Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

The tavern with the doctor's caravan parked in front of it was already filled with five or six officers.Maria Henrikhovna, a fat, fair-haired German woman in a short coat and nightcap, was sitting on a wide stool in the corner of the room just outside the entrance.Her doctor husband sleeps behind her.Rostov and Ilyin entered the room amid joyful exclamations and laughter. "Oh, you're so happy here," said Rostov, laughing. "How did you miss the good times?" "Holy fellows! The soaked couple! Don't get our living room wet." "Don't soil Maria Henrykhovna's clothes," answered several voices in unison.

Rostov and Ilyin hurriedly found a corner where Maria Henrikhovna would not be embarrassed and changed into wet clothes.They went behind a partition to change their clothes; but the little store was packed to the brim, and a candle was burning in an empty chest, where three officers sat playing cards, unwilling to part with theirs. seat.Maria Henrikhovna took out a skirt for a curtain, behind which Rostov and Ilyin, with the help of Lavrushka who brought a knapsack, changed from wet clothes to dry ones. A fire was lit in a broken stove, a plank was procured for two saddles, quilts were spread, a samovar, a larder, and a half bottle of rum were procured, and Maria Henrikhovna was invited As the host, everyone sat around her.Someone handed her a clean handkerchief to wipe her beautiful little hands, someone spread a jacket under her feet to keep out moisture, someone hung a cloak over the window to keep out the wind, someone waved the flies off her husband's face so as not to wake up over him.

"Don't pay attention to him," said Marya Henryhovna, with a shy, happy smile, "he's been up all night, sleeping so soundly." "No, Maria Henrikhovna," replied one of the officers, "you must ingratiate yourself with the doctor, that he may take pity on me when he amputates my arms and amputates my legs." There were only three cups, the water was so dirty that it was impossible to tell whether the tea was strong or not, and there were only six cups in the samovar, but it was even more pleasant: from Maria Henry Hovna to the less clean ones in order of age. The chubby man with short nails took the teacup in his hand.It seemed that all the officers were indeed in love with Maria Henrykhovna tonight.Even the officers who were playing cards in the next room were infected with the feeling of courting Maria Henrykhovna, and being swayed by it, they quickly left their cards and moved to the samovar.Maria Henrikhovna beamed with joy at seeing the handsome and polite young people around her, although she tried not to show it, although she was evidently afraid of every movement of her sleeping husband behind her.

There is only one teaspoon, and there is a lot of sugar, which cannot be stirred, so it is decided that she will stir it for everyone in turn.Rostov took the glass, mixed it with rum, and asked Maria Henrikhovna to mix it. "But you didn't put sugar?" she always said with a smile, as if what she said or what others said was ridiculous and had some ulterior motive. "I don't want sugar, I just want you to stir it with your own hands." Maria Henrikhovna agreed, and began looking for the teaspoon that had been taken away. "Stir it with your fingers, Maria Henrykhovna," said Rostov, "it's better that way."

"Hot!" said Marya Henryhovna, blushing with joy. Ilyin took a bucket of water, poured a few drops of rum into it, approached Maria Henrykhovna, and asked her to stir it with her fingers. "Here is my teacup," he said, "and I will drink it up if you put your finger in it." When tea was over, Rostov fetched a deck of cards and proposed to play "King" with Maria Henrykhovna.Maria Henrikhovna's partner was decided by lottery.Play according to the rules suggested by Rostov. Whoever becomes the "king" has the right to kiss Maria Henrikhovna's hand, and whoever becomes the "bad guy" has to burn the doctor's hand when he wakes up. Good samovar.

"And what if Maria Henrikhovna becomes 'King'?" Ilyin asked. "She is the queen! Her orders are the law." As soon as the game started, the doctor's disheveled head was raised from behind Maria Henrykhovna.He had woken up early, listened carefully to what people were saying, and evidently he did not think anything funny, ridiculous, or amusing in what they were saying or doing.His face was depressed and downcast.Without greeting the officers, he scratched his head and asked those in the way to let him pass.No sooner had he gone than the officers burst into laughter, and Marya Henrykhovna blushed to the point of tears, which made her all the more attractive in the eyes of the officers.The doctor came back from the outside and said to his wife (she no longer showed a happy smile, and looked at him in horror, waiting for the judgment), the rain had stopped, and she was going to spend the night in the caravan, otherwise everything would be stolen .

"I'll send an orderly up there, two!" said Rostov. "That's it, doctor." "I'll stand guard myself!" said Ilyin. "No, gentlemen, you've slept, and I haven't slept two nights," said the doctor, sitting down beside his wife sullenly, and waiting for the card game to be over. The doctor looked sullenly, squinting at his wife, and the officers looked more cheerfully at him, and many couldn't help laughing, trying to find an innocuous excuse for their laughter.The doctor led his wife away and went into the caravan together, and the officers also lay down in the tavern, covered with damp uniforms; Run outside and report what's going on in the wagon.Several times Rostov covered his head and tried to fall asleep, but some remark attracted him, and the conversation resumed, and again there was unprovoked, cheerful, innocent laughter.