War And Peace: Book 5 - CHAPTER XV - Free Ebook Download

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War And Peace: Book 5 - CHAPTER XV

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ON RETURNING this time from his leave, Rostov for the first time felt and

recognised how strong was the tie that bound him to Denisov and all his

regiment.



When Rostov reached the regiment, he experienced a sensation akin to what he

had felt on reaching his home at Moscow. When he caught sight of the first

hussar in the unbuttoned uniform of his regiment, when he recognised red-haired

Dementyev, and saw the picket ropes of the chestnut horses, when Lavrushka

gleefully shouted to his master, ¡°The count has come!¡± and Denisov, who had been

asleep on his bed, ran all dishevelled out of the mud-hut, and embraced him, and

the officers gathered around to welcome the newcomer¡ªRostov felt the same

sensation as when his mother had embraced him, and his father and sisters, and

the tears of joy that rose in his throat prevented his speaking. The regiment

was a home, too, and a home as unchangeably dear and precious as the parental

home.



After reporting himself to his colonel, being assigned to his own squadron,

and serving on orderly duty and going for forage, after entering into all the

little interests of the regiment, and feeling himself deprived of liberty and

nailed down within one narrow, unchangeable framework, Rostov had the same

feeling of peace and of moral support and the same sense of being at home here,

and in his proper place, as he had once felt under his father's roof. Here was

none of all that confusion of the free world, where he did not know his proper

place, and made mistakes in exercising free choice. There was no Sonya, with

whom one ought or ought not to have a clear understanding. There was no

possibility of going to one place or to another. There were not twenty-four

hours every day which could be used in so many different ways. There were not

those innumerable masses of people of whom no one was nearer or further from

one. There were none of those vague and undefined money relations with his

father; no memories of his awful loss to Dolohov. Here in the regiment

everything was clear and simple. The whole world was divided into two unequal

parts: one, our Pavlograd regiment, and the other¡ªall the remainder. And with

all that great remainder one had no concern. In the regiment everything was well

known: this man was a lieutenant, that one a captain; this was a good fellow and

that one was not; but most of all, every one was a comrade. The canteen keeper

would give him credit, his pay would come every four months. There was no need

of thought or of choice; one had only to do nothing that was considered low in

the Pavlograd regiment, and when occasion came, to do what was clear and

distinct, defined and commanded; and all would be well.



On becoming subject again to the definite regulations of regimental life,

Rostov had a sense of pleasure and relief, such as a weary man feels in lying

down to rest. The regimental life was the greater relief to Rostov on this

campaign, because after his loss to Dolohov (for which, in spite of his family's

efforts to console him, he could not forgive himself), he had resolved not to

serve as before, but to atone for his fault by good conduct, and by being a

thoroughly good soldier and officer, that is a good man, a task so difficult in

the world, but so possible in the regiment.



Rostov had determined to repay his gambling debt to his parents in the course

of five years. He had been sent ten thousand a year; now he had made up his mind

to take only two thousand, and to leave the remainder to repay the debt to his

parents.



After continual retreats, advances, and engagements at Pultusk and

Preussisch-Eylau, our army was concentrated about Bartenstein. They were waiting

for the arrival of the Tsar and the beginning of a new campaign.



The Pavlograd regiment, belonging to that part of the army which had been in

the campaign of 1805, had stayed behind in Russia to make up its full complement

of men, and did not arrive in time for the first actions of the campaign. It

took no part in the battles of Pultusk and of Preussisch-Eylau, and joining the

army in the field, in the second half of the campaign, was attached to Platov's

detachment.

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