Briggs: Berg wants to borrow a cart. More and more wounded men and their carts.
Translation:
XVI.
Berg, the son-in-law of the Rostovs, was now a colonel with a Vladimir and an Anna on his neck and occupied all that same calm and pleasant place of the assistant of the chief staff assistant of the first branch of the chief of staff of the second corps.
He on the 1st of September arrived from the army in Moscow.
There in Moscow he had nothing to do; but he saw that all from the army were asked to Moscow, and did something there. He also considered it fit to take time off for home and family cases.
Berg, in his neat carriage on a couple of well-fed horses, exactly these, what were at the prince, drove to the home of his father-in-law. He carefully looked in the yard at the carts, and, entering on the porch, took out a clean nasal handkerchief and tied up a knot.
From the front Berg floating in an impatient step ran in to the living room and hugged the count and kissed the hands of Natasha and Sonya and hastily asked about the health of their mother.
— What now health? Well, tell me already, — said the count, — what troops? Retreat, or will there still be a battle?
— The one eternal God, dad, — said Berg, — may solve the fate of the fatherland. The army burns with the heart of heroism, and now the leaders, so they say, are gathered in a meeting. What will be is unknown. Yet I to you say all, dad, such heroic spirit, the truly ancient courage of Russian troops, which they — it, — he mended, — showed or have shown in this battle of the 26th, there are no words worthy so to describe them... I say to you, dad (he stroked himself on the chest so the same, as hit himself one told to him general, although somewhat late, because of how to hit himself on the chest was needed at the word: "Russian army"), — I to you say openly that we, the chiefs, not only must drive the soldier or something such, but we forcibly could hold this, this... yes, courageous and ancient exploits, — he said in a patter. — General Barclay-de Tolly sacrificed his life everywhere ahead of the troops, I say to you. Our same corps were delivered to the slope of the mountains. I may myself represent! — And here Berg told all that he remembered from different heard behind this time stories. Natasha, not lowering her sight, which embarrassed Berg, as if looking for in his face a decision of some issue, watched him.
— Such heroism in all the shown Russian warriors, cannot be represented and suitably praised! — said Berg, looking back at Natasha and as would be wishing to cajole her, smiled at her in an answer to her persistent look... —"Russia is not in Moscow, she is in the heart of her sons!" So dad? — said Berg.
At this time from the sofa, with a tired and dissatisfied look, exited the countess. Berg hastily jumped up, kissed the hand of the countess, inquired about her health and, expressing empathy with a wiggle of his head, stopped beside her.
— Yes, mother, I to you truly say, it is a heavy and sad time for any Russian. But what for again are you so worried? You still have time to leave...
— I do not understand what people do, — said the countess, turning to her husband: — I now have said that still nothing is ready. Because we need again someone to order. Here I pity about Mitenka. This will be the end!
The count wanted to say something, but, apparently, abstained. He got up from his chair and went to the door.
Berg, in this time, as would for this blow his nose, took out his handkerchief and, looking at the knot, thought, and very sadly shook his head.
— I have to you, dad, a big request, — he said.
— Ahem?.. — said the count stopping.
— I now went past the Yusupova home, — laughingly said Berg. — The manager, familiar to me, ran out and asked whether or not I would buy something. I called, you know, for curiosity, and there alone was a wardrobe and toilette. You know, how Verushka wanted this and how we argued about this. (Berg unwittingly moved in the tone of joy about their livability, when he started to speak about the wardrobe and toilette.) — And such a beauty! — Advanced, and with an English secret, you know? And Verochka for a long time wanted it. So I want to make her a surprise. I saw you have so many of these peasants in the courtyard. Give me one, please, I will pay him very well and...
The count frowned and locked up.
— Ask the countess, but I do not order.
— Should it be difficult, please, you do not need to, — said Berg. — I for Verushka alone would extremely want it.
— Ah, get out you all, damn, damn, damn and damn!.. — shouted the old count. — My head is going around. — And he got out of the room.
The countess cried.
— Yes, yes, Mama, a very heavy time! — said Berg.
Natasha exited together with her father, and as if with labor thinking something, first went behind him, but then ran downwards.
On the porch stood Petya, occupied by the armed people that rode from Moscow. In the courtyard all also were standing by the pledged carts. Two of them were untied, and on one of them climbed the officer, supported by the batman.
— You know for what? — asked Petya to Natasha (Natasha understood that Petya understood for what quarreled father with mother). She did not answer.
— For that daddy wanted to give all carts under the wounded, — said Petya. — Vasilich said it to me. By my...
— By my, — suddenly screamed almost Natasha, turning her embittered face to Petya, — By my, this is such filth, such abomination, such... I do not know. Are we some Germans?.. — her throat trembled from convulsive sobs, and she, fearing weakened and releasing for nothing to run out of charge of her anger, turned and swiftly threw by the stairs.
Berg sat beside the countess and kindly and respectfully comforted her. The count with a pipe in his hands went by the room, when Natasha, with a disfigured from malice face, as a storm, broke into the room and with fast steps came up to her mother.
— This is filth! This is an abomination! — she screamed. — This may not be, so that you ordered.
Berg and the countess were bewildered and scaredly looked at her. The count stopped at the window, listening.
— Mama, this cannot be, look at what is in the courtyard! — she screamed, — They stay!...
— What is with you? Who are they? What do you need?
— The wounded, here is who! This cannot be, Mama; this is not what it appears... No, Mama, darling, this is not that, forgive please, darling... Mama, well what are we that, what are we to take away, you look only at what is in the courtyard... Mama!.. This may not be!..
