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The feeling, "It has begun! Here it is!" was seen even on Prince

Bagration's hard brown face with its half-closed, dull, sleepy

eyes. Prince Andrew gazed with anxious curiosity at that

impassive face and wished he could tell what, if anything, this

man was thinking and feeling at that moment. "Is there anything

at all behind that impassive face?" Prince Andrew asked himself

as he looked. Prince Bagration bent his head in sign of agreement

with what Prince Andrew told him, and said, "Very good!" in a

tone that seemed to imply that everything that took place and was

reported to him was exactly what he had foreseen. Prince Andrew,

out of breath with his rapid ride, spoke quickly. Prince

Bagration, uttering his words with an Oriental accent, spoke

particularly slowly, as if to impress the fact that there was no

need to hurry. However, he put his horse to a trot in the

direction of Tushin's battery. Prince Andrew followed with the

suite.