第452章

第452章eringfromthecrushofthecrowdthatcarriedhimalongwithit,pierrelookedabouthim.

“count！pyotrkirillitch！howdidyoucomehere？”saidavoice.pierrelookedround.

borisdrubetskoy,brushinghiskneewithhishand（hehadprobablymadeitdustyinhisdevotionsbeforetheholypicture）cameuptopierresmiling.boriswaselegantlydressed,thoughhisget-upwasofastyleappropriatetoactiveservice.heworealongmilitarycoatandhadariding-whipslungacrosshisshoulder,askutuzovhad.

kutuzovhadmeanwhilereachedthevillage,andsatdownintheshadeofthenearesthouse,onabenchwhichonecossackrantofetchhim,andanotherhastilycoveredwitharug.animmenseretinueofmagnificentofficerssurroundedhim.

theprocessionwasmovingonfurther,accompaniedbythecrowd.pierrestoodstillaboutthirtypacesfromkutuzov,talkingtoboris.

heexplainedtohimhisdesiretotakepartinthebattleandtoinspecttheposition.

“itellyouwhatyouhadbetterdo,”saidboris.“iwilldothehonoursofthecampforyou.youwillseeeverythingbestofallfromwherecountbennigsenistobe.iaminattendanceonhim.iwillmentionittohim.andifyouliketogoovertheposition,comealongwithus;wearejustgoingtotheleftflank.andthenwhenwecomeback,ibegyouwillstaythenightwithme,andwewillmakeupagameofcards.youknowdmitrysergeitch,ofcourse.heisstayingthere.”hepointedtothethirdhouseingorky.

“butishouldhavelikedtohaveseentherightflank.i’mtolditisverystrong,”saidpierre.“ishouldhavelikedtogofromtherivermoskvathroughthewholeposition.”

“well,thatyoucandolater,butthegreatthingistheleftflank.”

“yes,yes.andwhereisprincebolkonsky’sregiment？canyoupointitouttome？”askedpierre.

“andreynikolaevitch’s？weshallpassit.iwilltakeyoutohim.”

“whatabouttheleftflank？”askedpierre.

“totellyouthetruth,betweenourselves,there’snomakingouthowthingsstandwiththeleftflank,”saidborisconfidentially,droppinghisvoice.“countbennigsenhadproposedsomethingquitedifferent.heproposedtofortifythatknolloverthere,notatallasithas…but…”borisedhisshoulders.“hishighnesswouldnothaveitso,orhewastalkedover.yousee…”borisdidnotfinishbecausekaisarov,kutuzov’sadjutant,atthatmomentcameuptopierre.“ah,paisysergeitch,”saidboristohim,withanunembarrassedsmile,“iamtrying,yousee,toexplainthepositiontothecount.it’samazinghowhishighnesscangaugetheenemy’splanssoaccurately！”

“doyoumeanabouttheleftflank？”saidkaisarov.

“yes,yes;justso.ourleftflankisnowextremelystrong.”

althoughkutuzovhadmadeaclearanceofthesuperfluouspersonsonthestaff,borishadeeded,afterthechangehehadmade,inretainingapostatheadquarters.boriswasinattendanceoncountbennigsen.countbennigsen,likeeveryoneonwhomborishadbeeninattendance,lookedonyoungprincedrubetskoyasaninvaluableman.amongthechiefofficersofthearmythereweretwoclearlydefinedparties：kutuzov’spartyandthepartyofbennigsen,thechiefofthestaff.borisbelongedtothelatterfaction,andnooneeededbetterthanhedidinpayingthemostservileadulationtokutuzov,whilemanagingtoinsinuatethattheoldfellowwasnotgoodformuch,andthateverythingwasreallyduetotheinitiativeofbennigsen.nowthedecisivemomentofbattlehadcome,whichmustmeanthedownfallofkutuzovandthetransferofthecommandtobennigsen,orifkutuzovshouldgainthebattle,thecreditofitmustbeskilfullyputdowntobennigsen.inanycasemanypromotionswereboundtobemade,andmanynewmenwerecertaintobebroughttothefrontafterthemorrow.andboriswasconsequentlyinastateofnervousexhilarationallthatday.