第360章

第360章atthebeginningofthemazurka，borissawthatageneralofthestaff，balashov，oneofthepersonsinclosestattendanceonthetsar，wentuptohim，and，regardlessofcourtetiquette，stoppedclosetohim，whileheconversedwithapolishlady.aftersayingafewwordstothelady，thetsarglancedinquiringlyatbalashov，andapparentlyseeingthathewasbehavinglikethisonlybecausehehadweightyreasonsfordoingso，hegavetheladyaslightnodandturnedtobalashov.thetsar’scountenancebetrayedamazement，assoonasbalashovhadbeguntospeak.hetookbalashov’sarmandwalkedacrosstheroomwithhim，unconsciouslyclearingaspaceofthreeyardsoneachsideofhimaspeoplehastilydrewback.borisnoticedtheexcitedfaceofaraktcheevasthetsarwalkeduptheroomwithbalashov.araktcheev，lookingfromunderhisbrowsatthetsar，andsniffingwithhisrednose，movedforwardoutofthecrowdasthoughexpectingthetsartoapplytohim.（borissawthataraktcheevenviedbalashovandwasdispleasedatanyimportantnewshavingreachedthetsarnotthroughhim.）butthetsarandbalashovwalkedoutbythedoorintothelightedgarden，withoutnoticingaraktcheev.araktcheev，holdinghisswordandlookingwrathfullyabouthim，followedtwentypacesbehindthem.

boriswentonperformingthefiguresofthemazurka，buthewasallthewhilefrettedbywonderingwhatthenewscouldbethatbalashovhadbrought，andinwhatwayhecouldfinditoutbeforeotherpeople.inthefigureinwhichhehadtochoosealady，hewhisperedtoellenthathewantedtochoosecountesspototsky，whohad，hethought，goneoutontothebalcony，andglidingovertheparquet，heflewtothedoorthatopenedintothegarden，andseeingthetsarandbalashovcomingintotheverandah，hestoodstillthere.thetsarandbalashovmovedtowardsthedoor.boris，withashowofhaste，asthoughhehadnottimetomoveaway，squeezedrespectfullyuptothedoorpostandbowedhishead.thetsarinthetoneofamanresentingapersonalinsultwassaying：

“toenterrussiawithnodeclarationofwar！iwillconsenttoconciliationonlywhennotasingleenemyunderarmsisleftinmycountry，”hesaid.

itseemedtoboristhatthetsarlikedutteringthesewords：hewaspleasedwiththeforminwhichhehadexpressedhisfeelings，butdispleasedatborisoverhearingthem.

“letnobodyknowofit！”thetsaradded，frowning.

borissawthatthiswasaimedathim，andclosinghiseyes，inclinedhisheadalittle.thetsarwentbacktotheballroom，andremainedthereanotherhalfhour.

boriswasthefirstpersontolearnthenewsthatthefrenchtroopshadcrossedtheniemen；and，thankstothatfact，wasenabledtoprovetovariouspersonsofgreatconsequence，thatmuchthatwashiddenfromotherswascommonlyknowntohim，andwastherebyenabledtoriseevenhigherthanbeforeintheopinionofthosepersons.

theastoundingnewsofthefrenchhavingcrossedtheniemenseemedparticularlyunexpectedfromcomingafteramonth’suninterruptedexpectationofit，andarrivingataball！atthefirstmomentofamazementandresentmentongettingthenews，alexanderhitonthedeclarationthathassincebecomefamous—adeclarationwhichpleasedhimandfullyexpressedhisfeelings.onreturninghomeaftertheballattwoo’clockinthenight，thetsarsentforhissecretary，shishkov，andtoldhimtowriteadecreetothearmyandarescripttofield-marshalprincesaltykov；andheinsistedonthewordsbeinginsertedthathewouldnevermakepeaceaslongasonefrenchmanunderarmsremainedinrussia.

thenextdaythefollowingletterwaswrittentonapoleon：

monsieurmonfrère，—ilearntyesterdaythatinspiteoftheloyaltywithwhichihavekeptmyengagementswithyourmajesty，yourtroopshavecrossedthefrontiersofrussia，andihavethismomentreceivedfrompetersburgthenoteinwhichcountlauristoninformsmeascauseofthisinvasionthatyourmajestyconsidersustobeinhostilerelationseversinceprincekurakinaskedforhispassport.thecausesonwhichtheducdebassanobasedhisrefusaltogivethesepassportswouldneverhaveledmetosupposethattheactionofmyambassadorcouldserveasagroundforinvasion.and，indeed，hereceivednoauthorisationfrommeinhisaction，ashasbeenmadeknownbyhim；andassoonasiheardofitiimmediatelyexpressedmydispleasuretoprincekurakin，commandinghimtoperformthedutiesentrustedtohimasbefore.ifyourmajestyisnotinclinedtoshedthebloodofyoursubjectsforsuchamisunderstanding，andifyouconsenttowithdrawyourtroopsfromrussianterritory，iwillpassoverthewholeincidentunnoticed，andagreementbetweenuswillbepossible.intheoppositecase，ishallbeforcedtorepelaninvasionwhichhasbeeninnowayprovokedonmyside.yourmajestyhasitinyourpowertopreservehumanityfromthedisastersofanotherwar.—iam，etc.，

（signed）alexander.