CHAPTER XXXII

　　All day she had lived only in hope of seeing him that night. But nowthat the moment had come she was filled with dread of what she mightsee. How was he maimed? What was left of him? Was he like thatincessant moaning of the adjutant's? Yes, he was altogether like that.In her imagination he was that terrible moaning personified. Whenshe saw an indistinct shape in the corner, and mistook his kneesraised under the quilt for his shoulders, she imagined a horrible bodythere, and stood still in terror. But an irresistible impulse drew herforward. She cautiously took one step and then another, and foundherself in the middle of a small room containing baggage. Another man-Timokhin- was lying in a corner on the benches beneath the icons,and two others- the doctor and a valet- lay on the floor.

　　The valet sat up and whispered something. Timokhin, kept awake bythe pain in his wounded leg, gazed with wide-open eyes at this strangeapparition of a girl in a white chemise, dressing jacket, andnightcap. The valet's sleepy, frightened exclamation, "What do youwant? What's the matter?" made Natasha approach more swiftly to whatwas lying in the corner. Horribly unlike a man as that body looked,she must see him. She passed the valet, the snuff fell from the candlewick, and she saw Prince Andrew clearly with his arms outside thequilt, and such as she had always seen him.

　　He was the same as ever, but the feverish color of his face, hisglittering eyes rapturously turned toward her, and especially hisneck, delicate as a child's, revealed by the turn-down collar of hisshirt, gave him a peculiarly innocent, childlike look, such as she hadnever seen on him before. She went up to him and with a swift,flexible, youthful movement dropped on her knees.

　　He smiled and held out his hand to her.BK11|CH32

　　CHAPTER XXXII

　　Seven days had passed since Prince Andrew found himself in theambulance station on the field of Borodino. His feverish state and theinflammation of his bowels, which were injured, were in the doctor'sopinion sure to carry him off. But on the seventh day he ate withpleasure a piece of bread with some tea, and the doctor noticed thathis temperature was lower. He had regained consciousness that morning.The first night after they left Moscow had been fairly warm and he hadremained in the caleche, but at Mytishchi the wounded man himselfasked to be taken out and given some tea. The pain caused by hisremoval into the hut had made him groan aloud and again loseconsciousness. When he had been placed on his camp bed he lay for along time motionless with closed eyes. Then he opened them andwhispered softly: "And the tea?" His remembering such a small detailof everyday life astonished the doctor. He felt Prince Andrew's pulse,and to his surprise and dissatisfaction found it had improved. Hewas dissatisfied because he knew by experience that if his patient didnot die now, he would do so a little later with greater suffering.Timokhin, the red-nosed major of Prince Andrew's regiment, hadjoined him in Moscow and was being taken along with him, having beenwounded in the leg at the battle of Borodino. They were accompanied bya doctor, Prince Andrew's valet, his coach. man, and two orderlies.