第592章

第592章thedecrepitoldman,kutuzov,hadbadethemwakehimearlynextday,andintheearlymorninghesaidhisprayers,dressed,andwithadisagreeableconsciousnessthathehadtocommandinabattleofwhichhedidnotapprove,hegotintohiscarriageanddrovefromletashevka,fiveverstsbehindtarutino,totheplacewheretheattackingcolumnsweretobegatheredtogether.kutuzovdrovealong,droppingasleepandwakingupagain,andlisteningtohearwhetherthatwerethesoundofshotsontheright,whethertheactionhadnotbegun.buteverythingwasstillquiet.adampandcloudyautumndaywasdawning.asheapproachedtarutino,kutuzovnoticedcavalrysoldiersleadingtheirhorsestoawatercourseacrosstheroadalongwhichhewasriding.kutuzovlookedatthem,stoppedhiscarriage,andaskedwhatregimentdidtheybelongto.theybelongedtoacolumnwhichwastohavebeenfarawayinfrontinambush.

“amistake,perhaps,”thoughttheoldcommander-in-chief.butashedroveonfurther,kutuzovsawinfantryregimentswiththeirarmsstacked,andthesoldiersintheirdrawersbusycookingporridgeandfetchingwood.hesentfortheirofficer.theofficersubmittedthatnocommandtoadvancehadbeengiven.

“nocommand…”kutuzovbegan,buthecheckedhimselfatonce,andorderedtheseniorofficertobesummonedtohim.gettingoutofthecarriage,withdroopingheadhewalkedtoandfroinsilence,breathingheavily.whenthegeneralstaffofficer,eichen,forwhomhehadsent,arrived,kutuzovturnedpurplewithrage,notbecausethatofficerwastoblameforthemistake,butbecausehewasanobjectofsufficientimportanceforhimtoventhiswrathon.anderingandgasping,theoldmanfellintothatstateoffuryinwhichhewouldsometimesrollonthegroundinfrenzy,andflewateichen,shakinghisfists,andshoutingabuseinthelanguageofthegutter.anotherofficer,captainbrozin,whowasinnowaytoblame,happeningtoappear,sufferedthesamefate.

“whatwilltheblackguardsdonext？shootthem！thescoundrels！”heshoutedhoarsely,shakinghisfistandering.hewasinastateofactualphysicalsuffering.he,hishighnessthecommander-in-chief,whowasassuredbyeveryonethatnooneinrussiahadeverhadsuchpowerashe,heputintothisposition—madealaughing-stocktothewholearmy.“worryingmyself,prayingoverto-day,notsleepingallnight,andthinkingabouteverything—allfornothing！”hethoughtabouthimself.“wheniwasamereboyofanofficernoonewouldhavedaredtomakealaughing-stockofmelikethis…andnow！”hewasinastateofphysicalsuffering,asthoughfromcorporalpunishment,andcouldnothelpexpressingitinwrathfulandagonisedoutcries.butsoonhisstrengthwasexhausted,andlookingabouthim,feelingthathehadsaidagreatdealthatwasunjust,hegotintohiscarriageanddrovebackinsilence.

hiswrathoncespentdidnotreturnagain,andkutuzov,blinkingfeebly,listenedtoexplanationsandself-justifications（yermolovhimselfdidnotputinanappearancetillnextday）,andtotheearnestrepresentationofbennigsen,konovnitsyn,andtollthatthebattlethathadnotcomeoffshouldtakeplaceonthefollowingday.andagainkutuzovhadtoacquiesce.