Chapter 24

           

           OnthatbrighteveningofAugust25,PrinceAndrewlayleaningonhiselbowinabroken-downshedinthevillageofKnyazkóvoatthefurtherendofhisregiment’sencampment.Throughagapinthebrokenwallhecouldsee,besidethewoodenfence,arowofthirty-year-oldbircheswiththeirlowerbranchesloppedoff,afieldonwhichshocksofoatswerestanding,andsomebushesnearwhichrosethesmokeofcampfires—thesoldiers’kitchens.

           Narrowandburdensomeanduselesstoanyoneashislifenowseemedtohim,PrinceAndrewontheeveofbattlefeltagitatedandirritableashehaddonesevenyearsbeforeatAusterlitz.

           Hehadreceivedandgiventheordersfornextday’sbattleandhadnothingmoretodo.Buthisthoughts—thesimplest,clearest,andthereforemostterriblethoughts—wouldgivehimnopeace.Heknewthattomorrow’sbattlewouldbethemostterribleofallhehadtakenpartin,andforthefirsttimeinhislifethepossibilityofdeathpresenteditselftohim—notinrelationtoanyworldlymatterorwithreferencetoitseffectonothers,butsimplyinrelationtohimself,tohisownsoul—vividly,plainly,terribly,andalmostasacertainty.Andfromtheheightofthisperceptionallthathadpreviouslytormentedandpreoccupiedhimsuddenlybecameilluminedbyacoldwhitelightwithoutshadows,withoutperspective,withoutdistinctionofoutline.Alllifeappearedtohimlikemagic-lanternpicturesatwhichhehadlongbeengazingbyartificiallightthroughaglass.Nowhesuddenlysawthosebadlydaubedpicturesincleardaylightandwithoutaglass.

Зміст книги
Налаштування
Фон сторінки
Розмір шрифту
Міжрядковий інтервал
Фразові дієслова
Показати / Приховати меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Сторінка 1413 з 2250