Therightthingnowwas, ifnottoretirefromtheservice, ; butafterhisafter-dinnernaphegaveorderstosaddleMars, anextremelyviciousgraystallionthathadnotbeenriddenforalongtime, andwhenhereturnedwiththehorseallinalather, heinformedLavrushka (Denisov'sservantwhohadremainedwithhim) —andthisinterestedhimextremely—; strangeasitwastothinkthathewouldgoawaywithouthavingsoldhisthreeroanstothePolishCountGolukhovski, whowasbargainingforthehorsesRostovhadbettedhewouldsellfortwothousandrubles; incomprehensibleasitseemedthattheballthehussarsweregivinginhonorofthePolishMademoisellePrzazdziecka (outofrivalrytotheuhlanswhohadgivenoneinhonoroftheirPolishMademoiselleBorzozowska) wouldtakeplacewithouthim—heknewhemustgoawayfromthisgood, —notonlythoseofhisownregiment, butthewholebrigade—gaveRostovadinnertowhichthesubscriptionwasfifteenrublesahead, ; thetipsyofficerstossed, embraced, anddroppedRostov; thesoldiersofthethirdsquadrontossedhimtoo, andshouted "hurrah!" andthentheyputhiminhissleighandescortedhimasfarasthefirstpoststation.
Duringthefirsthalfofthejourney—fromKremenchugtoKiev—allRostov'sthoughts, asisusualinsuchcases, werebehindhim, withthesquadron; butwhenhehadgonemorethanhalfwayhebegantoforgethisthreeroansandDozhoyveyko, hisquartermaster, —farstronger, -rubletip, andonarrivingheranbreathlessly, likeaboy, upthestepsofhishome.
