AT THAT MOMENT Count Rastoptchin, with his prominent chin and alert eyes, strode in rapidly through the parting crowd, wearing the uniform of a general and a ribbon over his shoulder.

“Our sovereign the Emperor will be here immediately,” said Rastoptchin. “I have just come from him. I presume that in the position in which we are placed, there is no need of much discussion. The Emperor has graciously seen fit to summon us and the merchants,” said Count Rastoptchin. “They will pour out their millions” (he pointed to the merchants' hall); “it is our duty to raise men and not to spare ourselves.… It is the least we can do.”

A consultation took place between the great noblemen at the table only. The whole consultation was more than subdued, it seemed ever mournful, when, after all the hubbub that had gone before, the old voices could be heard, one at a time, saying “agreed,” or for the sake of variety, “I am of the same opinion.”

The secretary was told to write down the resolution of the Moscow nobility: that the nobles of Moscow, like those of Smolensk, would furnish a levy of ten men in every thousand, with their complete equipment.

The gentlemen, who had been sitting, got up with an air of relief; there was a scraping of chairs and the great noblemen walked about to stretch their legs, taking their friends' arms and chatting together.

“The Tsar! the Tsar!” was suddenly heard all through the rooms, and the whole crowd rushed towards the entrance.

The Tsar walked in along the wide, free space left for him, between walls of noblemen close packed on each side. Every face expressed reverent and awe-stricken curiosity. Pierre was at some distance, and could not quite catch all the Tsar said. He knew from what he did hear that the Tsar was speaking of the danger in which the empire was placed, and the hopes he rested on the Moscow nobility. The Tsar was answered by a voice informing him of the resolution just passed by the nobility.

“Gentlemen!” said the trembling voice of the Tsar. A stir passed through the crowd, and then a hush fell on it again, and Pierre distinctly heard the voice of the Tsar, warmly humane and deeply touched: “I have never doubted of the devotion of the Russian nobility. But this day it has surpassed my expectations. I thank you in the name of the fatherland. Gentlemen, let us act—time is more precious than anything.…”

The Tsar ceased speaking; the crowd began pressing round him, and cries of enthusiasm were heard on all sides.

“Yes, more precious than anything…a royal saying,” said the voice of Ilya Andreitch with a sob. He had heard nothing, but understood everything in his own way.

From the nobility's room the Tsar went into the merchants' room. He was there for about ten minutes. Pierre amongst the rest saw the Tsar coming back from the merchants' room with tears of emotion in his eyes. They learned afterwards that the Tsar had hardly begun to speak to the merchants when the tears gushed from his eyes and he continued in a trembling voice. When Pierre saw the Tsar come out, he was accompanied by two merchants. One of them Pierre knew, a stout contractor; the other was the mayor, with a thin, yellow face and narrow beard. Both were weeping. The tears stood in the thin man's eyes, but the stout contractor was sobbing like a child and continually repeating:

“Take life and property too, your majesty!”

Pierre felt nothing at that moment but the desire to show that nothing was too much for him and that he was ready to sacrifice everything. The constitutional tenor of his speech weighed on him like a sin; he sought an opportunity of glossing it over. On hearing that Count Mamonov was furnishing a regiment, Bezuhov at once told Count Rastoptchin that he would furnish one thousand men and their equipment.

Old Rostov could not tell his wife what had passed without tears, and he agreed at once to Petya's wishes, and went himself to enter his name.

Next day the Tsar went away. All the assembled noblemen went back to their homes and their clubs, took off their uniforms, and with some groans gave orders to their stewards to raise the levy, wondering themselves at what they had done.

这时，这群贵族让出一条道来，拉斯托普钦伯爵快步从闪开的人群中走进大厅，他身着将军服，肩挎绶带，下巴向前突出，转动着一对灵活的眼睛。

“皇帝陛下即刻就到，”拉斯托普钦伯爵说，“我刚从那儿来，我认为，处于我们目前这样的景况，没有什么可指责的。蒙皇上降旨把我们和商人召唤来。”拉斯托普钦伯爵说。“那边已经有数百万人献出来了（他指了指商人大厅），而我们的任务是提供义勇军且毫不吝惜自己……这是我们至少能够做到的！”

坐在桌旁的那些大官开始开会讨论了。整个会议都非常安静。在经过先前的喧哗之后，听到老人们的嗓音一个跟一个地说“同意”，有的为了变个样，说：“我也有那个意见，”

等等，会开得沉闷极了。

文书奉命记录莫斯科贵族的决议：莫斯科贵族和斯摩棱斯克贵族一样，每千名农奴抽义勇军十名，并配备全副装备。开会的先生们仿佛松了一口气，发出移动椅子的响声，一个个都到大厅中间蹓蹓腿，随便挽起哪一位的胳膊，闲聊起来。

“皇上！皇上！”突然的喊声传遍了整个大厅，所有的人都拥向门口。

贵族们站成了两堵人墙，皇帝经过这宽阔的人墙之间的通道走进大厅。每个人的脸上都露出既恭敬又畏惧的好奇神情。皮埃尔站得较远，皇帝的话听不十分清楚。他只听懂皇帝谈到国家处境的危险，谈到他寄予莫斯科贵族的希望。有一个人向皇帝报告了刚才贵族做出的决议。

“诸位先生！”皇帝的嗓音颤抖了；人群动荡一下又静了下来，皮埃尔清楚地听见皇帝十分感动的、富有人情味的悦耳的声音，他说：

“我从来就不怀疑俄罗斯贵族的热忱。然而今天贵族们的热忱仍超出了我的估计。我代表祖国感谢你们。诸位先生，我们要行动——时间最宝贵……”

皇帝停住了，人群开始拥挤在他的周围，四周都是欢喜的赞叹声。

“是的，最宝贵的是……皇帝的话。”伊利亚·安德烈伊奇在后面痛哭失声地说，其实他什么都没听见，一切全是他自己想当然。

皇帝从贵族大厅步入商人大厅。他在那里逗留了十来分钟。皮埃尔和其他的人都看见，皇帝从商人大厅出来时，眼里噙满感动的泪水。后来才听说，皇帝刚一开始对商人讲话，就热泪直流，他用颤抖的声音讲完了话，当皮埃尔看见皇帝的时候，他正走出来，两个商人陪伴着他。一个是皮埃尔不认识的胖胖的承包商①，另一个是商人的首领，面容消瘦，焦黄，留一撮山羊胡子。两人都啜泣着。那个瘦子两眼含泪，而体胖的承包商像孩子似的号啕大哭，一个劲儿说：

“既要生活，也要捞取财富，陛下！”

①19世纪在俄国向国家承包税收或承包某项专利、某种企业等等的商人。

皮埃尔此时已经没有什么别的感觉，他只表示他对任何事都不在乎和有准备牺牲一切的愿望。他想到他那带有立宪倾向的言论，就觉得犹有内疚，他正寻找机会改正这一点。了解到马莫诺夫正在献出一个军团，别祖霍夫就向拉斯托普钦伯爵说他要送一千人和军饷给他。

罗斯托夫老头含泪对妻子述说了经过的情形，他同意彼佳的请求并亲自去给他登记。

第二天皇帝离去了。所有出席集会的贵族都脱下制服，又分别回到家里和俱乐部，不时呼哧几声地向管家发布建立义勇军的命令，并对他们所作所为感到吃惊。