d not
even make any attempt to get leave of absence or to retire from the
army, but wrote to his parents that he was sorry Natasha was ill and her
engagement broken off, and that he would do all he could to meet their
wishes. To Sonya he wrote separately.

"Adored friend of my soul!" he wrote. "Nothing but honor could keep
me from returning to the country. But now, at the commencement of the
campaign, I should feel dishonored, not only in my comrades' eyes but
in my own, if I preferred my own happiness to my love and duty to the
Fatherland. But this shall be our last separation. Believe me, directly
the war is over, if I am still alive and still loved by you, I will
throw up everything and fly to you, to press you forever to my ardent
breast."

It was, in fact, only the commencement of the campaign that prevented
Rostov from returning home as he had promised and marrying Sonya. The
autumn in Otradnoe with the hunting, and the winter with the Christmas
holidays and Sonya's love, had opened out to him a vista of tranquil
rural joys and peace such as he had never known before, and which now
allured him. "A splendid wife, children, a good pack of hounds, a
dozen leashes of smart borzois, agriculture, neighbors, service by
election..." thought he. But now the campaign was beginning, and he had
to remain with his regiment. And since it had to be so, Nicholas Rostov,
as was natural to him, felt contented with the life he led in the
regiment and was able to find pleasure in that life.

On his return from his furlough Nicholas, having been joyfully welcomed
by his comrades, was sent to obtain remounts and brought back from the
Ukraine excellent horses which pleased him and earned him commendation
from his commanders. During his absence he had been promoted captain,
and when the regiment was put on war footing with an increase in
numbers, he was again allotted his old squadron.

The campaign began, the regiment was moved into Poland on double pay,
new officers arrived, new men and horses, and above all everybody was
infected with the merrily excited mood that goes with the commencement
of a war, and Rostov, conscious of his advantageous position in the
regiment, devoted himself entirely to the pleasures and interests of
military service, though he knew that sooner or later he would have to
relinquish them.

The troops retired from Vilna for various complicated reasons of state,
political and strategic. Each step of the retr