第438章

第438章sinceprinceandreyhadseenhimlastkutuzovhadgrownstouterandmorecorpulentthanever;heseemedswimminginfat.butthefamiliarscar,andthewhiteeye,andtheexpressionofwearinessinhisfaceandfigurewereunchanged.hewaswearingawhitehorse-guard’scapandamilitarycoat,andawhiponanarrowstrapwasslungoverhisshoulder.hesatheavilyswayingonhissturdyhorse.

“fugh！…fugh！…fugh！…”hewhistled,hardlyaudibly,asherodeintothecourtyard.hisfaceexpressedthereliefofamanwholooksforwardtorestingafteraperformance.hedrewhisleftfootoutofthestirrup,andwithalurchofhiswholeperson,frowningwiththeeffort,broughtituptothesaddle,leanedonhisknee,andwithagroanlethimselfdropintothearmsofthecossacksandadjutants,whostoodreadytosupporthim.

hepulledhimselftogether,lookedroundwithhalf-shuteyes,glancedatprinceandrey,andevidentlynotrecognisinghim,movedwithhisshamblinggaittowardsthesteps.

“fugh！…fugh！…fugh！”hewhistled,andagainlookedroundatprinceandrey.asisoftenthecasewiththeaged,theimpressionofprinceandrey’sfacedidnotatoncecallupthememoryofhispersonality.“ah,howareyou,howareyou,mydearboy,comealong…”hesaidwearily,andwalkedheavilyupthestepsthatcreakedunderhisweight.heunbuttonedhiscoatandsatdownontheseatintheporch.

“well,how’syourfather？”

“thenewsofhisdeathreachedmeyesterday,”saidprinceandreybriefly.

kutuzovlookedathimwithhiseyeopenedwidewithdismay,thenhetookoffhiscap,andcrossedhimself.“thepeaceofheavenbewithhim！andmaygod’swillbedonewithallofus！”heheavedaheavysighandpaused.“ilovedhimdeeplyandrespectedhim,andifeelforyouwithallmyheart.”heembracedprinceandrey,pressedhimtohisfatbreast,andforsometimedidnotlethimgo.whenhereleasedhimprinceandreysawthatkutuzov’sthicklipswerequiveringandthereweretearsinhiseye.hesighedandpressedhishandsontheseattohelphimselfinrisingfromit.

“comein,comein,we’llhaveachat,”hesaid;butatthatmomentdenisov,whostoodaslittleindreadoftheauthoritiesashedidoftheenemy,walkedboldlyup,hisspursclankingonthesteps,regardlessoftheindignantwhispersoftheadjutants,whotriedtopreventhim.kutuzov,hishandsstillpressedontheseattohelphimup,lookedruefullyatdenisov.denisov,mentioninghisname,announcedthathehadtocommunicatetohishighnessamatterofgreatimportanceforthewelfareofrussia.kutuzovbenthiswearyeyesondenisov,and,liftinghishandswithagestureofannoyance,foldedthemacrosshisstomach,andrepeated,“forthewelfareofrussia？well,whatisit？speak.”denisovblushedlikeagirl（itwasstrangetoseethecolourcomeonthathirsute,time-worn,hard-drinkingface）,andbeganboldlyexplaininghisplanforcuttingtheenemy’slinebetweensmolenskandvyazma.denisov’shomewasinthatregion,andheknewthecountrywell.hisplanseemedunquestionablyagoodone,especiallywiththeenergyofconvictionthatwasinhiswords.kutuzovstaredathisownfeet,andoccasionallylookedroundtowardstheyardofthenextcottage,asthoughhewereexpectingsomethingunpleasanttocomefromit.fromthecottagetheredidinfactemerge,duringdenisov’sspeech,ageneralwithaportfoliounderhisarm.

“eh？”kutuzovinquiredinthemiddleofdenisov’sexposition,“areyoureadynow？”

“yes,yourhighness,”saidthegeneral.kutuzovshookhisheadwithanairthatseemedtosay,“howisonemantogetthroughitall？”andgavehisattentionagaintodenisov.

“igiveyoumywordofhonourasarussianofficer,”denisovwassaying,“thatiwillcutnapoleon’scommunications.”

“iskirillandreivitchdenisov,theober-intendant,anyrelationofyours？”kutuzovinterposed.

“myuncle,yourhighness.”