6
Having thanked Anna Pavlovna for her charming soiree, the guestsbegan to take their leave.
Pierre was ungainly. Stout, about the average height, broad, withhuge red hands; he did not know, as the saying is, to enter adrawing room and still less how to leave one; that is, how to saysomething particularly agreeable before going away. Besides this hewas absent-minded. When he rose to go, he took up instead of hisown, the general's three-cornered hat, and held it, pulling at theplume, till the general asked him to restore it. All hisabsent-mindedness and inability to enter a room and converse in itwas, however, redeemed by his kindly, simple, and modest expression.Anna Pavlovna turned toward him and, with a Christian mildness thatexpressed forgiveness of his indiscretion, nodded and said: "I hope tosee you again, but I also hope you will change your opinions, mydear Monsieur Pierre."
When she said this, he did not reply and only bowed, but againeverybody saw his smile, which said nothing, unless perhaps, "Opinionsare opinions, but you see what a capital, good-natured fellow I am."And everyone, including Anna Pavlovna, felt this.
Prince Andrew had gone out into the hall, and, turning his shouldersto the footman who was helping him on with his cloak, listenedindifferently to his wife's chatter with Prince Hippolyte who had alsocome into the hall. Prince Hippolyte stood close to the pretty,pregnant princess, and stared fixedly at her through his eyeglass.
"Go in, Annette, or you will catch cold," said the littleprincess, taking leave of Anna Pavlovna. "It is settled," she added ina low voice.
Anna Pavlovna had already managed to speak to Lise about the matchshe contemplated between Anatole and the little princess'sister-in-law.
"I rely on you, my dear," said Anna Pavlovna, also in a low tone."Write to her and let me know how her father looks at the matter. Aurevoir!"- and she left the hall.
Prince Hippolyte approached the little princess and, bending hisface close to her, began to whisper something.
Two footmen, the princess' and his own, stood holding a shawl anda cloak, waiting for the conversation to finish. They listened tothe French sentences which to them were meaningless, with an air ofunderstanding but not wishing to appear to do so. The princess asusual spoke smilingly and listened with a laugh.
4
"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.
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