War and Peace Volume 1 Book 2 Chapter 9

In which the Russian army, worn and beleaguered, halts its retreat along the Danube to engage the French in a hard-fought stand that kindles a flicker of hope amidst the gloom of war. Prince Andrew, honoured with the duty of bearing news of this victory, journeys through the melancholy contrasts of camp and court, encountering the indifference of officialdom that tempers his triumph with a subtle sting of disenchantment.