第458章

第458章thequestionthathadbeendisturbingpierreallthatday,sincethemozhaiskhill,nowstruckhimasperfectlyclearandfullysolved.hesawnowalltheimportandallthegravityofthewarandtheimpendingbattle.allhehadseenthatday,allthestern,gravefacesofwhichhehadhadglimpses,appearedtohiminanewlightnow.hesaw,toborrowatermfromphysics,thelatentheatofpatriotisminallthosemenhehadseen,andsawinittheexplanationofthecomposureandapparentlevitywithwhichtheywereallpreparingfordeath.“weoughtnottotakeprisoners,”saidprinceandrey.“thatchangealonewouldtransformthewholeaspectofwarandwouldmakeitlesscruel.butplayingatwar,that’swhat’svile;andplayingatmagnanimityandalltherestofit.thatmagnanimityandsensibilityislikethemagnanimityandsensibilityoftheladywhoturnssickatthesightofaslaughteredcalf—sheissokind-heartedshecan’tseeblood—buteatsfricasseedvealwithaverygoodappetite.theytalkofthelawsofwarfare,ofchivalry,offlagsoftruce,andhumanitytothewounded,andsoon.that’sallrubbish.isawenoughin1805ofchivalryandflagsoftruce：theydupedus,andwedupedthem.theyplunderotherpeople’shomes,issuefalsemoney,and,worsethanall,killmychildren,myfather,andthentalkofthelawsofwarfare,andgenerositytoafallenfoe.noprisoners;andgotogiveandtomeetdeath！anyonewhohascometothinkthisasihave,throughthesamesufferings…”

princeandrey,whohadthoughtthathedidnotcarewhethertheytookmoscowastheyhadtakensmolensk,wassuddenlypulledupinhisspeechbyanervouscatchinhisthroat.hewalkedtoandfroseveraltimesinsilence,buthiseyesblazedwithfeverishbrillianceandhislipsquivered,ashebegantospeakagain.

“iftherewerenoneofthisplayingatgenerosityinwarfare,weshouldnevergotowar,exceptforsomethingworthfacingcertaindeathfor,asnow.thentherewouldnotbewarsbecausepavelivanitchhadinsultedmihailivanitch.butifthereiswarasnow,letitbereallywar.andthentheintensityofwarfarewouldbesomethingquitedifferent.allthesewestphaliansandhessiansnapoleonisleadingagainstuswouldnothavecometofightusinrussia,andweshouldnothavegonetowarinaustriaandinprussiawithoutknowingwhatfor.warisnotapoliterecreation,butthevilestthinginlife,andweoughttounderstandthatandnotplayatwar.weoughttoacceptitsternlyandsolemnlyasafearfulnecessity.itallcomestothis：havedonewithlying,andifit’swar,thenit’swarandnotagame,orelsewarfareissimplythefavouritepastimeoftheidleandfrivolous.…themilitaryisthemosthonouredcalling.andwhatiswar,whatisneededforessinwar,whatarethemoralsofthemilitaryworld？theobjectofwarfareismurder;themeansemployedinwarfare—spying,treachery,andtheencouragementofit,theruinofacountry,theplunderingofitsinhabitantsandrobberyforthemaintenanceofthearmy,trickeryandlying,whicharecalledmilitarystrategy;themoralsofthemilitaryclass—absenceofallindependence,thatis,discipline,idleness,ignorance,cruelty,debauchery,anddrunkenness.andinspiteofallthat,itisthehighestclass,respectedbyeveryone.allsovereigns,exceptthechinese,wearamilitaryuniform,andgivethegreatestrewardstothemanwhoeedsinkillingmostpeople.…theymeettogethertomurderoneanother,asweshalldoto-morrow;theyslaughterandmutilatetensofthousandsofmen,andthenofferupthanksgivingservicesforthenumberofmentheyhavekilled（andevenaddtoitinthetelling）,andglorifythevictory,supposingthatthemoremenhavebeenslaughteredthegreatertheachievement.howgodcanlookdownfromaboveandhearthem！”shriekedprinceandreyinashrill,piercingvoice.“ah,mydearboy,lifehasbeenabitterthingformeoflate.iseethatihavecometounderstandtoomuch.anditisnotgoodformantotasteofthetreeoftheknowledgeofgoodandevil.…ah,well,it’snotforlong！”headded.“butyouaregettingsleepyandit’stimeiwasinbedtoo.gobacktogorky,”saidprinceandreysuddenly.

“ohno！”answeredpierre,gazingwitheyesfullofscaredsympathyatprinceandrey.

“youmustbeoff;beforeabattleoneneedstogetagoodsleep,”repeatedprinceandrey.hewentquicklyuptopierre,embracedandkissedhim.“good-bye,beoff,”hecried,“whetherweseeeachotheragainornot…”andturninghurriedly,hewentoffintothebarn.

itwasalreadydark,andpierrecouldnotdistinguishwhethertheexpressionofhisfacewasexasperatedoraffectionate.

pierrestoodforsometimeinsilence,hesitatingwhethertogoafterhimortoreturntogorky.“no;hedoesnotwantme！”pierremadeuphismind,“andiknowthisisourlastmeeting！”heheavedadeepsighandrodebacktogorky.

princeandreylaydownonaruginthebarn,buthecouldnotsleep.

heclosedhiseyes.onesetofimagesfollowedanotherinhismind.ononementalpicturehedweltlongandjoyfully.hevividlyrecalledoneeveninginpetersburg.natashawithaneager,excitedfacehadbeentellinghimhowinlookingformushroomstheprevioussummershehadlostherwayinagreatforest.shedescribedincoherentlythedarkdepthsoftheforest,andherfeelings,andhertalkwithabee-keepershemet,andeveryminuteshebrokeoffinherstory,saying：“no,ican’t,i’mnotdescribingitproperly;no,youwon’tunderstandme,”althoughprinceandreytriedtoassureherthatheunderstoodanddidreallyunderstandallshewantedtoconveytohim.natashawasdissatisfiedwithherownwords;shefeltthattheydidnotconveythepassionatelypoeticalfeelingshehadknownthatdayandtriedtogiveexpressionto.“itwasallsoexquisite,thatoldman,anditwassodarkintheforest…andsuchakindlookinhis…no,ican’tdescribeit,”shehadsaid,flushedandmoved.

princeandreysmilednowthesamehappysmilehehadsmiledthen,gazingintohereyes.“iunderstoodher,”thoughtprinceandrey,“andmorethanunderstoodher：thatspiritualforce,thatsincerity,thatopennessofsoul,theverysoulofher,whichseemedboundupwithherbody,theverysoulitwasilovedinher…lovedsointensely,sopassionately…”andallatoncehethoughthowhislovehadended.“hecarednothingforallthat.hesawnothingofit,hadnonotionofit.hesawinheraprettyandfreshyounggirlwithwhomhedidnotdeigntounitehislifepermanently.andi？…andheisstillaliveandhappy.”princeandreyjumpedupasthoughsuddenlyscalded,andbeganwalkingtoandfrobeforethebarnagain.