And before them appeared the bay, with its masts of ships, its shipping, and the sea, with the hostile fleet, in the distance; the white batteries on the shore, the barracks, the aqueducts, the docks and the buildings of the town, and the white and lilac clouds of smoke rising incessantly over the yellow hills, which surrounded the town and stood out against the blue sky, in the rosy rays of the sun, which was reflected by the waves, and sinking towards the horizon of the shadowy sea.
- Volodya, without a shudder, gazed upon this terrible place of which he had thought so much; on the contrary, he did so with an aesthetic enjoyment, and a heroic sense of self-satisfaction at the idea that here he was — he would be there in another half-hour, that he would behold that really charmingly original spectacle — and he
Stared with concentrated attention from that moment until they arrived at the north fortification, at the baggage-train of his brother's regiment, where they were to ascertain with certainty the situations of the regiment and the battery.
The officer in charge of the train Hved near the so-called new town (huts built of boards by the sailors' families), in a tent, connecting with a tolerably large shed, constructed out of green oakboughs, that were not yet entirely withered.
The brothers found the officer seated before a greasy table, upon which stood a glass of cold tea, a tray with vodka, crumbs of dry sturgeon roe, and bread, clad only in a shirt of a dirty yellow hue, and engaged in counting a huge pile of bankbills on a large abacus.
But before describing the personality of the officer, and his conversation, it is indispensable that we should inspect with more attention the interior of his shed, and become a little acquainted, at least, with his mode of life and his occupations. The new shed, like those built for generals and regimental commanders, was large, closely wattled, and comfortably arranged, with little tables and benches, made of turf. The sides and roof were hung with three rugs, to keep the leaves from showering down, and, though extremely ugly, they were new, and certainly costly.
Upon the iron bed, which stood beneath the principal rug, with a young amazon depicted on it, lay a plush coverlet, of a brilliant crimson, a torn and dirty pillow, and a raccoon cloak. On the table stood a mirror, in a silver frame, a silver brush, frightfully dirty, a broken horn comb, full of greasy hair, a silver candlestick, a bottle of liqueur, with a huge gold and ' red label, a gold watch, with a portrait of Peter I., two gold pens, a small box, containing pills of some sort, a crust of bread, and some old, castaway cards, and there were bottles, both full and empty, under the bed.
This officer had charge of the commissariat of the regiment and the fodder of the horses. With him lived his great friend, the commissioner who had charge of the operations.
At the moment when the brothers entered, the latter was asleep in the booth, and the commissary officer was making up his accounts of the government money, in anticipation of the end of the month. The commissary officer had a
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very comely and warlike exterior. His stature was tall, his moustache huge, and he possessed a respectable amount of plumpness. The only disagreeable points about him were a certain perspiration and puffiness of the whole face, which almost concealed his small gray eyes (as though he was filled up with porter), and an excessive lack of cleanliness, from his thin, greasy hair to his big, bare feet, thrust into some sort of ermine slippers.
"Money, money!" said Kozeltzoff number one, entering the shed, and fixing his eyes, with invol. untary greed, upon the pile of bank-notes. "You might lend me half of that, Vasily MikhaYlitch! "
The commissary officer cringed at the sight of his visitors, and, sweeping up his money, he bowed to them without rising.
" Oh, if it only belonged to me! It's government money, my dear fellow. And who is this you have with you t " said he, thrusting the money into a coffer which stood beside him, and staring at Volodya.
"This is my brother, who has just come from the military academy. We have both come to learn from you where our regiment is stationed."
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" Sit down, gentlemen," said the officer, rising, and going into the shed, without paying any heed to his guests. " Won't you have something to drink? Some porter, for instance?" said he.
"Don't put yourself out, Vasily Mikhailitch."
Volodya was impressed by the size of the commissary officer, by his carelessness of manner, and by the respect with which his brother addressed him.