第422章

第422章“thecossack,ignorantinwhosecompanyhewas,sincenapoleon’splainappearancehadnothingtoesttotheorientalimaginationthepresenceofamonarch,talkedwithextraordinaryfamiliarityoftheincidentsofthewar,”saysthiers,relatingthisepisode.inrealitylavrushka,whohadbeendrunkthepreviousevening,andhadlefthismasterwithoutdinner,hadbeenthrashedforit,andsenttothevillageinquestoffowls,wherehewastemptedonbyplundertillhegotcaughtbythefrench.lavrushkawasoneofthosecoarse,impudentlackeyswhohaveseenagooddealoflife,lookonitasadutytodonothingwithoutcunningandtrickery,arereadytodoanykindofservicefortheirmasters,andareparticularlykeeninscentingoutthebaserimpulsesoftheirsuperiors,especiallyonthesideofvanityandpettiness.oncomingintothepresenceofnapoleon,whomheeasilyandconfidentlyrecognised,lavrushkawasnotintheleasttakenaback,andonlydidhisutmosttowinthefavourofhisnewmaster.

hewasverywellawarethatthiswasnapoleon,andnapoleon’spresenceimpressedhimnomorethanrostov’sorthequartermaster’swiththerodinhishand,becausehehadnothingofwhicheitherthequartermasterornapoleoncouldnotdeprivehim.

hehadrepeatedallthegossipthatwastalkedamongtheofficers’servants.muchofitwastrue.butwhennapoleonaskedhimwhethertherussiansexpectedtoconquerbonaparteornot,lavrushkascreweduphiseyesandthoughtabit.

hesawinthequestionasharppieceofcunning,ascunningfellows,likelavrushka,alwaysdoineverything.hefrownedandpausedaminute.

“well,ifitdoescometoabattle,”hesaidthoughtfully,“andprettysoon,thenyourswillwin.that’ssurething.butifnow,threedaysandthere’sabattleafterthat,wellthen,isay,thatsamebattlewillbealongjob.”thiswastranslatedtonapoleon.“ifabattleisfoughtwithinthreedaysthefrenchwillwinit,butiflater,godknowswhatwillcomeofit,”lelormed’idevilleputit,smiling.napoleondidnotsmile,thoughhewasevidentlyinhighgoodhumour,andtoldhimtorepeatthewords.

lavrushkanoticedthat,andtoentertainhimfurther,said,pretendingnottoknowwhohewas：

“weknow,youhavegotyourbonaparte;hehasconqueredeveryoneintheworld,ay,butwithusitwillbeadifferentstory…”himselfhardlyawarehowandwhythisbitofingpatriotismslippedout.theinterpretertranslatedthesewordswithouttheconclusion;andbonapartesmiled.“theyoungcossackbroughtasmileontothelipsofhisaugustcompanion,”saysthiers.afterafewpacesinsilence,napoleonturnedtoberthier,andsaidheshouldliketotrytheeffect“surcetenfantdudon”oflearningthatthemanwithwhomhewasspeakingwastheemperorhimself,theveryemperorwhohadcarvedhisimmortallyvictoriousnameonthepyramids.thefactwascommunicated.lavrushka—discerningthatthiswasdonetotesthim,andthatnapoleonexpectedhimtobepanic-stricken—triedtogratifyhisnewmastersbypromptlyaffectingtobeastounded,struckdumb;heopenedroundeyes,andmadethesortoffaceusualwithhimwhenhewasbeingledofftobethrashed.“hardly,”saysthiers,“hadnapoleon’sinterpreterspoken,thanthecossackwasstruckdumbwithamazement;hedidnotutteranotherword,andwalkedwithhiseyesconstantlyfixedonthegreatconqueror,whosefamehadreachedhimacrossthesteppesoftheeast.allhisloquacitysuddenlyvanished,andwasreplacedbyana？veandsilentawe.napoleonmadethecossackapresent,andorderedhimtobesetatlibertylikeunoiseauqu’onrendauxchampsquil’ontvuna？tre.”

napoleonrodeon,dreamingofthatmoscowthatfilledhisimagination,whilethebirdreturningtothefieldsthathadseenhimborn,gallopedbacktotheoutposts,inventingthetalehewouldtellhiscomrades.whathadreallyhappenedhedidnotcaretorelate,simplybecauseitseemedtohimnotworthtelling.herodebacktothecossacks,inquiredwherewashisregiment,nowformingpartofplatov’sdetachment;andtowardseveningfoundhismaster,nikolayrostov,encampedatyankovo.rostovwasjustmountinghishorsetoridethroughthevillagesnearwithilyin.hegavelavrushkaanotherhorseandtookhimwiththem.