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In the third circle, Narýshkin was speaking of the meeting of the

Austrian Council of War at which Suvorov crowed like a cock in

reply to the nonsense talked by the Austrian generals. Shinshin,

standing close by, tried to make a joke, saying that Kutuzov had

evidently failed to learn from Suvorov even so simple a thing as

the art of crowing like a cock, but the elder members glanced

severely at the wit, making him feel that in that place and on

that day, it was improper to speak so of Kutuzov.

Count Ilya Rostov, hurried and preoccupied, went about in his

soft boots between the dining and drawing rooms, hastily greeting

the important and unimportant, all of whom he knew, as if they

were all equals, while his eyes occasionally sought out his fine

well-set-up young son, resting on him and winking joyfully at

him. Young Rostov stood at a window with Dolokhov, whose

acquaintance he had lately made and highly valued. The old count

came up to them and pressed Dolokhov's hand.