BEFORE THE BEGINNING of the campaign Rostov had received a letter from his parents, in which they informed him briefly of Natasha's illness and the breaking off of her engagement, and again begged him to retire from the army and come home to them. Natasha had, they explained, broken off the engagement by her own wish. On receiving this letter Nikolay did not even attempt to retire from the army or to obtain leave, but wrote to his parents that he was very sorry to hear of Natasha's illness and her rupture with her betrothed, and that he would do everything in his power to follow their wishes. To Sonya he wrote separately.

“Adored friend of my heart,” he wrote; “nothing but honour could avail to keep me from returning to the country. But now, at the beginning of a campaign, I should feel myself dishonoured in my comrades' eyes, as well as my own, if I put my own happiness before my duty and my love for my country. But this shall be our last separation. Believe me, immediately after the war, if I be living and still loved by thee, I shall throw up everything and fly to thee to press thee for ever to my ardent breast.”
It was, in fact, only the outbreak of the war that detained Rostov and hindered him from returning home, as he had promised, and marrying Sonya. The autumn at Otradnoe with the hunting, and the winter with the Christmas festivities and Sonya's love had opened before his imagination a vista of peace and quiet country delights unknown to him before, and this prospect now lured him back. “A charming wife, children, a good pack of hounds, ten to twelve leashes of swift harriers, the estate to look after, the neighbours, election to offices, perhaps, by the provincial nobility,” he mused. But now war was breaking out, and he had to remain with his regiment. And since this had to be, Nikolay Rostov was characteristically able to be content too with the life he led in the regiment, and to make that life a pleasant one.

On his return from his leave, Nikolay had been joyfully welcomed by his comrades and sent off for remounts. He succeeded in bringing back from Little Russia some first-rate horses that gave him great satisfaction, and won him the commendation of his superior officers. In his absence he had been promoted to be captain, and when the regiment was being made ready with reinforcements for active service, he was again put in command of his old squadron.

The campaign was beginning, pay was doubled, the regiment was reinforced with new officers, new men, and fresh horses, and had moved into Poland. The temper of eager cheerfulness, always common at the beginning of a war, was general in the army, and Rostov, fully conscious of his improved position in the regiment, gave himself up heart and soul to the pleasures and interests of the army, though he knew that sooner or later he would have to leave it.

The army had been compelled to retreat from Vilna owing to various complex considerations of state, of policy, and tactics. Every step of that retreat had been accompanied by a complicated play of interests, arguments, and passions at headquarters. For the hussars of the Pavlograd regiment, however, this whole march in the finest part of the summer, with ample supplies of provisions, was a most simple and agreeable business. Depression, uneasiness, and intrigue were possible only at headquarters; the rank and file of the army never even wondered where and why they were going. If the retreat was a subject of regret, it was simply owing to the necessity of leaving quarters one had grown used to or a pretty Polish hostess. If the idea did occur to any one that things were amiss, he tried, as a good soldier should, to put a cheerful face on it; and to keep his thoughts fixed on the duty that lay nearest, and not on the general progress of the war. At first they had been very pleasantly stationed near Vilna, where they made acquaintance with the Polish gentry of the neighbourhood, prepared for reviews, and were reviewed by the Tsar and various commanders of high authority. Then came the command to retreat to Sventsyany, and to destroy all the stores that could not be carried away. Sventsyany was memorable to the hussars simply as the drunken camp, the name given to the encampment there by the whole army, and as the scene of many complaints against the troops, who had taken advantage of orders to collect stores, and under the head of stores had carried off horses and carriages and carpets from the Polish landowners. Rostov remembered Sventsyany, because on the very day of his arrival there he had dismissed his quartermaster and did not know how to manage the men of his squadron, who had, without his knowledge, carried off five barrels of strong old ale and were all drunk. From Sventsyany they had fallen further back, and then further again, till they reached Drissa; and from Drissa they retreated again, till they were getting near the frontiers of Russia proper.

On the 13th of July the Pavlograd hussars took part in their first serious action.

On the previous evening there had been a violent storm of rain and hail. The summer of 1812 was remarkably stormy throughout.

