第378章

第378章princeandreyhadhardlyseenthelastofpfuhlwhencountbennigsencamehurryingintotheroom,andbestowinganodonbolkonsky,wentstraightthroughtothestudy,givingsomeinstructiontohisadjutant.thetsarwasfollowinghim,andbennigsenhadhurriedontopreparesomething,andtobeinreadinesstomeethim.tchernishevandprinceandreywentoutintotheporch.thetsar,lookingtiredout,wasdismountingfromhishorse.marcheseiwassayingsomethingtohim.turninghisheadtotheleft,thetsarwaslisteningwithalookofdispleasuretoi,whowasspeakingwithpeculiarwarmth.thetsarmoved,evidentlyanxioustoendtheconversation;buttheitalian,flushedandexcited,followedhim,stilltalking,andobliviousofetiquette.

“asforthemanwhohascounselledthecampatdrissa,”iwassayingjustasthetsar,mountingthestepsandnoticingprinceandrey,waslookingmoreintentlyathisunfamiliarface.“asforhim,sire,”ipersisteddesperately,asthoughunabletorestrainhimself,“iseenoalternativebutthemadhouseorthegallows.”

notattending,andappearingnottoheartheitalian,thetsarrecognisedbolkonskyandaddressedhimgraciously：

“iamverygladtoseeyou.goinwheretheyaremeetingandwaitforme.”

thetsarpassedonintothestudy.hewasfollowedbyprincepyotrmihalovitchvolkonskyandbaronstein,andthestudydoorwasclosedafterthem.princeandrey,takingadvantageofthetsar’spermissiontodoso,accompaniedi,whomhehadmetinturkey,intothedrawing-roomwherethecouncilhadassembled.

princepyotrmihalovitchvolkonskywasperformingthedutiesofasortofinformedheadofthetsar’sstaff.volkonskycameoutofthestudyandbringingoutmapslaidthemonthetable,andmentionedthequestionsonwhichhewishedtoheartheopinionofthegentlemenpresent.theimportantfactwasthatnews（whichafterwardsprovedtobefalse）hadbeenreceivedinthenightofmovementsofthefrenchwiththeobjectofmakingacircuitroundthecampatdrissa.

thefirsttobeginspeakingwasgeneralarmfeldt,whounexpectedlyproposed,asameansofavoidingthepresentdifficulty,aquitenewproject,inexplicableexceptasaproofofhisdesiretoshowthathe,too,hadaestionofhisown.hisideawasthatthearmyshouldmoveintoapositionawayfromthepetersburgandmoscowroads,and,unitedthere,awaittheenemy.itwasevidentthatthisprojecthadbeenformedbyarmfeldtlongbefore,andthathebroughtitforwardnownotsomuchwiththeobjectofmeetingthepresentproblem,towhichitpresentednosolution,asofseizingtheopportunityofexplainingitsmerits.itwasoneofthemillionsofestionswhichmightbemade,oneasreasonableasanother,solongasnoonehadanyideawhatformthewarwouldtake.someofthosepresentattackedhisidea,otherssupportedit.theyoungcoloneltollcriticisedtheswedishgeneral’sprojectwithmoreheatthananyone;andinthecourseofhisremarksuponitdrewoutofasidepocketamanuscript,whichheaskedleavetoreadaloud.inthissomewhatdiffusenote,tollproposedanotherplanofcampaign—entirelyopposedtoarmfeldt’s,andalsotopfuhl’splan.i,inraisingobjectionstotoll’sscheme,proposedaplanofdirectadvanceandattack,whichhedeclaredtobetheonlymeansofextricatingusfromourpresentprecariousposition,andfromthetrap（sohecalledthedrissacamp）inwhichwewereplaced.duringallthisdiscussion,pfuhlandhisinterpreterwoltzogen（whowashismouth-pieceinthecourtworld）weresilent.pfuhlmerelysnortedcontemptuouslyandturnedhisbacktoindicatethathewouldneverstooptoreplytotherubbishhewashearing.butwhenprincevolkonsky,whopresidedoverthedebate,calleduponhimtogivehisopinion,hesimplysaid：“whyaskme？generalarmfeldthasproposedanexcellentpositionwiththerearexposedtotheenemy.orwhynottheattackestedbythisitaliangentleman？afineidea！oraretreat？excellent,too.whyaskme？”saidhe.“youallknowbetterthanido,itappears.”

butwhenvolkonsky,frowning,saidthatitwasinthetsar’snamethatheaskedhisopinion,pfuhlrose,andgrowingsuddenlyexcited,begantospeak：

“youhavemuddledandspoiltitall.youwouldallknowbetterthani,andnowyoucometometoaskhowtosetthingsright.thereisnothingthatneedssettingright.theonlythingistocarryoutinexactdetailtheplanlaiddownbyme,”hesaid,rappinghisbonyfingersonthetable.“where’sthedifficulty？it’snonsense;child’splay！”hewentuptothemap,andbegantalkingrapidly,pointingwithhiswrinkledfingeraboutthemap,andprovingthatnosortofcontingencycouldaffecttheadaptabilityofthedrissacamptoeveryemergency,thateverychancehadbeenforeseen,andthatiftheenemyactuallydidmakeacircuitroundit,thentheenemywouldinfalliblybeannihilated.