第377章

第377章pfuhlwasshortandverythin,butbroad-boned,ofacoarselyrobustbuild,withbroadhipsandprojectingshoulder-blades.hisfacewaswrinkled;hehaddeep-seteyes;hishairhadobviouslybeenhastilybrushedsmoothinfront,butstuckoutbehindinquaintwisps.lookingnervouslyandirritablyabouthim,hewalkedinasthoughhewereafraidofeverythinginthegreatroomhehadentered.withaclumsygesture,holdinghissword,heturnedtotchernishev,askinghimwherethetsarwas.hewasunmistakablyeagertogetthroughtherooms,togetthebowsandgreetingsoverasquicklyaspossible,andtositdowntoworkatamap,wherehewouldfeelathome.hegaveahurriednodinresponsetotchernishev’swords,andsmiledironicallyonhearingthatthetsarwasinspectingthefortificationsthathe,pfuhl,hadplannedinaccordancewithhistheory.hemutteredsomethinginthejerkybass,inwhichconceitedgermansoftenspeak,“sillyfool…”or“damnthewholebusiness…”or“someidiocy’ssuretocomeofthat.”princeandreydidnotcatchhiswords,andwouldhavepassedon,buttchernishevintroducedhimtopfuhl,observingthathehadjustcomefromturkey,wherethewarhadbeensoessfullyconcluded.pfuhlbarelyglanced,notat,butacrossprinceandrey,andcommented,laughing：“amodelthatwarmusthavebeenofeveryprincipleoftactics！”and,laughingcontemptuously,hewentonintotheroom,fromwhichthesoundofvoicescame.

itwasevidentthatpfuhl—disposedatalltimestobeirritableandsarcastic—wasthatdayparticularlyirritatedattheirhavingdaredtoinspecthiscampandtocriticiseitwithouthim.thankstohisausterlitzexperiences,princeandreycouldfromthisonebriefinterviewformaclearideaoftheman’scharacter.pfuhlwasoneofthosehopelessly,immutablyconceitedmen,readytofacemartyrdomfortheirownideas,conceitedasonlygermanscanbe,justbecauseitisonlyagerman’sconceitthatisbasedonanabstractidea—science,thatis,thesupposedpossessionofabsolutetruth.thefrenchmanisconceitedfromsupposinghimselfmentallyandphysicallytobeinordinatelyfascinatingbothtomenandtowomen.anenglishmanisconceitedonthegroundofbeingacitizenofthebest-constitutedstateintheworld,andalsobecauseheasanenglishmanalwaysknowswhatisthecorrectthingtodo,andknowsthateverythingthathe,asanenglishman,doesdoisindisputablythecorrectthing.anitalianisconceitedfrombeingexcitableandeasilyforgettinghimselfandotherpeople.arussianisconceitedpreciselybecauseheknowsnothingandcarestoknownothing,sincehedoesnotbelieveitpossibletoknowanythingfully.aconceitedgermanistheworstofthemall,andthemosthardenedofall,andthemostrepulsiveofall;forheimaginesthathepossessesthetruthinascienceofhisowninvention,whichistohimabsolutetruth.

pfuhlwasevidentlyoneofthesemen.hehadascience—thetheoryoftheobliqueattack—whichhehaddeducedfromthewarsoffrederickthegreat;andeverythinghecameacrossinmorerecentmilitaryhistoryseemedtohimimbecility,barbarism,crudelesinwhichsomanyblunderswerecommittedonbothsidesthatthosewarscouldnotbecalledwaratall.theyhadnoplaceinhistheoryandcouldnotbemadeasubjectforscienceatall.

in1806pfuhlhadbeenoneofthoseresponsiblefortheplanofcampaignthatendedinjenaandauerstadt.butinthefailureofthatwarhedidnotseetheslightestevidenceoftheweaknessofhistheory.onthecontrary,thewholefailurewastohisthinkingentirelyduetothedeparturesthathadbeenmadefromhistheory,andheusedtosaywithhischaracteristicgleefulsarcasm：“didn’tialwayssaythewholethingwasgoingtothedevil？”pfuhlwasoneofthosetheoristswhosolovetheirtheorythattheylosesightoftheobjectofthetheory—itsapplicationtopractice.hisloveforhistheoryledhimtohateallpracticalconsiderations,andhewouldnothearofthem.hepositivelyrejoicedinfailure,forfailure,beingduetosomedepartureinpracticefromthepurityoftheabstracttheory,onlyconvincedhimofthecorrectnessofhistheory.

hesaidafewwordsaboutthepresentwartoprinceandreyandtchernishevwiththeexpressionofamanwhoknowsbeforehandthateverythingwillgowrong,andisnot,indeed,displeasedatthisbeingso.theuncombedwispsofhairsstickingoutstraightfromhisheadbehind,andthehurriedlybrushedlocksinfront,seemedtoestthiswithapeculiareloquence.

hewentonintothenextroom,andthequerulousbassnotesofhisvoicewereatonceaudiblethere.