第230章

第230章aftergoingbacktotheregimentandreportingtothecolonelthepositionofdenisov’saffairs,rostovrodetotilsitwiththelettertotheemperor.

onthe13thofjunethefrenchandrussianemperorsmetattilsit.borisdrubetskoyhadaskedthepersonageofhighrankonwhomhewasinattendancetoincludehiminthesuitedestinedtobestayingattilsit.

“ishouldliketoseethegreatman,”hesaid,meaningnapoleon,whomhehadhitherto,likeeveryoneelse,alwaysspokenofasbonaparte.

“youarespeakingofbuonaparte？”thegeneralsaidtohim,smiling.

borislookedinquiringlyathisgeneral,andimmediatelysawthatthiswasaplayfultest.

“iamspeaking,prince,oftheemperornapoleon,”hereplied.withasmilethegeneralclappedhimontheshoulder

“youwillgeton,”saidhe,andhetookhimwithhim.boriswasamongthefewpresentatniemenonthedayofthemeetingoftheemperors.hesawtheraftwiththeroyalmonograms,sawnapoleon’sprogressthroughthefrenchguardsalongthefurtherbank,sawthepensivefaceoftheemperoralexanderashesatsilentintheinnonthebankoftheniemenwaitingfornapoleon’sarrival.hesawboththeemperorsgetintoboats,andnapoleonreachingtheraftfirst,walkedrapidlyforward,andmeetingalexander,gavehimhishand;thenboththeemperorsdisappearedintoapavilion.eversincehehadenteredthesehigherspheres,borishadmadeithishabittokeepanattentivewatchonwhatwaspassingroundhim,andtonoteitalldown.duringthemeetingoftheemperorsattilsit,heaskedthenamesofthepersonsaccompanyingnapoleon,inquiredabouttheuniformstheywerewearing,andlistenedcarefullytotheutterancesofpersonsofconsequence.whentheemperorswentintothepavilion,helookedathiswatch,anddidnotforgettolookatitagainwhenalexandercameout.theinterviewhadlastedanhourandfifty-threeminutes;henotedthisdownthateveningamongotherfacts,whichhefeltwereofhistoricalimportance.astheemperors’suitewerefewinnumber,tobepresentattilsitatthemeetingoftheemperorswasamatterofgreatconsequenceforamanwhovaluedessintheservice,andboris,whenheeededinobtainingthisprivilege,feltthathispositionwashenceforthperfectlysecure.hewasnotsimplyknown,hehadbecomeanobservedandfamiliarfigure.ontwooccasionshehadbeensentwithcommissionstotheemperorhimself,sothattheemperorknewhimpersonally,andallthecourtnolongerheldalooffromhim,astheyhaddoneatfirst,consideringhimanewman,andwouldevenhavenoticedhisabsencewithsurpriseifhehadbeenaway.

boriswaslodgingwithanotheradjutant,thepolishcount,zhilinsky.zhilinsky,apoleeducatedinparis,wasawealthyman,devotedlyattachedtothefrench,andalmosteverydayoftheirstayintilsit,frenchofficersoftheguardsandofthefrenchheadstaffwerediningandbreakfastingwithzhilinskyandboris.

onthe24thofjunezhilinsky,withwhomborissharedquarters,wasgivingasuppertohisfrenchacquaintances.atthissuppertherewerepresentoneofnapoleon’sadjutants—theguestofhonour—severalofficersofthefrenchguards,andayoungladofanaristocraticoldfrenchfamily,apageofnapoleon’s.onthesameeveningrostov,takingadvantageofthedarknesstopassthroughunrecognised,cametotilsitinciviliandress,andwenttothequartersofzhilinskyandboris.