第451章

第451章“well,sendthethirdcompanyagain,”hesaidhurriedly.“andwhoareyou,notoneofthedoctors？”

“no,iamnothinginparticular,”answeredpierre.andhewentdownhillagain,passingthepeasantmilitiamen.

“ah,thedamnedbeasts！”saidtheofficer,pinchinghisnose,andhurryingbythemwithpierre.

“heretheycome！…theyarebringingher,theyarecoming.…heresheis…they’llbehereinaminute,”criedvoicessuddenly,andofficers,soldiers,andpeasantsranforwardalongtheroad.

achurchprocessionwascomingupthehillfromborodino.infrontofitaregimentofinfantrymarchedsmartlyalongthedustyroad,withtheirshakoesoffandtheirmusketslowered.behindtheinfantrycamethesoundsofchurchsinging.

soldiersandpeasantscamerunningdownbareheadedtomeetit,overtakingpierre.

“theyarebringingtheholymother！ourdefender…theholymotherofiversky！…”

“theholymotherofsmolensk…”anothercorrected.

themilitiamenwhohadbeeninthevillageandthosewhohadbeenworkingatthebattery,flingingdowntheirspades,rantomeettheprocession.thebattalionmarchingalongthedustyroadwasfollowedbypriestsinchurchrobes,alittleoldmaninahoodwithattendantdeaconsandchoristers.behindthemcamesoldiersandofficersbearingahugeholypicture,withtarnishedfaceinasettingofsilver.thiswastheholyikonthathadbeenbroughtawayfromsmolensk,andhadaccompaniedthearmyeversince.behind,before,andallaroundit,walkedorrancrowdsofsoldierswithbaredheads,bowingtotheearth.

onthetopofthehilltheprocessionstopped;themenbearingtheholypictureonalinenclothwererelievedbyothers;thedeaconsrelightedtheircensers,andtheservicebegan.theburningraysofthesunbeatverticallydownonthecrowds;afaint,freshbreezeplayedwiththehairoftheirbareheads,andflutteredtheribbonswithwhichtheholypicturewasdecked;thesingingsoundedsubduedundertheopensky.animmensecrowd—officers,soldiers,andmilitiamen—stoodround,allwithbareheads.inaspaceapart,behindthepriestsanddeacons,stoodthepersonsofhigherrank.abaldgeneral,withtheorderofst.georgeonhisneck,stooddirectlybehindthepriest.hewasunmistakablyagerman,forhestood,notcrossinghimself,patientlywaitingfortheendoftheservice,towhichhethoughtitrighttolisten,probablyasameansofarousingthepatriotismoftherussianpeasantry;anothergeneralstoodinamartialposeandswunghisarmbeforehischest,lookingabouthimashemadethesignofthecross.pierre,standingamongthepeasants,recognisedinthisgroupofhigherrankseveralpersonsheknew.buthedidnotlookatthem;hiswholeattentionwasengrossedbytheseriousexpressionofthefacesinthecrowd,soldiersandpeasantsalike,allgazingwiththesameeagernessattheholypicture.assoonasthewearychoristers（itwastheirtwentiethservice）beganlanguidlysingingtheirhabitualchant,“omotherofgod,savethyservantsfromcalamity,”andpriestanddeaconchimedin,“fortotheeweallflyasourinvinciblebulwarkandprotectress,”therewasagleamoneveryfaceofthatsenseofthesolemnityofthecomingmoment,whichhehadseenonthehillatmozhaiskandbyglimpsesinsomanyofthefacesmeetinghimthatmorning.andheadswerebowedlower,whilelocksofhairflutteredinthebreeze,andtherewasthesoundofsighingandbeatingthebreastasthesoldierscrossedthemselves.

thecrowdsuddenlypartedandpresseduponpierre.someone,probablyaverygreatperson,judgingbythepromptitudewithwhichtheymadewayforhim,wasapproachingtheholypicture.

itwaskutuzov,whohadbeenmakingtheroundoftheposition.onhiswaybacktotatarinovo,hejoinedtheservice.pierreatoncerecognisedhimfromhispeculiarfigure,whichmarkedhimoutatonce.

inalongmilitarycoat,withhisenormouslystoutfigureandbentback,withhiswhiteheaduncovered,andhisblindwhiteeye,conspicuousinhispuffyface,kutuzovwalkedwithhiswaddlingswayinggaitintotheringandstoodbehindthepriest.hecrossedhimselfwithanhabitualgesture,bentdown,withhishandtouchingtheearth,and,sighingheavily,bowedhisgreyhead.kutuzovwasfollowedbybennigsenandhissuite.inspiteofthepresenceofthecommander-in-chief,whichdrewtheattentionofallpersonsofhigherrank,themilitiamenandsoldierswentonprayingwithoutlookingathim.

whentheservicewasover,kutuzovwentuptotheholypicture,droppedheavilydownonhisknees,bowingtotheearth,andforalongtimeheattemptedtogetup,andwasunablefromhisweaknessandheavyweight.hisgreyheadtwitchedwiththestrain.atlasthedidgetup,andputtingouthislipsinana？ve,childlikewaykissedtheholypicture,andagainboweddown,withonehandtouchingtheground.theothergeneralsfollowedhisexample;thentheofficers,andafterthemthesoldiersandmilitiamenranupwithexcitedfaces,pushingeachother,andshovingbreathlesslyforward.