The two Pavlograd squadrons were bivouacking in the middle of a field of rye, which was already in ear, but had been completely trodden down by the cattle and horses. The rain was falling in torrents, and Rostov was sitting with a young officer, Ilyin, a protégé of his, under a shanty, that had been hastily rigged up for them. An officer of their regiment, adorned with long moustaches, that hung down from his cheeks, was caught in the rain on his way back from visiting the staff, and he went into Rostov's shanty for shelter.

“I'm on my way from the staff, count. Have you heard of Raevsky's exploit?” And the officer proceeded to relate to them details of the Saltanov battle that had been told him at the staff.

Rostov smoked his pipe, and wriggled his neck, down which the water was trickling. He listened with little interest, looking from time to time at the young officer Ilyin, who was squatting beside him. Ilyin, a lad of sixteen, who had lately joined the regiment, took now with Nikolay the place Nikolay had taken seven years before with Denisov. Ilyin tried to imitate Rostov in everything and adored him, as a girl might have done.

The officer with the double moustaches, Zdrzhinsky, in a very high-flown manner, described the dike at Saltanov as the Russian Thermopylae, and the heroic deed of General Raevsky on that dike as worthy of antiquity. Zdrzhinsky told then how Raevsky had thrust his two sons forward on the dike under a terrific fire, and had charged at their side. Rostov listened to the tale, and said nothing betokening sympathy with Zdrzhinsky's enthusiasm. He looked, indeed, as though ashamed of what he was told, but not intending to gainsay it. After Austerlitz and the campaign of 1807, Rostov knew from his own experience that men always lie when they describe deeds of battle, as he did himself indeed. He had had too sufficient experience to know that everything in battle happens utterly differently from our imagination and description of it. And so he did not like Zdrzhinsky's story, and did not, indeed, like Zdrzhinsky himself, who had, besides his unprepossessing moustaches, a habit of bending right over into the face of the person he was speaking to. He was in their way in the cramped little shanty. Rostov looked at him without speaking. “In the first place, on the dike they were charging there must have been such a crowd and confusion that, if Raevsky really thrust his sons forward, it would have had no effect except on the dozen men closest to him,” thought Rostov; “the rest could not have even seen who were with Raevsky on the dike. And those who did see it were not likely to be greatly affected by it, for what thought had they to spare for Raevsky's tender, parental feelings, when they had their own skins to think of saving? And besides the fate of the country did not depend on whether that dike was taken or not, as we are told the fate of Greece did depend on Thermopylae. And then what was the object of such a sacrifice? Why do your own children a mischief in war? I wouldn't put Petya, my brother, in a place of danger; no, even Ilyin here, who's nothing to me but a good-natured lad, I would do my best to keep safe and sheltered,” Rostov mused, as he listened to Zdrzhinsky. But he did not give utterance to his thoughts, he had experience of that too. He knew that this tale redounded to the glory of our arms, and therefore one must appear not to doubt its truth: and he acted accordingly.

“I can't stand this, though,” said Ilyin, noticing that Rostov did not care for Zdrzhinsky's story; “stockings and shirt, and all—I'm wet through. I'm going to look for shelter. I fancy the rain's not so heavy.” Ilyin ran out and Zdrzhinsky rode away.

Five minutes later Ilyin came splashing through the mud to the shanty.

“Hurrah! Rostov, make haste and come along. I have found an inn, two hundred paces or so from here; a lot of our fellows are there already. We can get dry anyway, and Marya Hendrihovna's there.”

Marya Hendrihovna was the wife of the regimental doctor; a pretty young German woman, whom he had married in Poland. Either from lack of means or disinclination to part from his young wife in the early days of their marriage, the doctor had brought her with him in the regiment, and his jealousy was a favourite subject for the jibes of the hussars.

Rostov flung on a cape, shouted to Lavrushka to follow them with their things, and went off with Ilyin, slipping in the mud, and splashing through the pools in the drizzling rain and the darkness, which was rent at intervals by distant lightning.

“Rostov, where are you?”

“Here. What a flash!” they called to one another as they went.

