第379章

第379章i,whodidnotknowgerman,begantoaskhimquestionsinfrench.woltzogencametotheassistanceofhisleader,whospokefrenchverybadly,andbegantranslatinghisutterances,hardlyabletokeeppacewithpfuhl,whowasproceedingatagreatratetoprovethateverything,everything,notonlywhatwashappening,buteverythingthatpossiblycouldhappen,hadbeenprovidedforinhisplan,andthatifdifficultieshadarisennow,theywereduesimplytothefailuretocarryoutthatplanwithperfectexactitude.hewascontinuallygivingventtoasarcasticlaughashewentonproving,andatlastscornfullyabandonedallattempttoprove,hisposition,asamathematicianwillrefusetoestablishbyvariousdifferentmethodsaproblemhehasonceforallprovedtobecorrectlysolved.woltzogentookhisplace,continuingtoexplainhisviewsinfrench,andoccasionallyreferringtopfuhlhimself：“isthatnottrue,yourexcellency？”butpfuhl,asamanintheheatofthefraywillbelabourthoseofhisownside,shoutedangrilyathisownfollower—atwoltzogen,too.

“tobesure,whatistheretoexplaininthat？”

iandmichaudfellsimultaneouslyonwoltzogeninfrench.armfeldtaddressedpfuhlhimselfingerman.tollwasinterpretingtoprincevolkonskyinrussian.princeandreylistenedandwatchedtheminsilence.

ofallthesementheoneforwhomprinceandreyfeltmostsympathywastheexasperated,determined,insanelyconceitedpfuhl.hewastheonlyoneofallthepersonspresentwhowasunmistakablyseekingnothingforhimself,andharbouringnopersonalgrudgeagainstanybodyelse.hedesiredonethingonly—theadoptionofhisplan,inaccordancewiththetheorythatwasthefruitofyearsoftoil.hewasludicrous;hewasdisagreeablewithhissarcasm,butyetherousedaninvoluntaryfeelingofrespectfromhisboundlessdevotiontoanidea.

apartfromthis,withthesingleexceptionofpfuhl,everyspeechofeverypersonpresenthadonecommonfeature,whichprinceandreyhadnotseenatthecouncilofwarin1805—thatwas,apanicdreadofthegeniusofnapoleon,adreadwhichwasinvoluntarilybetrayedineveryutterancenow,inspiteofalleffortstoconcealit.anythingwasassumedpossiblefornapoleon;hewasexpectedfromeveryquarteratonce,andtoinvokehisterriblenamewasenoughforthemtocondemneachother’sestions.pfuhlaloneseemedtolookonhimtoo,evennapoleon,asabarbarian,likeeveryotheropponentofhistheory;andpfuhlrousedafeelingofpity,too,aswellasrespect,inprinceandrey.fromthetonewithwhichthecourtiersaddressedhim,fromwhatihadventuredtosaytothetsar,andaboveallfromacertaindespairingexpressioninpfuhlhimself,itwasclearthatothersknew,andhehimself,thathisdownfallwasathand.andforallhisconceitandhisgermangrumpyirony,hewaspitifulwithhisflattenedlocksonhisforeheadandhiswispsofuncombedhairstickingoutbehind.thoughhetriedtoconcealitunderasemblanceofangerandcontempt,hewasvisiblyindespairthatthesolechancelefthimoftestinghistheoryonavastscaleandprovingitsinfallibilitytothewholeworldwasslippingawayfromhim.