第85章

第85章“leaveoffjesting，”saidprinceandrey，withmournfulseriousness.thenewsgrievedprinceandrey，andyetitgavehimpleasure.assoonasheheardthattherussianarmywasinsuchahopelessposition，theideastruckhimthathewastheverymandestinedtoextricatetherussianarmyfromthatposition，andthatithadcome—thetoulon—thatwouldlifthimforeverfromoutoftheranksofunknownofficers，andopenthefirstpathtogloryforhim！ashelistenedtobilibin，hewasalreadyconsideringhow，onreachingthearmy，hewould，atacouncilofwar，givetheopinionthatalonecouldsavethearmy，andhowhewouldbeentrustedalonetoexecutetheplan.

“leaveoffjoking，”hesaid.

“i’mnotjoking，”bilibinwenton.“nothingcouldbemoretruthfulormoremelancholy.thesethreegentlemenadvancetothebridgealoneandwavewhitehandkerchiefs；theydeclarethatit’satruce，andthatthey，themarshals，arecomeforaparleywithprinceauersperg.theofficerondutyletsthemintothetêtedupont.theytellhimathousandgasconabsurdities；saythatthewarisover，thatemperorfrancishasarrangedameetingwithbonaparte，thattheydesiretoseeprinceauersperg，andsoon.theofficersendsforauersperg.thesegascongentlemenembracetheofficers，makejokes，andsitaboutonthecannons，whileafrenchbattalionmeantimeadvancesunnoticedonthebridge，flingsthesacksofinflammablematerialintotheriver，andmarchesuptothetêtedupont.finallythelieutenant-generalhimselfappears，ourdearprinceauerspergvonmautern.‘mydearenemy！flowerofaustrianchivalry！herooftheturkishwar！hostilityisatend，wecantakeeachother’shands…theemperornapoleonburnswithimpatiencetomaketheacquaintanceofprinceauersperg.’inaword，thesegentlemen—notgasconsfornothing—sobewilderauerspergwithfairwords—heissoflatteredatthisspeedyintimacywithfrenchmarshals，sodazzledbythespectacleoftheircloaks，andoftheostrichfeathersofmurat—thattheirfiregetsintohiseyesandmakeshimforgetthatheoughttobefiringontheenemy”（inspiteoftheinterestofhisstory，bilibindidnotomittopauseafterthismot，togivetimeforitsappreciation）.“afrenchbattalionrunsintothetêtedupont，spikesthecannons，andthebridgeistaken.no，butreallythebestpartofthewholeepisode，”hewenton，hisexcitementsubsidingundertheinterestofhisownstory，“isthatthesergeantinchargeofthecannonwhichwastogivethesignalforfiringtheminesandblowingupthebridge，thissergeantseeingthefrenchtroopsrunningontothebridgewantedtofire，butlannespulledhisarmaway.thesergeant，whoseemstohavebeensharperthanhisgeneral，goesuptoauerspergandsays：‘prince，they’redeceivingyou，herearethefrench！’muratseesthegameisupifheletsthesergeanthavehissay.withanaffectationofsurprise（atruegascon！）headdressesauersperg：‘isthistheaustriandisciplinesohighlyextolledallovertheworld，’sayshe，‘doyouletamanoflowrankspeaktoyoulikethis？’itwasastrokeofgenius.theprinceofauerspergistouchedinhishonourandhasthesergeantputunderarrest.no，butconfessthatallthisstoryofthebridgeoftaborischarming.itisneitherstupidity，norcowardice…”

“itistreason，perhaps，”saidprinceandrey，vividlypicturingtohimselfgreyovercoats，wounds，thesmokeandsoundoffiring，andthegloryawaitinghim.

“notthateither.thisputsthecourtintoaprettypickle，”pursuedbilibin.“itisnottreason，norcowardice，norstupidity；itisjustasitwasatulm…”heseemedtoponder，seekingthephrase，“itis…c’estdumack.noussommesmackés，”hesaid，feelinghewasutteringunmot，andafreshone，onethatwouldberepeated.hiscreased-upbrowsletthepuckerssmoothoutquicklyinsignofsatisfaction，andwithafaintsmilehefelltoscrutinizinghisfinger-nails.

“whereareyouoffto？”hesaid，suddenlyturningtoprinceandrey，whohadgotupandwasgoingtohisroom.

“imuststart.”

“whereto？”

“tothearmy.”

“butyoumeanttostayanothertwodays？”

“butnowiamgoingatonce”；andprinceandrey，afterafewwordsarrangingabouthisjourney，wenttohisroom.

“doyouknow，mydearboy，”saidbilibin，comingintohisroom，“ihavebeenthinkingaboutyou.whatareyougoingfor？”andinsupportoftheirrefutabilityofhisargumentsonthesubject，allthecreasesranoffhisface.

princeandreylookedinquiringlyathimandmadenoreply.

“whyareyougoing？iknowyouconsiderthatit’syourdutytogallopofftothearmynowthatthearmyisindanger.iunderstandthat，myboy，it’sheroism.”

“nothingofthekind，”saidprinceandrey.

“butyouareunphilosophe，beonefully，lookatthingsfromtheotherside，andyouwillseethatitisyourduty，onthecontrary，totakecareofyourself.leavethattootherswhoarenogoodforanythingelse…youhavereceivednoorderstogoback，andyouarenotdismissedfromhere，sothatyoucanremainandgowithus，whereourill-lucktakesus.theysaytheyaregoingtoolm？tz.andolm？tzisaverycharmingtown.andwecantraveltherecomfortablytogetherinmycarriage.”

“that’senoughjoking，bilibin，”saidbolkonsky.

“iamspeakingtoyousincerelyasafriend.considerwhereareyougoingandwithwhatobjectnow，whenyoucanstayhere.youhavetwoalternativesbeforeyou”（hepuckereduptheskinofhislefttemple）“eitheryouwon’treachthearmybeforepeacewillbeconcluded，oryouwillsharethedefeatanddisgracewithkutuzov’swholearmy.”andbilibinlethisbrowgosmoothagain，feelingthathisdilemmawasbeyondattack.

“thatican’tenterinto，”saidprinceandreycoldly，buthethought：“iamgoingtosavethearmy.”

“mydearfellow，youareahero，”saidbilibin