第63章

第63章onreturningfromthereview,kutuzov,accompaniedbytheaustriangeneral,wenttohisprivateroom,andcallinghisadjutant,toldhimtogivehimcertainpapers,relatingtotheconditionofthenewlyarrivedtroops,andletters,receivedfromarchdukeferdinand,whowasincommandofthearmyatthefront.princeandreybolkonskycameintothecommander-in-chief’sroomwiththepapershehadaskedfor.kutuzovandtheaustrianmemberofthehofkriegsrathweresittingoveraplanthatlayunfoldedonthetable.

“ah！”…saidkutuzov,lookingroundatbolkonsky;andinvitinghisadjutant,asitwere,byhiswordtowait,hewentoninfrenchwiththeconversation.

“ihaveonlyonethingtosay,general,”saidkutuzov,withanagreeableeleganceofexpressionandintonation,thatforcedonetolistenforeachdeliberatelyutteredword.itwasevidentthatkutuzovhimselflistenedtohisvoicewithpleasure.“icanonlysayonething,thatifthematterdependedonmypersonalwishes,thedesireofhismajesty,theemperorfrancis,shouldlongagohavebeenaccomplished;ishouldlongagohavejoinedthearchduke.and,uponmyhonour,believemethatformepersonallytohandoverthechiefcommandofthearmytomoreexperiencedandskilfulgenerals—suchasaustriaissorichin—andtothrowoffallthisweightyresponsibility,formepersonallywouldbearelief.butcircumstancesaretoostrongforus,general.”andkutuzovsmiledwithanexpressionthatseemedtosay：“youareperfectlyatlibertynottobelieveme,andindeedit’samatterofperfectindifferencetomewhetheryoubelievemeornot,butyouhavenogroundsforsayingso.andthat’sthewholepoint.”theaustriangenerallookeddissatisfied,buthehadnochoicebuttoanswerkutuzovinthesametone.

“onthecontrary,”hesaidinaquerulousandirritatedvoice,thatcontrastedwiththeflatteringintentionofthewordsheuttered;“onthecontrary,theparticipationofyourmosthighexcellencyincommonactionishighlyappreciatedbyhismajesty.butweimaginethatthepresentdelayrobsthegallantrussiantroopsandtheircommander-in-chiefofthelaurelstheyareaccustomedtowinninginaction,”heconcludedaphrasehehadevidentlypreparedbeforehand.

kutuzovbowed,stillwiththesamesmile.

“butiamconvincedofthis,andrelyingonthelastletterwithwhichhishighnessthearchdukeferdinandhashonouredme,iimaginethattheaustriantroopsunderthecommandofsotalentedaleaderasgeneralmack,havebynowgainedadecisivevictoryandhavenolongerneedofouraid,”saidkutuzov.

thegeneralfrowned.thoughtherewasnopositivenewsofthedefeatoftheaustrians,thereweretoomanycircumstancesinconfirmationoftheunfavourablereports;andsokutuzov’ssuppositioninregardtoanaustrianvictorysoundedverymuchlikeasneer.butkutuzovsmiledblandly,stillwiththesameexpression,whichseemedtosaythathehadarighttosupposeso.andinfactthelastletterhehadreceivedfromthearmyofgeneralmackhadgivenhimnewsofvictory,andofthemostfavourablestrategicalpositionofthearmy.

“givemethatletter,”saidkutuzov,addressingprinceandrey.“here,ifyouwillkindlylook”—andkutuzov,withanironicalsmileaboutthecornersofhismouth,readingermanthefollowingpassagefromtheletterofthearchdukeferdinand：

“wehaveaforce,perfectlykepttogether,ofnearly70,000men,inordertoattackanddefeattheenemyiftheyshouldpassthelech.aswearemastersofulm,wecannotlosetheadvantageofremainingmastersalsoofbothsidesofthedanube;andmoreoverable,shouldtheenemynotcrossthelech,topassoverthedanubeatanymoment,throwourselvesupontheirlineofcommunications,recrossthedanubelowerdown,andentirelyresisttheenemy’saimiftheyshouldattempttoturntheirwholeforceuponourfaithfulally.inthiswayweshallawaitcourageouslythemomentwhentheimperialrussianisready,andshallthen,inconjunction,easilyfindapossibilityofpreparingforthefoethatfatewhichhesorichlydeserves.”

kutuzovconcludedthisperiodwithaheavysighandlookedintentlyandgeniallyatthememberofthehofkriegsrath.

“butyouknow,yourexcellency,thesageprecepttopreparefortheworst,”saidtheaustriangeneral,obviouslywishingtohavedonewithjestsandtocometobusiness.hecouldnothelpglancingroundattheadjutant.

“excuseme,general,”kutuzovinterruptedhim,andhe,too,turnedtoprinceandrey.“here,mydearboy,getallthereportsfromourscoutsfromkozlovsky.herearetwolettersfromcountnostits,hereisaletterfromhishighnessthearchdukeferdinand,hereisanother,”hesaid,givinghimseveralpapers.“andofallthismakeoutclearlyinfrenchamemorandumshowingalltheinformationwehavehadofthemovementsoftheaustrianarmy.well,doso,andthenshowittohisexcellency.”

princeandreybowedintokenofunderstandingfromthefirstwordnotmerelywhathadbeensaid,butalsowhatkutuzovwouldhavelikedtohavesaidtohim.hegatheredupthepapers,andmakingacomprehensivebow,steppedsoftlyoverthecarpetandwentoutintothereception-room.

althoughsoshortatimehadpassedsinceprinceandreyhadleftrussia,hehadchangedgreatlyduringthattime.intheexpressionofhisface,inhisgestures,inhisgait,therewasscarcelyatracetobeseennowofhisformeraffectation,ennui,andindolence.hehadtheairofamanwhohasnottimetothinkoftheimpressionheismakingonothers,andisabsorbedinwork,bothagreeableandinteresting.hisfaceshowedmoresatisfactionwithhimselfandthosearoundhim.hissmileandhisglanceweremorelight-heartedandattractive.