第445章

第445章todiverthismindthatday,pierredroveouttothevillageofvorontsovo,tolookatagreatairballoonwhichwasbeingconstructedbyleppichtouseagainsttheenemy,andthetestballoonwhichwastobesentupthefollowingday.theballoonwasnotyetready;butaspierrelearned,itwasbeingconstructedbythetsar’sdesire.thetsarhadwrittentocountrastoptchinaboutitinthefollowingterms：

“assoonasleppichisready,gettogetheracrewforhiscarconsistingofthoroughlytrustworthyandintelligentmen,andsendacouriertogeneralkutuzovtopreparehimforit.ihavementionedittohim.impressuponleppich,please,totakecarefulnotewherehedescendsthefirsttime,thathemaynotgoastrayandfallintothehandsoftheenemy.itisessentialthatheshouldregulatehismovementsinaccordancewiththemovementsofthecommander-in-chief.”

onhiswayhomefromvorontsovo,pierredrovethroughbolotnysquare,andseeingacrowdatlobnoyeplace,stoppedandgotoutofhischaise.thecrowdwerewatchingtheingofafrenchcook,accusedofbeingaspy.theingwasjustover,andthemanwhohadadministereditwasuntyingfromthewhipping-postastout,red-whiskeredmaninbluestockingsandagreentunic,whowasgroaningpiteously.anothervictim,athin,paleman,wasstandingby.both,tojudgebytheirfaces,werefrenchmen.withafaceofsickdreadlikethatofthethinfrenchman,pierrepushedhiswayinamongthecrowd.

“whatisit？whoarethey？whatfor？”hekeptasking.buttheattentionofthecrowd—clerks,artisans,shopkeepers,peasants,womeninpelissesandjackets—wassointentlyrivetedonwhatwastakingplaceonthelobnoyeplacethatnooneanswered.thestoutmangotup,edhisshouldersfrowning,andevidentlytryingtoshowfortitude,beganputtingonhistunicwithoutlookingabouthim.butallatoncehislipsquiveredandtohisownragehebegantocry,asgrown-upmenofsanguinetemperamentdocry.thecrowdbegantalkingloudly,todrownafeelingofpityinthemselves,asitseemedtopierre.

“someprince’scook.…”

“eh,monsieur,russiansauceisabitstrongforafrenchstomach…setstheteethonedge,”saidawrinkledclerkstandingnearpierre,justwhenthefrenchmanburstintotears.theclerklookedabouthimforsignsofappreciationofhisjest.severalpersonslaughed,butsomewerestillgazingindismayatthemanwhowasundressingthesecondfrenchmanandabouttofloghim.

pierrechoked,scowled,andturningquickly,wentbacktohischaise,stillmutteringsomethingtohimselfashewent,andtookhisseatinit.duringtherestofthewayheseveraltimesstarted,andcriedoutsoloudlythatthecoachmanatlastaskedhimwhathedesired.

“whereareyoudriving？”pierreshoutedtothecoachmanashedrovetolubyanka.

“youtoldmetodrivetothegovernor’s,”answeredthecoachman.

“fool！dolt！”shoutedpierre,abusinghiscoachman,athingheveryrarelydid.“itoldyouhome;andmakehaste,blockhead！thisverydayimustsetoff,”pierresaidtohimself.

atthesightofthetorturedfrenchmanandthecrowdroundthelobnoyeplace,pierrehadsounhesitatinglydecidedthathecouldstaynolongerinmoscow,andmustthatverydaysetofftojointhearmy,thatitseemedtohimeitherthathehadtoldthecoachmanso,orthatthecoachmanoughttoknowitofhimself.

onreachinghomepierretoldhisomniscientandomnipotenthead-coachman,yevstafitch,whowasknowntoallmoscow,thathewasgoingtodrivethatnighttomozhaisktothearmy,andgaveordersforhissaddlehorsestobesentonthere.allthiscouldnotbearrangedinoneday,andthereforebyyevstafitch’srepresentationspierrewasinducedtodeferhisdeparturetillnextdaytoallowtimeforrelaysofhorsestobesentonahead.

the24thwasabrightdayafteraspellofbadweather,andafterdinneronthatdaypierresetoutfrommoscow.changinghorsesinthenightatperhushkovo,pierrelearnedthatagreatbattlehadbeenfoughtthatevening.hewastoldthattheearthhadbeenvibratingthereatperhushkovofromthecannon.noonecouldanswerpierre’squestionwhetherthebattlewasavictoryoradefeat.thiswasthebattleofthe24thatshevardino.towardsdawnpierreapproachedmozhaisk.

troopswerequarteredinallthehousesinmozhaisk,andattheinn,wherepierrewasmetbyhiscoachmanandpostillion,therewasnotaroomtospare;thewholeplacewasfullofofficers.

frommozhaiskonwardstroopswerehaltingormarchingeverywhere.cossacks,footsoldiers,horsesoldiers,ons,gun-carriages,andcannonswereeverywhere.

pierrepushedonasfastaspossible,andthefurtherhegotandthemoredeeplyheplungedintothisoceanofsoldiers,thestrongerbecamethethrillofuneasinessandofanewpleasurablesensation.itwasafeelingakintowhathehadfeltattheslobodskypalaceonthetsar’svisit,asenseoftheurgentnecessityoftakingsomestepandmakingsomesacrifice.hewasconsciousnowofagladsensethatallthatconstitutesthehappinessoflife,comfort,wealth,evenlifeitself,werealldustandashes,whichitwasajoytoflingawayincomparisonwithsomethingelse.…whatthatsomethingelsewaspierrecouldnothavesaid,andindeedhedidnotseektogetaclearidea,forwhosesakeandforwhatobjecthefoundsuchpeculiarjoyinsacrificingall.hewasnotinterestedinknowingtheobjectofthesacrifice,butthesacrificeitselfaffordedhimanewjoyfulsensation.