chief is here to collect the payment." Denisov frowned, wanted to cry out, but fell silent again. "It's terrible," he said to himself. "How much money is left in the purse?" he asked Rostov. "Seven new dollars, three old dollars." "Oh, it's terrible! Ugly, why are you standing there, send the steward!" Denisov called out to Lavrushka. "Denisov, you're welcome, please take my money, you know, I still have it here," said Rostov blushing. "I don't like borrowing money from my own people, I don't like it," Denisov grumbled. "If you're not a friend enough to take my money, I'll be really angry. To be honest, I have money. ’ repeated Rostov. "No." Denisov almost went to the bed and took the wallet from under the pillow. "Where did you put it, Rostov?" "Under a pillow down there." "No." Denisov threw two pillows on the floor, and the wallet was gone. "Strange!" "Wait a minute, did you throw it away?" said Rostov, picking up the pillows one by one and shaking them several times. He turned over the quilt and shook, the wallet was gone. "Have I forgotten it? I can't forget it, I thought you put it under your head like a treasure," said Rostov. "Here is my purse. Where is it?" he said, turning to Lavrushka. "I didn't come into the room. It's where you left it." "But, no wallet." "You're always like that. Once you drop things, you forget them. Please look in your pockets." "No, if I hadn't thought of it as a treasure, I'd have forgotten it," said Rostov. "In fact, I remembered that I had put it away." Lavrushka searched the bed, looked under the bed, under the table, searched the whole room, and stopped in the middle of this room.Denisov watched Lavrushka in silence, and when Lavrushka spread his hands in amazement and complained that there were no wallets anywhere, he turned and looked at Rostov. "Rostov, don't act like a child..." Rostov felt that Denisov's eyes were on him, and he raised his eyes, then lowered them for a moment.All the blood that had been pent up in his throat was now in his cheeks and eyes.He could hardly breathe. "No one has been in the room except the lieutenant and yourself. The wallet is still in the room somewhere," said Lavrushka. "Hey, you bastard, turn around and look for it," Denisov blushed, pretended to be threatening, and threw himself on the servant, suddenly shouting, "you must find it." or I'll beat you with a whip. You'll all be beaten." Avoiding Denisov's eyes, Rostov buttoned up his uniform jacket, fastened his saber, and put on his uniform cap. "I tell you, find the wallet," Denisov cried, grabbing the orderly by the shoulders, shaking him, and pushing him against the wall. "Denisov, let him go, I know who took it," said Rostov, without raising his eyes, and went to the door. Denisov stopped, thought for a moment, obviously understood what Rostov was implying, and took his hand. "Bullshit!" he cried, with veins the size of ropes bulging from his neck and forehead, "I tell you, you're out of your mind, and I won't allow it. Here's the wallet, and I'm going to beat the wretch out." Hit it, and the wallet will be found here." "I know who took it," Rostov added tremblingly, walking towards the door. "I tell you, never do that," Denisov shouted, throwing himself at the cadet, trying to stop him. But Rostov broke free, and stared fiercely at Denisov, as if Denisov were his worst enemy. "Do you understand what you're talking about?" he said in a trembling voice. "No one has been in this room except me. So, if that's not the case, then..." He couldn't go on, and ran out of the room. "Well, forget it, forget it, you all." These were the last words Rostov heard. Rostov came to Telyanin's house. "The master is not at home, he has gone to the headquarters," Telyanin's orderly said to him. "Or is something wrong?" added the orderly, surprised by the cadet's disappointed look. "No, nothing." "Come here a while earlier, we met." The orderly said. The headquarters was stationed three versts from the village of Zarzenek.Rostov, instead of returning home, rode a horse and went straight to the headquarters.There was a wine shop in the village where the headquarters was camped, and the officers frequented it.Rostov came to the tavern, and he saw Telyanin's horse by the steps. The lieutenant dined in the second room of the tavern, with a plate of sausages and a bottle of wine beside him. "Ah, boy, you're here too," he said, smiling and raising his eyebrows. "Hmm," said Rostov, as if with difficulty uttering the word, and sat down at the adjacent table. Both were silent, two Germans and a Russian officer sat in the room.No one spoke, and one could hear the clang of knives and plates, and the chatter of the lieutenant eating. With a white little finger, he opened the buckle, took out a gold coin, raised his eyebrows slightly, and handed the money to the attendant. "Please hurry up," he said. This is a very new gold coin.Rostov got up and went up to Telyanin. "Let me see this purse," he said, in a low, barely audible voice. Telyanin's eyeballs kept moving back and forth, his eyebrows were always raised, and he handed him the wallet. "Yes, it's a nice purse... yes... yes..." he said, turning pale suddenly. "Look, lad," he added. Rostov took up his wallet and looked at it, then at the money in it, and at Telyanin.The lieutenant looked around habitually, and suddenly he felt very happy. "If I were in Vienna, I'd spend all my money, and there's nowhere to spend it in these dreadful little towns," he said. "Come on, boy, give it to me, I'm leaving." Rostov was silent. "What's the matter with you? Do you want breakfast too? The food is very good," Telyanin went on, "give it to me." He reached out and grabbed the wallet.Rostov let go of the wallet in his hand.Telyanin picked up the wallet and put it in the pocket of his leggings, raised his eyebrows casually, and parted his lips slightly, as if to say: "Yes, yes, I put my wallet in my pocket." , this is a very common occurrence and has nothing to do with anyone." "My boy, what's the matter?" he said, sighing, and looked into Rostov's eyes from under his slightly raised brows.A glance from Telyanin's eyes shot like a spark from lightning into Rostov's, and it was reflected back, and back, and back again, and all this happened in an instant. "Come here, please," said Rostov, grabbing Telyanin's hand.He almost dragged him to the window. "Here is Denisov's money, and you have taken it away..." he whispered close to his ear. "Why? . . . how? . . . How dare you say that? Why? . . . " said Telyanin. But these words sounded like a desperate cry of complaint, or a plea for forgiveness.When Rostov heard his words, the suspicion in his heart fell like a boulder.He felt refreshed, and at the same time felt sorry for the unfortunate man who stood before him; but what had begun had to be done. "God knows what the people here are thinking," murmured Telyanin, holding a military cap in his hand, and heading for the empty little room, "you should make it clear..." "I know that, and I will prove it," said Rostov. "I……" Every muscle on Telyanin's frightened and pale face trembled.The pupils of his eyes continued to wander, he only looked down, and did not raise them to look into Rostov's face; at this moment a sob could be heard. "Count! . . . don't spoil young people . . . this is bad money, take it . . . " he threw the money on the table, "I have old father and mother! ..." Rostov, avoiding Telyanin's eyes, took the money, and without saying a word, walked out of the room.But he stopped by the door and started back on the road. "My God," he said, with tears in his eyes, "how can you do such a thing?" "Count," said Telyanin, walking up to a cadet. "Don't touch me," said Rostov, evading him, "if you want money, take it." He threw his wallet at him, and ran out of the tavern.