Characters Present:
Tsar Alexander
Countess Hélène Berzúkhova
Borís Drubetskóy
Adjutant-General Baláshev
Location:
A party at Count Bennigsen's country house in Zakret, in the Vílna province.
Borís sees Adjutant-General Baláshev approach Alexander. He is unable to move from his position, thus he is the first to learn that Napoleon has crossed the Nieman river, and that Alexander is affronted that Napoleon hadn't even declared war before entering Russia.
Borís hears Alexander exclaim "I will not make peace as long as a single armed enemy stands in our country!". Alexander is pleased with this turn of phrase, which quickly becomes famous, and he repeats a specifically anti-French version of it later in a letter to Field Marshall Prince Saltykóv.
Alexander then writes to to Napoleon, telling him that they are at war, unless it was a misunderstanding, in which case, Napoleon should just go back over the river.
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