صفحة 524 من 3800

Behind Prince Bagration rode an officer of the suite, the

prince's personal adjutant, Zherkov, an orderly officer, the

staff officer on duty, riding a fine bobtailed horse, and a

civilian-an accountant who had asked permission to be present at

the battle out of curiosity. The accountant, a stout, full-faced

man, looked around him with a naive smile of satisfaction and

presented a strange appearance among the hussars, Cossacks, and

adjutants, in his camlet coat, as he jolted on his horse with a

convoy officer's saddle.

"He wants to see a battle," said Zherkov to Bolkonski, pointing

to the accountant, "but he feels a pain in the pit of his stomach

already."

"Oh, leave off!" said the accountant with a beaming but rather

cunning smile, as if flattered at being made the subject of

Zherkov's joke, and purposely trying to appear stupider than he

really was.