Chapter 5 chapter Five

That very night the officers of the cavalry company were talking lively in Denisov's house. "I tell you, Rostov, you have to apologize to the regimental commander," said the cavalry captain, a tall man with gray hair, a bushy mustache, and a large, wrinkled face, to the flushed and agitated Rostov. . Cavalry Captain Kearskin was twice demoted to the rank of soldier for honor compensation, but was reinstated twice and promoted to captain again. "I won't allow anyone to tell me I'm lying!" Rostov cried. It’s okay to go to the prison, but no one can force me to apologize, if he, as the head of the regiment, thinks he doesn’t bother to fight me, then..."

"Wait a minute, brother, and listen to me," the captain of the cavalry interrupted with his bass voice, stroking his long mustache leisurely. Said an officer was stealing..." "I'm not at fault for talking about it in front of other officers. Maybe I shouldn't talk about it in front of them, but I'm not a diplomat. The reason I'm in the hussars is because there's no one in the cavalry." There is no need to pay attention to details, but he actually said that I lied... Then he must agree to fight me..." "That's all right. No one would think you're a coward, but that's not the point. Ask Denisov what it's like when a cadet challenges a regimental commander to a duel?"

Denisov bit his mustache and listened sullenly, obviously not wanting to take part in the conversation.He shook his head negatively at the cavalry captain's question. "You made such indecent remarks to the regimental commander in the presence of the officers," went on the cavalry captain, "and Bogdanitch (the regimental commander's name is Bogdanitch) has stopped you." "Instead of stopping it, they said I was lying." "Come on, you should apologize for saying so many stupid things to him." "Never apologize!" Rostov shouted. "I didn't expect that," said the captain of the cavalry, gravely and indifferently. "But, brother, you don't want to apologize not only in front of the regimental commander, but in front of the whole regiment, in front of all of us. You You should have thought it over and asked for advice on how to deal with it, but you have said everything in front of the officers. What is the commander to do now? Take the officer to court Judgment, tarnish the whole regiment? Discredit the whole regiment because of one scoundrel? Is that okay in your opinion? It’s not okay in our opinion. Bogdanich is really smart, he says you are lying. It sounds like It's not pleasant, but there's nothing you can do, man? It's your fault. Now everyone's trying to close the case in the dark and you're too proud to apologize and want to say it all. Give it a shot Ben, you are annoyed, why can't you apologize to a respectable old officer? Whatever Bogdanich is, after all, he is a respectable and brave old colonel, but you are annoyed; Stain Corps, you Don't care!" The cavalry captain's voice trembled, "My brother, you haven't stayed in the regiment for a few days. If you stay in the regiment today, you will be transferred to an adjutant somewhere tomorrow. You don't pay attention to what others say: Paul Ge There are thieves among the officers of the Regiment! We don't care about everything. Denisov, don't we? We don't care about everything, do we?"

Denisov was always silent and motionless, and sometimes looked at Rostov with his dark shining eyes. "Pride is dear to you, and you don't want to apologize," the cavalry captain continued, "but we old people, because we were brought up in the regiment, should die in the regiment. Honor is precious to us, and Bogdanitch knows that too. Oh, you don't understand how precious it is, brother! It's very bad, very bad! Whether you will be angry or not, I will always To tell the truth. It's bad!" The cavalry captain then got up and turned his face away from Rostov.

"Really, it's remarkable!" said Denisov, jumping up. "Hello, Rostov, hello!" Rostov, rosy and anxious, looked now at one officer, now at another. "No, gentlemen, no... You don't think... that I understand; you have no grounds for thinking that about me... I... for myself... for the glory of the regiment... don't you? I want to prove it with facts, the honor of the regiment flag is also for me...Well, to be honest, I am the one who is guilty anyway!..." Tears welled up in his eyes. "I'm guilty, it's all my fault! . . . What else do you want?

..." "Count, that's what it is," cried the cavalry captain, turning his face, and beating his shoulder with his huge hand. "I tell you," cried Denisov, "he's a nice fellow." "Count, it's better that way," repeated the cavalry captain, addressing him by his title, as if to praise him for admitting a mistake. "My lord, please go and apologize." "Gentlemen, I can do everything, and no one will ever hear me say a word," Rostov said in a begging voice, "but I will not apologize, you can do what you want, I do. No apology! How can I apologize, asking for forgiveness like a child?"

Denisov laughed. "You'll feel worse. Bogdanich has a grudge, and you're going to be punished for being stubborn," Kirsten said. "Honestly, not obstinacy! I can't describe to you what kind of feeling this is, I can't describe..." "Well, at your own discretion," said the cavalry captain. "Where has that scoundrel gone? What then?" he asked Denisov. "He said he was sick and an order was issued tomorrow to fire him," Denisov said. "It's a disease that cannot be explained by any other reason," said the cavalry captain.

"Sick or not, he doesn't want to meet me—I'll kill him!" roared Denisov murderously. Zherkov came into the room. "How are you?" said the officers, turning suddenly to the man who had entered the room. "Gentlemen, go to war. Mark was captured, and he surrendered with the whole army." "lie!" "I saw it with my own eyes." "What? Did you see that Mark was still alive? A living person with hands and feet?" "Go to war! Go to war! He has brought news that he will be given a bottle of brandy. How did you come here?"

"I was sent to the regiment again because of Mark. The Austrian general accused me. Mark came and I congratulated him... How are you, Rostov? You seem to have come out of the bathroom from?" "Dude, we've been in a mess here since yesterday." The aide-de-camp of the regimental headquarters arrived, and he proved that the news brought by Zherkov was reliable.An order has been issued to start tomorrow. "Gentlemen, let's go!" "Ah, thank goodness we've been sitting around for too long."