罗斯托夫在开战前收到一封父母的来信，信中简短地告知他关于娜塔莎的病情以及与安德烈公爵解除婚约的事（他们向他解释说婚约是娜塔莎主动回绝的），他们又要求他退伍回家去，尼古拉接到信后并未打算请假或退伍，而是给父母写信说他非常惋惜娜塔莎的病情和退婚，他将尽力做好一切，以实现他们的愿望。他单独给索尼娅写了一封信。

“我心灵中的最亲爱的朋友，”他写道，“除了荣誉，什么也不能阻止我返回你身边。但是现在，在开战前夕，如果我把我个人的幸福置于对祖国的责任和爱之上，那么，不仅在全体同事面前，而且在我自己面前，我都是不光彩的。然而——这是最后一次离别了。请相信，战争结束后，假如我还活着，你还爱我的话，我将抛开一切，立刻飞到你的身边，把你永远拥抱在我火热的胸前。”

确实，只因为要开战才使罗斯托夫留了下来，耽误了他回家——他曾答应过——回去同索尼娅结婚，奥特拉德诺耶狩猎的秋季和伴着圣诞节和索尼娅的爱情的冬天，在他面前展示了一幅幽静的乡村生活图画，那种观乐而宁静的生活他以前并不了解，而现在却那样吸引着他。“一个贤慧的妻子，几个孩子，一群好猎狗，十至十二群凶猛的灵狸，农活、邻居，被选举为公众服务！”他想。可是，现在是在打仗，应该留在团队里，既然非要如此不可，尼古拉·罗斯托夫根据自己的性格来看，对团队生活也还满意，也能在这种生活中找到乐趣。

休假回来，同伴们高兴地迎接他，尼古拉被派去置办补充马匹，他从小俄罗斯（乌克兰）领回了好马，这使他很高兴，而且也博得长官的赞赏。在他外出时，他被提升为骑兵大尉，当团队按战时编制扩大名额时，他又回到原来所在的骑兵连。

战争开始了，团队向波兰进发，发了双饷，来了新的军官、新的士兵和新的马匹；主要的是队伍中普遍有一种伴随战争伊始的兴奋而欢乐的情绪；而罗斯托夫，意识到自己在团队中的有利地位，完全沉浸在军队生活的欢乐和趣味中，虽然他知道早晚会失去这种生活。

由于各种复杂的，国家的、政治的和战略的原因，军队从维尔纳撤退了。后退的每一步在总司令部中都伴随各种利害冲突，各种论断和感情的复杂变化，对保罗格勒兵团的骠骑兵来说，在夏季最好的季节，带着充足的给养进行这种退却是最简单最愉快的事情。泄气、不安和阴谋只有在总司令部才有，而在一般官兵中，人们是不去问到哪里去，为什么而去，如果有人为撤退而惋惜，也只是因为不得不离开久已住惯的营房，告别漂亮的波兰姑娘罢了。假如有谁觉得事情不妙，那么也会像一个优秀军人应有的样子，强作快活，不去想整个局势，而只顾眼前的事。当初是多么快活，驻扎在维尔纳附近，与波兰地主交往，期待并且受到皇帝和其他高级司令官的检阅。后来传来向斯文齐亚内撤退的命令，销毁不能带走的给养。斯文齐亚内值得骠骑兵们记忆，只因为这是一个“醉营”，这是全军送给斯文齐亚内营盘的外号，还因为在斯文齐亚内军队受到许多控告，指控他们利用征收给养的命令，同时夺走了波兰地主的马匹、车辆和地毯。罗斯托夫记得斯文齐亚内，是因为他进入这个镇的第一天就撤换了司务长，还因为他无力应付骑兵连的所有醉鬼，这些人瞒着他偷了五桶陈年啤酒。从斯文齐亚内继续撤退直到德里萨，又从德里萨撤退，已经接近俄罗斯边境了。

七月十三日保罗格勒兵团第一次发生了严重的事情。

七月十二日夜里，出事的前夜，下了一场带冰雹的暴风雨，一八一二年的夏季总的说来是一个以暴风雨著称的夏季。

保罗格勒兵团的两个骑兵连宿营在一片已经抽穗但却被马完全踩倒的黑麦地里。天下着瓢泼大雨，罗斯托夫和一位他所护卫的年轻军官伊林坐在临时搭的棚子里，他们团里一位留着长长络腮胡子的军官，去司令部后回来的路上遇雨，便顺路来看罗斯托夫。

