第557章

第557章annapavlovna’spresentimentwasinfactfulfilled.nextday，duringthespecialserviceatcourtinhonourofthetsar’sbirthday，princevolkonskywascalledoutofchurchandreceivedadespatchfromprincekutuzov.thiswasthedespatchkutuzovhadsentoffonthedayofthebattlefromtatarinovo.kutuzovwrotethattherussianshadnotretreatedasinglestep，thatthefrenchhadlostfarmorethanourtroops，thathewaswritingoffinhastefromthefieldofbattlebeforehehadtimetocollectthelatestintelligence.soithadbeenavictory，itappeared.andatonce，withoutleavingchurch，theassembledcourtofferedupthankstothecreatorforhisour，andforthevictory.

annapavlovna’spresentimenthadbeenfulfilled，andthewholemorningamoodofjoyousfestivityprevailedinthetown.everyoneacceptedthevictoryasaconclusiveone，andsomepeoplewerealreadybeginningtotalkofnapoleon’shavingbeentakenprisoner，ofhisdisposition，andtheselectionofanewsovereignforfrance

atadistancefromthesceneofactionandamidtheconditionsofcourtlife，itisverydifficultforeventstobereflectedintheirtrueforceanddimensions.publiceventsareinvoluntarilygroupedaboutsomeprivateincident.sointhiscase，thecourtiers’rejoicingwasasmuchduetothefactofthenewsofthisvictoryhavingarrivedpreciselyonthetsar’sbirthdayastothefactofthevictoryitself.itwaslikeaessfullyarrangedsurprise.kutuzov’sdespatcheshadspoken，too，oftherussianlosses，andamongthemhadmentionedthenamesoftutchkov，bagration，andkutaissov.themelancholyside，too，oftheeventwasunconsciouslyinthispetersburgworldconcentratedaboutasingleincident—thedeathofkutaissov.everyoneknewhim，thetsarlikedhim，hewasyoungandinteresting.allmetthatdaywiththewords：

“howwonderfulitshouldhavehappenedso！justinthetedeum.butwhataloss—kutaissov！ah，whatapity！”

“whatdiditellyouaboutkutuzov？”princevassilysaidnowwiththeprideofaprophet.“ialwayssaidhewastheonlymancapableofconqueringnapoleon.”

butnextdaynonewscamefromthearmy，andthepublicvoicebegantowaver.thecourtierssufferedagoniesovertheagoniesofsuspensewhichthetsarwassuffering.

“thinkoftheemperor’sposition！”thecourtierssaid；andtheynolongersangthepraisesofkutuzovastwodaysbefore，butupbraidedhimasthecauseofthetsar’suneasinessthatday.princevassilynolongerboastedofhisprotégékutuzov，butwasmutewhenthecommander-in-chiefwasthesubjectofconversation.moreover，ontheeveningofthatdayeverythingseemedtoconspiretothrowthepeters-burgworldintoagitationanduneasiness：aterriblepieceofnewscametoaddtotheiralarms.countesselenabezuhovdiedquitesuddenlyoftheterribleillnesswhichhadbeensoamusingtotalkabout.atlargergatheringseveryonerepeatedtheofficialstorythatcountessbezuhovhaddiedofaterribleattackofanginapectoris，butinintimatecirclespeopletoldindetailhowthequeenofspain’sownmedicalattendanthadprescribedtoellensmalldosesofacertaindrugtobringaboutcertaindesiredresults；butthatellen，torturedbytheoldcount’ssuspectingher，andbyherhusband’snothavingansweredherletter（thatunfortunate，dissipatedpierre），hadsuddenlytakenanenormousdoseofthedrugprescribed，andhaddiedinagoniesbeforeassistancecouldbegiven.thestoryranthatprincevassilyandtheoldcounthadbeengoingtotakeproceedingsagainsttheitalian；butthelatterhadproducednotesinhispossessionfromtheunhappydeceasedofsuchacharacterthattheyhadpromptlylethimgo.

conversationcentredroundthreemelancholyfacts—thetsar’sstateofsuspense，thelossofkutaissov，andthedeathofellen.

onthethirddayafterkutuzov’sdespatch，acountrygentlemanarrivedinpetersburgfrommoscow，andthenewsofthesurrenderofmoscowtothefrenchwasalloverthetown.thiswasawful！thinkofthepositionoftheemperor！kutuzovwasatraitor，andduringthe“visitsofcondolence”paidtoprincevassilyontheoccasionofhisdaughter’sdeath，whenhespokeofkutuzov，whosepraiseshehadoncesungsoloudly—itwaspardonableinhisgrieftoforgetwhathehadsaidbefore—hesaidthatnothingelsewastobeexpectedfromablindanddissoluteoldman.

“ionlywonderhowsuchamancouldpossiblybetrustedwiththefateofrussia.”

solongasthenewswasnotofficial，itwasstillpossibletodoubtitstruth；butnextdaythefollowingcommunicationarrivedfromcountrastoptchin：

“princekutuzov’sadjutanthasbroughtmealetterinwhichheasksmetofurnishpolice-officerstoescortthearmytotheryazanroad.hesaysthatheisregretfullyabandoningmoscow.sire！kutuzov’sactiondecidesthefateofthatcapitalandofyourempire.russiawillshuddertolearnoftheabandonmentofthecity，wherethegreatnessofrussiaiscentred，wherearetheashesofourforefathers.iamfollowingthearmy.ihavehadeverythingcarriedaway；allthatisleftmeistoweepoverthefateofmycountry.”

onreceivingthiscommunication，thetsarsentprincevolkonskywiththefollowingrescripttokutuzov：

“princemihaililarionovitch！ihavereceivednocommunicationfromyousincethe29thofaugust.meanwhileihavereceived，bywayofyaroslavl，fromthegovernorofmoscowthemelancholyintelligencethatyouhavedecidedwiththearmytoabandonmoscow.youcanimaginetheeffectthisnewshashaduponme，andyoursilenceredoublesmyastonishment.iamsendingherewithstaff-generalprincevolkonsky，toascertainfromyouthepositionofthearmyandofthecausesthathaveledyoutosomelancholyadecision.”