They went into the little room where Boris sleptl c fe(&$ci$ , f (without sitting down, began speaking at once with irritation^aa^i^ita^l^ ‘Boris were in some way to blame in the matter. He told hith^K^ftiisov’s scrape, asking whether he would and could through his'^fti^^.ihtiefcede with the Emperor in Denisov’s favour, and throughthe letter. When they were alone together, Rostov was for tlWHhs&btime distinctly aware that he felt an awkwardness in lookih|^&$'^ftHhe face. Boris crossing one leg over the other, and strolofffg^’ffie ^fender fingers of his right hand with his left, listened to Rosto^^Ss^^^neral listens to a report presented by a subordinate, at one time%a!vp'^\\'ky, at the next looking Rostov straight in the face with the saftfty\wi‘'
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in his eyes. Every time he did so, Rostov felt ill at easejTar? his eyes.
‘I have heard of affairs of the sort, and I know that very severe in such cases. I think it had better not be take^^m^tq bis majesty. To my mind, it would be better to apply directly ,(9 tlfe. ^m- mander of the corps. . . . But generally speaking, I believe . • ..j
‘Then you don’t care to do anything, so say so!’ Rostqy almo s) shouted, not looking Boris in the face.
Boris smiled.
‘On the contrary, I will do what I can, only I imagine . =
At that moment they heard the voice of Zhilinsky at the door, calling Boris.
‘Well, go along, go, go . . .’ said Rostov, and refusing supper and remaining alone in the little room, he walked up and down for a long while, listening to the light-hearted French chatter in the next room.
XX
#
Rostov had arrived at Tilsit on the day least suitable for interceding in Denisov’s behalf. It was out of the question for him to go himself to the general in attendance, since he was wearing civilian dress, and had come to Tilsit without permission to do so, and Boris, even had he been willing, could not have done so on the day following Rostov’s arrival. On that day, the 27th of June, the preliminaries of peace were signed. The Emperors exchanged orders: Alexander received the Legion of Honour, and Napolon the Order of St. Andrey of the first degree, and that day had been fixed for the dinner to be given by a battalion of French guards to the Preobrazhensky battalion. The Emperors were to be present at this banquet. Rostov felt so uncomfortable and ill at ease with Boris, that when the latter peeped in at him after supper he pretended to be asleep, and the next day he left early in the morning to avoid seeing him. In a frock coat and round hat, Nikolay strolled about the town, staring at the French and their uniforms, examining the streets and the houses where the Russian and the French Emperors were staying. In the market-place he saw tables set out and preparations for the Oanquet; in the streets he saw draperies hung across with flags of the Russian and French colours, and huge monograms of A and N. In the windows of the houses, too, there were flags and monograms.
| ‘Boris doesn’t care to help me, and I don’t care to apply to him. That question’s closed,’ thought Nikolay; ‘everything’s over between us, but I’m not going away from here without having done all I can for Denisov, md, above all, getting the letter given to the Emperor. To the Emperor? . . He is here!’ thought Rostov, who had unconsciously gone back to he house occupied by Alexander.
Saddle horses were standing at the entrance, and the suite were riding ip, evidently getting ready for the Emperor to come out.
‘Any minute I may see him,’ thought Rostov. 'If only I could give lim the letter directly, and tell him all . . . could they really arrest me or my frock coat? Impossible. He would understand on which side the rutla lay. He understands everything, he knows everything. Who can be uster and more magnanimous than he? Besides, even if they were to .rrest me for being here, what would it matter?’ he thought, looking at n officer who was going into the house. ‘Why, people go in, I see. Oh! t’s all nonsense. I’ll go and give the letter to the Emperor myself; so nuch the worse for Drubetskoy who has driven me to it.’ And all at uce, with a decision he would never have expected of himself, Rostov,
382 WARANDPEACE
fingering the letter in his pocket, went straight into the house where the Emperor was staying.
‘No, this time I won’t miss my opportunity as I did after Austerlitz,’ he thought, expecting every minute to meet the Emperor, and feeling a rush of blood to the heart at the idea. ‘I will fall at his feet and will beseech him. He will lift me up, hear me out, and thank me too. “I am happy when I can do good, but to cancel injustice is the greatest happiness,” ’ Rostov fancied the Emperor would say to him. And he passed up the stairs regardless of the inquisitive eyes that were turned upon hifn. The broad staircase led straight upwards from the entry; on the right was a closed door. Below, under the stairs, was a door to the rooms on the ground floor.