“伯爵，我从司令部来，您听见过拉耶夫斯基的功勋吗？”这位军官便把他在司令部听来的关于萨尔塔诺夫战役的详请讲了一遍。

由于雨水流进了领口而缩着脖子的罗斯托夫吸着烟斗，漫不经心地听着，不时看看那位依偎着他的年轻军官伊林。这位军官是一位十六岁的男孩子，不久前才来团里，他现在与尼古拉的关系就像七年前尼古拉与杰尼索夫的关系一样，伊林在各方面都尽力模仿罗斯托夫，像一个女人似地爱着他。

留着两撇胡子的军官——兹德尔任斯基眉飞色舞地讲着，他说萨尔塔诺夫水坝是俄罗斯的忒摩比利。在这座水坝上拉耶夫斯基将军的行动堪与古代英雄媲美。兹德尔任斯基讲述了拉耶夫斯基迎着可怕的炮火，带着两个儿子冲上水坝，父子并肩战斗的事迹。罗斯托夫听着这个故事不仅没有讲话，附和兹德尔任斯基的喜悦心情，而且相反，却露出羞于听他讲述的样子，虽然他无意反驳他。在奥斯特利茨和一八○七年战役之后，凭自己一个人的经验，罗斯托夫知道，人们讲述战绩时，总是会说谎，他自己就扯过谎；其次，他有丰富的经验，知道在战场上发生的一切，与我们想象和讲述的全不一样。因而他并不喜欢兹德尔任斯基的故事，也不喜欢兹德尔任斯基本人，这个满脸胡子的人有个习惯，老是俯身凑近听他说话的人的脸，在狭窄的棚子里紧挨着罗斯托夫，罗斯托夫默默地看着他。“第一，在那个人们冲击的水坝上一定非常混乱和拥挤，如果拉耶夫斯基领着儿子冲上去，那么，除了他周围的十几个人外，再也不能影响其他人。”罗斯托夫想，“其余的人不可能看见拉耶夫斯基是怎样以及同谁冲上水坝的。而且那些看见此事的人也不会大为感动，因为在那性命攸关的时刻，谁还去注意拉耶夫斯基的案情呢？再说，能否夺取萨尔塔诺夫水坝与祖国的命运无关，不能与忒摩比利相比。既然如此，为什么要做出这样的牺牲呢？又为何要让儿子也参加战斗呢？换了我的话，不仅不会把弟弟彼佳带去，而且连伊林——虽不是我的亲人，但却是个善良的男孩，也要尽力设法安置到某个安全的地方。”罗斯托夫一边继续想着，一边听着兹德尔任斯基讲。但是他并不说出自己的思想、在这方面他是有经验的。他知道这类故事可以为俄军增光，所以要做出毫不怀疑的样子。他就是这样做的。

“我可受不了啦。”发现罗斯托夫不喜欢兹德尔任斯基的谈话，伊林就说道，“袜子、衬衫都湿透了。我要去找个避雨的地方。好像雨下得小了些。”伊林走出去了，兹德尔任斯基也跟着就离开了。

五分钟后，伊林在泥泞中啪嗒啪嗒地跑回棚子。

“乌拉！罗斯托夫，我们快走。找到了！离这儿两百来步有一个小酒馆，我们的人都已聚在那儿了。至少我们可以把衣服烤一烤。玛丽亚·亨里霍夫娜也在那儿。”

玛丽亚·亨里霍夫娜是团队医生的妻子，是医生在波兰娶的一位年轻、漂亮的德国女人，医生不是由于没有财产，就是因为新婚初期不愿离开年轻的妻子，就带着她随军东奔西走，在骠骑军官中，医生的醋意倒成了通常取笑的话题。

罗斯托夫披上斗篷，叫拉夫鲁什卡带着东西跟着自己，随后与伊林一起走了。他们在漆黑的夜里冒着小雨，踏着泥泞，蹚着积水行进，远方的雷电不时划破黑暗的夜空。

“罗斯托夫，你在哪儿？”

“在这里。好大的闪电！”他们彼此交谈着。