第572章

第572章pierrewasmutebecausehewasincapableofarticulatingaword.davoustwasnottopierresimplyafrenchgeneral;topierre,davoustwasamannotoriousforhiscruelty.lookingatthecoldfaceofdavoust,which,likeasternteacher,seemedtoconsentforatimetohavepatienceandawaitareply,pierrefeltthateverysecondofdelaymightcosthimhislife.buthedidnotknowwhattosay.tosaythesameashehadsaidatthefirstexaminationhedidnotdare;todisclosehisnameandhispositionwouldbebothdangerousandshameful.pierrestoodmute.butbeforehehadtimetocometoanydecision,davoustraisedhishead,thrusthisspectaclesuponhisforehead,screweduphiseyes,andlookedintentlyatpierre.

“iknowthisman,”hesaid,inafrigid,measuredtone,obviouslyreckoningonfrighteningpierre.thechillthathadbeenrunningdownpierre’sbackseemedtoclutchhisheadinavice.

“general,youcannotknowme,ihaveneverseenyou.”

“itisarussianspy,”davoustinterrupted,addressinganothergeneralintheroom,whompierrehadnotnoticed.anddavoustturnedaway.withanunexpectedthrillinhisvoice,pierrebeganspeakingwithsuddenrapidity.

“non,monseigneur,”hesaid,suddenlyrecallingthatdavoustwasaduke,“youcouldnotknowme.iamamilitiaofficer,andihavenotquittedmoscow.”

“yourname？”repeateddavoust.

“bezuhov.”

“whatproofistherethatyouarenotlying？”

“monseigneur！”criedpierreinavoicenotofoffencebutofsupplication.

davoustliftedhiseyesandlookedintentlyatpierre.forseveralsecondstheylookedatoneanother,andthatlooksavedpierre.inthatglance,apartfromallcircumstancesofwarfareandofjudgment,humanrelationsarosebetweenthesetwomen.bothoftheminthatoneinstantwerevaguelyawareofanimmensenumberofdifferentthings,andknewthattheywerebothchildrenofhumanity,thattheywerebrothers.

atthefirstglancewhendavoustraisedhisheadfromhismemorandum,wheremen’slivesanddoingsweremarkedoffbynumbers,pierrewasonlyacircumstance,anddavoustcouldhaveshothimwithnosenseofanevildeedonhisconscience;butnowhesawinhimaman.heponderedaninstant.

“howwillyouprovetomethetruthofwhatyousay？”saiddavoustcoldly.

pierrethoughtoframballe,andmentionedhisnameandregimentandthestreetandhousewherehecouldbefound.

“youarenotwhatyousay,”davoustsaidagain.

inatrembling,breakingvoice,pierrebegantobringforwardproofsofthetruthofhistestimony.

butatthatmomentanadjutantcameinandsaidsomethingtodavoust.

davoustbeamedatthenewstheadjutantbroughthim,andbeganbuttoninguphisuniform.apparentlyhehadcompletelyforgottenaboutpierre.whenanadjutantremindedhimoftheprisoner,henoddedinpierre’sdirectionwithafrown,andtoldthemtotakehimaway.butwhereweretheytotakehim—pierredidnotknow：whetherbacktotheshedortheplacepreparedfortheirexecutionwhichhiscompanionshadpointedouttohimastheypassedthroughthevirgin’smeadow.

heturnedhisheadandsawthattheadjutantwasrepeatingsomequestion.

“yes,ofcourse！”saiddavoust.butwhatthat“yes”meant,pierrecouldnottell.

pierredidnotrememberhoworwherehewent,andhowlonghewasgoing.inaconditionofcompletestupefactionandbewilderment,seeingnothingaroundhim,hemovedhislegsincompanywiththeotherstilltheyallstopped,andhestopped.

therewasoneideaallthistimeinpierre’shead.itwasthequestion：who,whowasitreallythatwascondemninghimtodeath？itwasnotthemenwhohadquestionedhimatthefirstexamination;ofthemnotonewouldorobviouslycoulddoso.itwasnotdavoust,whohadlookedathiminsuchahumanfashion.inanotherminutedavoustwouldhaveunderstoodthattheyweredoingwrong,buttheadjutantwhohadcomeinatthatmomenthadpreventedit.andthatadjutanthadobviouslyhadnoevilintent,buthemighthavestayedaway.whowasit,afterall,whowaspunishinghim,killinghim,takinghislife—his,pierre’s,withallhismemories,hisstrivings,hishopes,andhisideas？whowasdoingit？andpierrefeltthatitwasnoone’sdoing.itwasdiscipline,andtheconcatenationofcircumstances.somesortofdisciplinewaskillinghim,pierre,robbinghimoflife,ofall,annihilatinghim.