War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy [257]
When he had reported to the regimental commander, had obtained an assignment to his former squadron, had been on duty and gone foraging, had entered into all the little concerns of the regiment, and had felt himself deprived of freedom and bound within one narrow, unchanging frame, Rostov experienced the same peace, the same support, and the same awareness that here he was at home, where he belonged, as he felt under the parental roof. There was not all that disorder of the free world, in which he found no place for himself and made wrong choices; there was no Sonya, with whom he had or did not have to talk things over. There was no possibility of going or not going here or there; there were not those twenty-four hours in a day which could be spent in so many different ways; there was no numberless multitude of people, of whom no one was close, no one was distant; there were none of those unclear and undefined money relations with his father; there was no recollection of that terrible loss to Dolokhov! Here in the regiment everything was clear and simple. The whole world was divided into two unequal parts: one was our Pavlogradsky regiment, the other—all the rest. And with this rest he had nothing to do. In the regiment, everything was known: who was a lieutenant, who a captain, who was a good and who a bad man, and—above all—who was a comrade. The sutler gives you credit, your salary comes three times a year; there is nothing to think up or choose between, only do not do anything that is considered bad in the Pavlogradsky regiment; when you are sent out, do what is clearly and distinctly defined and ordered—and all will be well.
Having entered once more into these definite conditions of regimental life, Rostov experienced a joy and peace similar to what a weary man feels when he lies down to rest. This regimental life was the more pleasurable for Rostov during this campaign in that, after losing to Dolokhov (an act for which, despite all his family’s reassurances, he could not forgive himself), he had resolved to serve not as before, but, in order to smooth over his guilt, to serve well and be a perfectly excellent comrade and officer, that is, a fine human being—which seemed so difficult in the world, but so possible in the regiment.
Since the time of his gambling loss, Rostov had resolved to pay back the debt to his parents within five years. They used to send him ten thousand a year, but now he resolved to take only two and leave the rest to his parents in repayment of his debt.
Our army, after repeated retreats, advances, and battles around Pultusk and Preussisch-Eylau, was concentrated near Bartenstein. It was awaiting the arrival of the sovereign and the start of a new campaign.
The Pavlogradsky regiment, belonging to that part of the army that had been in the 1805 campaign, had been replenishing its ranks in Russia and was late for the first actions of the campaign. It had not been at Pultusk nor at Preussisch-Eylau, and, joining the active army in the second half of the campaign, was included in Platov’s detachment.
Platov’s detachment acted independently of the army. Several times parts of the Pavlogradsky regiment participated in exchanges of fire with the enemy, took prisoners, and once even captured the carriages of Marshal Oudinot. In the month of April, the regiment camped for several weeks near a totally devastated, empty German village, not budging from the spot.
There was a thaw, mud, cold, the ice on the river broke up, the roads became impassable; for several days provisions had not been issued either to the