Nicholas and Ilyín visit the makeshift tavern of Mary Hendríkhovna and her husband the doctor.
Summary:
Nicholas and Ilyín go to the makeshift tavern being run by Mary Hendríkhovna and her husband the doctor. Rostóv and Ilyín, on entering, are welcomed with merry shouts and laughter. Its still raining outside. The tavern is crowded, but Rostóv and Ilyín manage to change out of their wet clothes. Other soldiers are present, some playing cards. A board was covered with a horsecloth, a small samovar was produced and a cellaret and half a bottle of rum, and having asked Mary Hendríkhovna to preside, they all crowded round her. Despite the impoverished setting, they have tea, laughing and joking with the lady in a mildly flirtatious way, trying not to wake up the doctor. They ask Mary to stir their tea with her finger. When the doctor awakes, he seems not amused, and he tells his wife they need to go to their covered cart to sleep. The soldiers remain in the tavern and try to sleep. At least, the tavern is dry, unlike their own quarters. But Nicholas can’t fall asleep.
quote from the chapter:
Leave him alone, said Mary Hendríkhovna, smiling timidly and happily. He is sleeping well as it is, after a sleepless night.
Oh, no, Mary Hendríkhovna, replied the officer, one must look after the doctor. Perhaps he’ll take pity on me someday, when it comes to cutting off a leg or an arm for me.
There were only three tumblers, the water was so muddy that one could not make out whether the tea was strong or weak, and the samovar held only six tumblers of water, but this made it all the pleasanter to take turns in order of seniority to receive one’s tumbler from Mary Hendríkhovna’s plump little hands with their short and not overclean nails. All the officers appeared to be, and really were, in love with her that evening. Even those playing cards behind the partition soon left their game and came over to the samovar, yielding to the general mood of courting Mary Hendríkhovna.
Book 9, Chapter 13
Nicholas and Ilyín visit the makeshift tavern of Mary Hendríkhovna and her husband the doctor.
Summary:
Nicholas and Ilyín go to the makeshift tavern being run by Mary Hendríkhovna and her husband the doctor. Rostóv and Ilyín, on entering, are welcomed with merry shouts and laughter. Its still raining outside. The tavern is crowded, but Rostóv and Ilyín manage to change out of their wet clothes. Other soldiers are present, some playing cards. A board was covered with a horsecloth, a small samovar was produced and a cellaret and half a bottle of rum, and having asked Mary Hendríkhovna to preside, they all crowded round her. Despite the impoverished setting, they have tea, laughing and joking with the lady in a mildly flirtatious way, trying not to wake up the doctor. They ask Mary to stir their tea with her finger. When the doctor awakes, he seems not amused, and he tells his wife they need to go to their covered cart to sleep. The soldiers remain in the tavern and try to sleep. At least, the tavern is dry, unlike their own quarters. But Nicholas can’t fall asleep.
quote from the chapter:
Leave him alone, said Mary Hendríkhovna, smiling timidly and happily. He is sleeping well as it is, after a sleepless night.
Oh, no, Mary Hendríkhovna, replied the officer, one must look after the doctor. Perhaps he’ll take pity on me someday, when it comes to cutting off a leg or an arm for me.
There were only three tumblers, the water was so muddy that one could not make out whether the tea was strong or weak, and the samovar held only six tumblers of water, but this made it all the pleasanter to take turns in order of seniority to receive one’s tumbler from Mary Hendríkhovna’s plump little hands with their short and not overclean nails. All the officers appeared to be, and really were, in love with her that evening. Even those playing cards behind the partition soon left their game and came over to the samovar, yielding to the general mood of courting Mary Hendríkhovna.
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