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That day Nicholas Rostov received a letter from Boris, telling

him that the Ismaylov regiment was quartered for the night ten

miles from Olmutz and that he wanted to see him as he had a

letter and money for him. Rostov was particularly in need of

money now that the troops, after their active service, were

stationed near Olmutz and the camp swarmed with well-provisioned

sutlers and Austrian Jews offering all sorts of tempting wares.

The Pavlograds held feast after feast, celebrating awards they

had received for the campaign, and made expeditions to Olmutz to

visit a certain Caroline the Hungarian, who had recently opened a

restaurant there with girls as waitresses. Rostov, who had just

celebrated his promotion to a cornetcy and bought Denisov's

horse, Bedouin, was in debt all round, to his comrades and the

sutlers. On receiving Boris' letter he rode with a fellow officer

to Olmutz, dined there, drank a bottle of wine, and then set off

alone to the Guards' camp to find his old playmate.