第570章

第570章intheguard-roomtowhichpierrehadbeentaken,theofficerandsoldiersinchargetreatedhimwithhostility,butatthesametimewithrespect.theirattitudetohimbetrayedbothdoubtwhohemightbe—perhapsapersonofgreatimportance—andhostility,inconsequenceofthepersonalconflicttheyhadsorecentlyhadwithhim.

butwhenonthemorningofthenextdaytheguardwasrelieved,pierrefeltthatforhisnewguard—bothofficersandsoldiers—hewasnolongeranobjectofthesameinterestashehadbeentothosewhohadtakenhimprisoner.and,indeed,inthebig,stoutmaninapeasant’scoat,thesentinelsinchargenextdaysawnothingofthevigorouspersonwhohadfoughtsodesperatelywiththepillagingsoldierandtheconvoy,andhadutteredthatsolemnphraseaboutsavingachild;theysawinhimonlynumberseventeenoftherussianprisonerswhoweretobedetainedforsomereasonbyorderofthehigherauthorities.iftherewereanythingpeculiaraboutpierre,itlayonlyinhisundauntedairofconcentratedthought,andintheexcellentfrenchinwhich,tothesurpriseofthefrench,heexpressedhimself.inspiteofthat,pierrewasputthatdaywiththeothersuspiciouscharacterswhohadbeenapprehended,sincetheroomhehadoccupiedwaswantedforanofficer.

alltherussiansdetainedwithpierrewerepersonsofthelowestclass.andallofthem,recognisingpierreasagentleman,heldalooffromhimallthemoreforhisspeakingfrench.pierremournfullyheardtheirjeersathisexpense.

onthefollowingevening,pierrelearnedthatalltheprisoners（andhimselfprobablyinthenumber）weretobetriedforincendiarism.thedayafter,pierrewastakenwiththeresttoahousewhereweresittingafrenchgeneralwithwhitemoustaches,twocolonels,andotherfrenchmenwithscarfsontheirshoulders.withthatpeculiarexactitudeanddefiniteness,whichisalwaysemployedintheexaminationofprisonersandissupposedtoprecludeallhumanweaknesses,theyputquestionstopierreandtheothers,askingwhohewas,wherehehadbeen,withwhatobject,andsoon.

thesequestions,leavingononesidetheessenceofthelivingfact,andexcludingallpossibilityofthatessencebeingdiscovered,likeallquestions,indeed,inlegalexaminations,aimedonlyatdirectingthechannelalongwhichtheexaminingofficialsdesiredtheprisoner’sanswerstoflow,soastoleadhimtothegoaloftheinquiry—thatis,toconviction.sosoonashebegantosayanythingthatwasnotconducivetothisaim,thentheypulledupthechannel,andthewatermightflowwhereitwould.moreover,pierrefelt,astheaccusedalwaysdofeelatalltrials,apuzzledwonderwhyallthesequestionswereaskedhim.hehadafeelingthatitwasonlyoutofcondescension,outofasortofcivility,thatthistrickofdirectingthechanneloftheirreplieswasmadeuseof.heknewhewasinthepowerofthesemen,thatitwasonlybysuperiorforcethathehadbeenbroughthere,thatitwasonlysuperiorforcethatgavethemtherighttoexactanswerstotheirquestions,thatthewholeaimoftheproceedingwastoconvicthim.and,therefore,sincetheyhadsuperiorforce,andtheyhadthedesiretoconvicthim,thereseemednoneedofthenetworkofquestionsandthetrial.itwasobviousthatallthequestionswereboundtoleaduptohisconviction.totheinquirywhathewasdoingwhenhewasapprehended,pierrerepliedwithacertaintragicdignitythathewascarryingbacktoitsparentsachildhehad“rescuedfromtheflames.”whywashefightingwiththesoldiers？pierrerepliedthathewasdefendingawoman,thatthedefenceofaninsultedwomanwasthedutyofeveryman,andsoon…hewaspulledup;thiswasirrelevant.withwhatobjecthadhebeeninthecourtyardofaburninghousewherehehadbeenseenbyseveralwitnesses？heansweredthathewasgoingouttoseewhatwasgoingoninmoscow.hewaspulledupagain.hehadnotbeenasked,hewastold,wherehewasgoing,butwithwhatobjecthewasnearthefire.whowashe？thefirstquestionwasrepeated,towhichhehadsaidhedidnotwanttoanswer.againherepliedthathecouldnotanswerthat.

“writethatdown,that’sbad.verybad,”thegeneralwiththewhitewhiskersandthered,flushedfacesaidtohimsternly.

onthefourthday,firebrokeoutonthezubovskyrampart.

pierrewasmovedwiththirteenoftheotherstoacoach-housebelongingtoamerchant’shouseonthecrimeanford.ashepassedthroughthestreet,pierrecouldhardlybreatheforthesmoke,whichseemedhangingoverthewholecity.firescouldbeseeninvariousdirections.pierredidnotatthattimegraspwhatwasimpliedbytheburningofmoscow,andhegazedwithhorroratthefires.

inacoach-housebehindahouseinthecrimeanford,pierrespentanotherfourdays,andinthecourseofthosefourdayshelearned,fromtheconversationofthefrenchsoldiers,thatalltheprisonersindetentionherewereeverydayawaitingthedecisionoftheirfatebyamarshal.ofwhatmarshal,pierrecouldnotascertainfromthesoldiers.forthesoldiers,thismarshalwasevidentlythehighestandsomewhatmysterioussymbolofpower.

thesefirstdays,uptothe8thofseptember,whentheprisonerswerebroughtupforasecondexamination,werethemostpainfulforpierre.