第168章

第168章onreceivingthenewsofthedefeatofausterlitz,allmoscowhadatfirstbeenthrownintobewilderment.atthatperiodtherussiansweresousedtovictories,thatonreceivingnewsofadefeat,somepeopleweresimplyincredulous,whileotherssoughtanexplanationofsostrangeaneventinexceptionalcircumstancesofsomekind.attheenglishclub,whereeveryoneofnote,everyonewhohadauthenticinformationandweightgatheredtogether,duringdecember,whenthenewsbegantoarrive,notawordwassaidaboutthewarandaboutthelastdefeat;itwasasthoughallwereinaconspiracyofsilence.themenwhotooktheleadinconversationattheclub,suchascountrostoptchin,princeyuryvladimirovitchdolgoruky,valuev,countmarkov,andprincevyazemsky,didnotputinanappearanceattheclub,butmettogetherintheirintimatecirclesateachother’shouses.

thatsectionofmoscowsocietywhichtookitsopinionsfromothers（towhich,indeed,countilyaandreivitchrostovbelonged）remainedforashorttimewithoutleadersandwithoutdefiniteviewsupontheprogressofthewar.peoplefeltinmoscowthatsomethingwaswrong,andthatitwasdifficulttoknowwhattothinkofthebadnews,andsobettertobesilent.butalittlelater,likejurymencomingoutoftheirconsultationroom,theleadersreappearedtogivetheiropinionintheclub,andaclearanddefiniteformulawasfound.causeshadbeendiscoveredtoaccountforthefact—soincredible,unheard-of,andimpossible—thattherussianshadbeenbeaten,andallbecameclear,andthesameversionwasrepeatedfromoneendofmoscowtotheother.thesecauseswere：thetreacheryoftheaustrians;thedefectivecommissariat;thetreacheryofthepoleprzhebyshevskyandthefrenchmanlangeron;theincapacityofkutuzov;and（thiswasmurmuredinsubduedtones）theyouthandinexperienceoftheemperor,whohadputfaithinmenofnocharacterandability.butthearmy,therussianarmy,saideveryone,hadbeenextraordinary,andhadperformedmiraclesofvalour.thesoldiers,theofficers,thegenerals—allwereheroes.buttheheroamongheroeswasprincebagration,whohaddistinguishedhimselfinhissch？ngrabenengagementandintheretreatfromausterlitz,wherehealonehadwithdrawnhiscolumningoodorder,andhadeededinrepellingduringthewholedayanenemytwiceasnumerous.whatcontributedtobagration’sbeingchosenforthepopularheroatmoscowwasthefactthathewasanoutsider,thathehadnoconnectionsinmoscow.inhispersontheycoulddohonourtothesimplefightingrussiansoldier,unsupportedbyconnectionsandintrigues,andstillassociatedbymemoriesoftheitaliancampaignwiththenameofsuvorov.andbesides,bestowinguponhimsuchhonourswasthebestpossiblewayofshowingtheirdislikeanddisapprovalofkutuzov.

“iftherehadbeennobagration,somebodywouldhavetoinventhim,”saidthewit,shinshin,parodyingthewordsofvoltaire.

ofkutuzovpeopledidnotspeakatall,orwhisperedabuseofhim,callinghimthecourtweathercockandtheoldsatyr.

allmoscowwasrepeatingthewordsofprincedolgorukov：“chopdowntreesenoughandyou’reboundtocutyourfinger,”whichinourdefeatestedaconsolatoryreminderofformervictories,andthesayingofrostoptchin,thatfrenchsoldiershavetobeexcitedtobattlebyhigh-soundingphrases;thatgermansmusthaveitlogicallyprovedtothemthatitismoredangeroustorunawaythantogoforward;butthatallrussiansoldiersneedistobeheldbackandurgednottobetooreckless！newanecdoteswerecontinuallytobeheardoneverysideofindividualfeatsofgallantryperformedbyourofficersandmenatausterlitz.hereamanhadsavedaflag,anotherhadkilledfivefrenchmen,anotherhadkeptfivecannonsloadedsingle-handed.thestorywastoldofberg,bythosewhodidnotknowhim,thatwoundedinhisrighthand,hehadtakenhisswordinhisleftandchargedontheenemy.nothingwassaidaboutbolkonsky,andonlythosewhohadknownhimintimatelyregrettedthathehaddiedsoyoung,leavingawifewithchild,andhisqueeroldfather.