AtthatmomentCountRostopchinwithhisprotrudingchinandalerteyes, wearingtheuniformofageneralwithsashoverhisshoulder, enteredtheroom, steppingbrisklytothefrontofthecrowdofgentry.
"OursovereigntheEmperorwillbehereinamoment," saidRostopchin.", "—hepointedtothemerchants' hall—"butourbusinessistosupplymenandnotspareourselves...Thatistheleastwecando!"
, "Iagree," orforvariety, "Itooamofthatopinion," andsoonhadevenamournfuleffect.
ThesecretarywastoldtowritedowntheresolutionoftheMoscownobilityandgentry, thattheywouldfurnishtenmen, fullyequipped, outofeverythousandserfs, , andbeganwalkingupanddown, arminarm, tostretchtheirlegsandconverseincouples.
"TheEmperor! TheEmperor!" asuddencryresoundedthroughthehallsandthewholethronghurriedtotheentrance.
, .
"Gentlemen!" saidtheEmperorwithaquiveringvoice.
Therewasarustlingamongthecrowdanditagainsubsided, sothatPierredistinctlyheardthepleasantlyhumanvoiceoftheEmperorsayingwithemotion:
"IneverdoubtedthedevotionoftheRussiannobles, ! Gentlemen, letusact! Timeismostprecious..."
TheEmperorceasedspeaking, thecrowdbeganpressingroundhim, andrapturousexclamationswereheardfromallsides.
"Yes, mostprecious...aroyalword," saidCountRostov, , and, thoughhehadheardhardlyanything, understoodeverythinginhisownway.
' , , oneofwhomPierreknew, , 'seyes, andthefatotkupshchiksobbedoutrightlikeachildandkeptrepeating:
"Ourlivesandproperty—takethem, YourMajesty!"
Pierre', BezukhovatonceinformedRostopchinthathewouldgiveathousandmenandtheirmaintenance.
OldRostovcouldnottellhiswifeofwhathadpassedwithouttears, andatonceconsentedtoPetya'srequestandwenthimselftoenterhisname.
, andnotwithoutsomegroansgaveorderstotheirstewardsabouttheenrollment, feelingamazedthemselvesatwhattheyhaddone.
