第369章

第369章afterhisinterviewwithpierreinmoscow,princeandreywentawaytopetersburg,tellinghisfamilythathehadbusinessthere.inrealityhisobjectwastomeetanatolekuraginthere.hethoughtitnecessarytomeethim,butoninquiringforhimwhenhereachedpetersburg,hefoundhewasnolongerthere.pierrehadlethisbrother-in-lawknowthatprinceandreywasonhistrack.anatolekuraginhadpromptlyobtainedacommissionfromtheministerofwar,andhadgonetojointhearmyinmoldavia.whileinpetersburgprinceandreymetkutuzov,hisoldgeneral,whowasalwaysfriendlytohim,andkutuzovproposedthatheshouldaccompanyhimtomoldavia,wheretheoldgeneralwasbeingsenttotakecommandofthearmy.princeandreyreceivedanappointmentonthestaffofthecommander,andwenttoturkey.

princeandreydidnotthinkitpropertowritetokuragintochallengehimtoaduel.hethoughtthatachallengecomingfromhim,withoutanynewpretextforaduel,wouldbecompromisingfortheyoungcountessrostov,andthereforehewasseekingtoencounterkuragininpersoninordertopickaquarrelwithhimthatwouldserveasapretextforaduel.butintheturkisharmytooprinceandreyfailedtocomeacrosskuragin.thelatterhadreturnedtorussiashortlyafterprinceandreyreachedtheturkisharmy.inanewcountry,amidnewsurroundings,princeandreyfoundlifeeasiertobear.afterhisbetrothed’sbetrayalofhim,whichhefeltthemorekeenly,themorestudiouslyhestrovetoconcealitseffectonhimfromothers,hefoundithardtobeartheconditionsoflifeinwhichhehadbeenhappy,andfeltstillmoreirksomethefreedomandindependencehehadonceprizedsohighly.hecouldnotnowthinkthethoughtsthathadcometohimforthefirsttimeonthefieldofausterlitz,thathehadlovedtodevelopwithpierre,andthathadenrichedhissolitudeatbogutcharovo,andlateroninswitzerlandandinrome.nowhedreadedindeedthoseideasthathadthenopenedtohimboundlessvistasoflight.nowhewasoccupiedonlywiththemostpracticalinterestslyingcloseathand,andinnowayassociatedwiththoseoldideals.heclutchedatthesenewintereststhemoreeagerlythemoretheoldidealswerehiddenfromhim.itwasasthoughtheinfinite,fathomlessarchofheaventhathadoncestoodoverhimhadbeensuddenlytransformedintoalow,limitedvaultweighinguponhim,witheverythinginitclear,butnothingeternalandmysterious.

ofthepursuitsthatpresentedthemselves,militaryservicewasthesimplestandthemostfamiliartohim.heperformedthedutiesofageneralondutyonkutuzov’sstaffwithzealandperseverance,surprisingkutuzovbyhiseagernessforworkandhisconscientiousness.whenhemissedkuragininturkey,princeandreydidnotfeelitnecessarytogallopbacktorussiainsearchofhim.yetinspiteofallhiscontemptforkuragin,inspiteofalltheargumentsbywhichhesoughttopersuadehimselfthatkuraginwasnotworthhisstoopingtoquarrelwithhim,heknewthatwhateverlengthoftimemightelapse,whenhedidmeethim,hewouldbeunabletohelpchallenginghimasastarvingmancannothelprushinguponfood.andtheconsciousnessthattheinsultwasnotyetavenged,thathiswrathhadnotbeenexpended,butwasstillstoredupinhisheart,poisonedtheartificialcomposure,whichprinceandreyeededinobtaininginturkeyintheguiseofstudiouslybusyandsomewhatambitiousandvainenergy.

in1812,whenthenewsofthewarwithnapoleonreachedbucharest（wherekutuzovhadbeenfourteenmonths,spendingdaysandnightstogetherwithhiswallachianmistress）,princeandreyaskedtobetransferredtothewesternarmy.kutuzov,whowasbynowsickofbolkonsky’senergy,andfeltitastandingreproachtohissloth,wasveryreadytolethimgo,andgavehimacommissionforbarclaydetolly.