第591章

第591章thenotesubmittedbybennigsen,andthereportsentinbythecossacksoftheenemy’sleftflankbeingunguarded,weresimplythelaststrawsthatshowedtheinevitabilityofgivingthesignalforadvance,anditwasarrangedtoadvancetoattackonthe5thofoctober.

onthemorningofthe4th,kutuzovsignedthedispositionoftheforces.tollreadittoyermolov,proposingthatheshouldsuperintendthefurtherinstructionsforcarryingitout.

“verygood,verygood,ihaven’ttimejustnow,”saidyermolov,andhehurriedoutofthecottage.thearrangementofthetroopsasdrawnupbytollwasanexcellentone.thedispositionhadbeenwrittenout,asatausterlitz,thoughnotingerman：

“thefirstcolumnmarcheshereandthere,thesecondcolumnoccupiesthisplace,”andsoon.

onpaperallthesecolumnswereintheirproperplaceatafixedtimeandannihilatedtheenemy.everythinghadbeen,asinallsuchcases,carefullythoughtof,andasinallsuchcasesnotasinglecolumndidreachitsrightplaceattherighttime.whenasufficientnumberofcopiesofthedispositionwereready,anofficerwassummonedandsentofftogivethemtoyermolov,thathemightseethatinstructionsweregiveninaccordancewiththem.ayoungofficerofthehorseguards,inwaitingonkutuzov,setoffforyermolov’squarters,delightedattheimportanceofthecommissionwithwhichhewasintrusted.

“notathome,”yermolov’sservanttoldhim.theofficerofthehorseguardssetofftothequartersofthegeneral,withwhomyermolovwasoftentobefound.

“nothere,northegeneraleither,”hewastold.

theofficermountedhishorseagainandrodeofftoanothergeneral’s.

“no,notathome.”

“ifonlyidon’tgetintotroubleforthedelay！howannoying！”thoughttheofficer.

herodealloverthecamp.onemantoldhimhehadseenyermolovridingawayincompanywithsomeothergenerals;anothersaidhewassuretobeathomeagainbynow.theofficerwashuntinghimtillsixo’clockintheeveningwithoutstoppingfordinner.yermolovwasnowheretobefound,andnooneknewwherehewas.theofficertookahastymealatacomrade’s,andtrottedbacktotheadvanceguardtoseemiloradovitch.miloradovitch,too,wasnotathome,buttherehewastoldthathewasataballatgeneralkikin’sandthat,mostlikely,yermolovwastheretoo.

“butwhereisthat？”

“atetchkino,thatway,”saidanofficerofthecossacks,pointingouttohimacountryhouseinthefardistance.

“outthere！beyondourlines！”

“tworegimentsofourfellowshavebeensentouttotheoutposts,andthereisaspreegoingontherenow,finedoings！twobands,threechorusesofsingers.”

theofficerrodeoutbeyondourlinestoetchkino.whileyetalongwayoff,heheardthegaysoundsofasoldier’sdancetunesunginchorus.

“inthemeadows…inthemeadows,”heheardwithawhistleandstringmusic,drownedfromtimetotimeinaroarofvoices.theofficer’sspirits,too,roseatthesesounds,butatthesametimehewasinterrorlestheshouldbeheldresponsibleforhavingsolongdelayedgivingtheimportantmessageintrustedtohim.itwasbynownearlynineo’clock.hedismountedandwalkeduptotheentranceofabigmanor-housethathadbeenleftuninjuredbetweenthefrenchandtherussianlines.footmenwerebustlingaboutwithwinesandediblesinthevestibuleandthebuffet.choruseswerestandingunderthewindows.theofficerwasleduptoadoor,andhesawallatonceallthemostimportantgeneralsinthearmy,amongthemthebig,impressivefigureofyermolov.allthegeneralswerestandinginasemicircle,laughingloudly,theiruniformsunbuttoned,andtheirfacesflushedandanimated.inthemiddleoftheroomahandsome,shortgeneralwitharedface,wassmartlyandjauntilyexecutingthestepsofthetrepak.

“ha,ha,ha！bravo,nikolayivanovitch！ha,ha！…”

theofficerfeltdoublyguiltyinbreakinginatsuchamomentwithimportantbusiness,andhewouldhavewaited;butoneofthegeneralscaughtsightofhim,andhearingwhathehadcomefor,toldyermolov.thelatter,withafrowningface,cameouttotheofficer,andhearinghisstory,tookthepapersfromhimwithoutaword.

“doyousupposeitwasbychancethathewasnotathome？”saidacomradeoftheofficer’swhowasonthestaff,speakingofyermolovthatevening.“that’sallstuffandnonsense;itwasalldoneonpurpose.toplayatrickonkonovnitsyn.yousee,there’llbeaprettykettleoffishto-morrow！”