Chapter 7
We're back at war, where Nikolai Rostov is very happy to receive a note from Darling Bory, telling him that Bory is ten miles away and that he has a letter and some money for him, since he's now in debt to everyone around him, what with celebrating their victory. He sets off on a horse he's bought from a Cossack in his shabby old cadet clothes, since he's not yet bought new ones. He's quite pleased about this, since it makes him look like he's been in the wars, which, of course, he has. Bory's regiment, the Guads, have had a very easy go of it, and have treated their whole march "as if on a pleasure trip". They've had dinners, knapsacks carried on carts, and have entered and left towns with their bands playing. Darling Bory has been making many useful contacts. Truly, he is his mother's son.
Among others, he's now met Andrew Bolkonski, through a letter of recommendation by Pierre. It was Bolkonski who delivered Nikolai's letter. He also has a friend, called Berg, who is German and has become a captain along the way. Rostov arrives while they're playing chess. Nikolai knows Berg, so maybe he was at the drunken bear party too. Nikolai wants to greet Bory in an unusual way, since they're such close friends, but no one's invented fancy handshakes or the bro-hug yet so he just lets Bory kiss him a few times, as per the usual greeting in Russia at the time.
Both of them want to show off how much they've changed in the last six months. Rostov shows off his manly, mud-splattered trousers and wounded arm, while Darling Bory talks about the splendid march he's had alongside His Imperial Highness the Emperor Alexander, and how gracious the Tsarevich was. Finally, Darling Bory hands over the letter, and Nikolai begins sending angry glances at Berg as he reads it. Eventually, he asks him to leave, as he obviously should do when someone receives a personal letter from home and is reading it in front of their childhood friend. Berg takes the unsubtle hint.
As soon as he leaves, Nikolai starts berating himself for not having written to his family sooner, and having left them so worried. Darling Bory fetches wine while Nikolai scoffs at a letter of recommendation to Bagration that his mother has obtained. Darling Bory asks why on earth he's not making use of it -
- and Nikolai says he won't be anyone's lackey. They call Berg back, because he'll drink and Darling Bory won't. Got to keep a nice clear head for all that social climbing. They exchange a bit of gossip, the most enjoyable of which is that the Grand Duke/Tsarevich's favourite expression of annoyance is "Arnauts". That works in English too.
Rostov tells his war stories "just as those who have taken part in a battle generally do describe it, that is, as they would like it to have been, as they have heard it described by others, and as sounds well, but not at all like it really was". He doesn't mean to lie, but he also knows that there's a way this story go, and his absolutely true account would be met with looks of bafflement or assumptions that he'd done something wrong somewhere. Prince Andrew turns up as Nikolai is describing the frenzy of his attack, as opposed to describing falling off his horse and running away from a French officer. He's unimpressed by Rostov, a mere 'hussar of the line', and had been hoping to meet Darling Bory alone. Everyone in the room can sense this, and Rostov goes red and gradually falls silent. He's angry that Prince Andrew - who has never seen battle - would be so condescending. He tells Prince Andrew off, but Prince Andrew outright refuses to accept him, and tells him no insult has been given or received. It is very hard to describe. Rostov has a lot of staircase thoughts after this, and considers going to confront Prince Andrew at headquarters and telling him off with a pistol in his hand, but also, he really wants to be friends with him.
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