The count stood at the window and, not turning his face, listened to the words of Natasha. Suddenly he puffed up his nose and moved his face closer to the window.
The countess looked at her daughter, saw her ashamed for her mother face, saw her excitement, and understood from what her husband now did not look around at her, and with a bewildered look looked around herself.
— Ah, yes do as you want to! I don’t hinder anyone! — she said, still not suddenly handed over.
— Mama, darling, forgive me.
But the countess pushed away her daughter and came up to the count.
— Mon cher (my dear), you order as you need to... because I do not know this, — she said, guiltily lowering her eyes.
— The eggs... the eggs the chicken teach... — through happy tears spoke the count and hugged his wife, who was happy to hide in his breast her ashamed face.
— Daddy, Mama! Can I order? Can I?.. — asked Natasha. — We all the same take all the most necessary... — said Natasha.
The count affirmatively nodded his head, and Natasha by that quick running which she ran in race and catch, ran by the hall to the hall by the stairs to the yard.
The people gathered about Natasha and since they could not believe that strange order which she delivered, while the count himself by name of his wife did not confirm the orders about giving back all the carts under the wounded, but the chest was torn down from the pantries. Realizing the order, the people with joy and trouble began behind the new business. To the maidservant now this not only did not seem strange, but the opposite it seemed that this could not be otherwise; exactly so the same as behind a quarter an hour before this to anyone not only did it not seem strange to leave the wounded, but to take the things, but it seemed that it could not be otherwise.
All the homeworkers, as would be paying for that they were hurt not to take behind this, began with the trouble behind the new business of the placement of the wounded. The wounded crawled from their rooms and with joyful, pale faces surrounded the carts. In the neighboring houses also smashed the hearing that there were carts, and in the yard of the Rostovs came the wounded from other houses. Many of the wounded requested not to take off the things and only put them above them. But the time of the started business to dump things now could not stay. None cared to abandon all or half. In the courtyard lied uncleared chests with dishes, with bronze, with paintings, and mirrors that were so carefully stacked on the past night, and all searched and found the opportunity to fold that and that, and give more and more carts.
— Four more can be taken, — spoke the manager, — I will give them the back wagon, but where the same are they?
— Yes give back my dressing room, — said the countess. — Dunyasha with me will sit down on the carriage.
Was given more than the dressing room wagon and sent to it the wounded across two homes. All homeworkers and maidservants were funny and lively. Natasha was found in an enthusiastically-happy revival, which she for a long time had not tested.
— Where again to tie it up? — said the people, adjusting the chest to the narrow heel of the carriage, — We need to leave one cart though.
— And with it? — asked Natasha.
— With the books of the count.
— Leave it. Vasilich will take it away. This is not needed.
In the chaise all was full of people; it was doubted where to sit down Petr Ilyich.
— He will be in the box. Are you in the box, Petya? — shouted Natasha.
Sonya, not ceasing, also troubled; but the objective of her hassle was the opposite of the goals of Natasha. She cleared out those things that must stay, wrote down them by the wish of the countess and tried to seize with herself as much as she could.
Mentioned: 26th, fifteen minutes before
Location: Moscow
Mentioned: Russia (and Russian), English, German
Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: We flip to Berg's perspective and get an update on his character. He gives a patriotic speech that he had copied to the count with this amazing parenthetical that Tolstoy adds: "he beat his breast the way a certain general, talking about it in his presence, had beaten his breast, though a little late, because he should have beaten his breast at the words "Russian army"'.
Berg then spends time, in the middle of the count and countess's squabble, to try to get one of the servants to help him get "a little chiffonier" that he spied from an evacuating house.
Natasha wonders "Are we some sort of Germans?" when Petya discusses the argument the count and countess are having. She then stands up for the wounded and the countess relents.
"Now the servants not only did not find it strange, but, on the contrary, it seemed as though it could not be otherwise; just as, a quarter of an hour before, not only had no one found it strange that the wounded should be left behind and objects taken along..."
"once begun, the business of dumping things could not be stopped." Everyone volunteers as much space as they can to take as much wounded as possible, except Sonya, who does the countess's bidding by trying to take as much as possible and listing everything meticulously.
Characters (characters who do not appear, but are mentioned are placed in italics. First appearances are in Bold. First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):
Berg
Viera ("wife" and "Vierushka". Wiener uses "Vyera". "Vera" in Bell, Edmonds, and Maude (the latter two use "dear Vera"). "Verushka" in Garnett. Dole also uses "Vierotchka".)
Count Rostof ("father-in-law", "papasha", "husband", "old count", "father", "papenka", "mon cher", and "count".)
Natasha
Sonya
Countess Rostova ("mamasha", "mamenka", "mother", "dearest little dove", "wife", and "countess".)
General Barclay de Tolly
Mitenka
Yusupof (see Chapter 123. Also their manager.)
Petya (also "Piotr Ilyitch".)
Vasilyitch
Dunyasha
Abridged Versions:
Gibian: line break instead of chapter break.
Fuller: The whole Berg section is removed, so we start with Natasha and Petya's conversation. Chapter is followed by a line break.
Komroff: The entirety of the Berg section is removed except the tail end, without using Berg at all, where the countess tells the count that she misses Mitenka. The chapter cuts off, with a line break after "leaving more and more room for the wounded", cutting out the business at the end of the chapter with the different characters actions to save more room and Sonya's counteraction.
Kropotkin: The entirety of the Berg section is removed, starting with Petya and Natasha speaking. Chapter is otherwise preserved and this ends Chapter 7.
Simmons: Berg's first speech about the Russian troops is gone. Sonya's role at the end of the chapter is also removed. Followed by a line break.
Additional Notes:
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