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Boris, during the campaign, had made the acquaintance of many

persons who might prove useful to him, and by a letter of

recommendation he had brought from Pierre had become acquainted

with Prince Andrew Bolkonski, through whom he hoped to obtain a

post on the commander in chief's staff. Berg and Boris, having

rested after yesterday's march, were sitting, clean and neatly

dressed, at a round table in the clean quarters allotted to them,

playing chess. Berg held a smoking pipe between his knees. Boris,

in the accurate way characteristic of him, was building a little

pyramid of chessmen with his delicate white fingers while

awaiting Berg's move, and watched his opponent's face, evidently

thinking about the game as he always thought only of whatever he

was engaged on.

"Well, how are you going to get out of that?" he remarked.

"We'll try to," replied Berg, touching a pawn and then removing

his hand.

At that moment the door opened.