第145章

第145章“theenemyhaveextinguishedtheirfiresandacontinualnoisehasbeenheardintheircamp,”hesaid.“whatdoesthatmean？eithertheyareretreating—theonlythingwehavetofear,orchangingtheirposition”（hesmiledironically）.“buteveniftheyweretotakeuptheirpositionatturas,itwouldonlybesavingusagreatdealoftrouble,andallourarrangementswillremainunchangedinthesmallestdetail.”

“howcanthatbe？…”saidprinceandrey,whohadalongwhilebeenlookingoutforanopportunityofexpressinghisdoubts.kutuzovwakedup,clearedhisthroathuskily,andlookedroundatthegenerals.

“gentlemen,thedispositionforto-morrow,forto-dayindeed（forit’sgoingonforoneo’clock）,can’tbealterednow,”hesaid.“youhaveheardit,andwewillalldoourduty.andbeforeabattlenothingisofsomuchimportance…”（hepaused）“asagoodnight’srest.”

hemadeashowofrisingfromhischair.thegeneralsbowedthemselvesout.itwaspastmidnight.princeandreywentout.

thecouncilofwaratwhichprinceandreyhadnoteededinexpressinghisopinion,ashehadhopedtodo,hadleftonhimanimpressionofuncertaintyanduneasiness.whichwasright—dolgorukovandweierother？orkutuzovandlangeronandtheothers,whodidnotapproveoftheplanofattack—hedidnotknow.buthaditreallybeenimpossibleforkutuzovtotellthetsarhisviewsdirectly？coulditnothavebeenmanageddifferently？onaccountofpersonalandcourtconsiderationsweretensofthousandsoflivestoberisked—“andmylife,mine？”hethought.

“yes,itmaywellbethatishallbekilledto-morrow,”hethought.

andallatonce,atthatthoughtofdeath,awholechainofmemories,themostremoteandclosesttohisheart,roseupinhisimagination.herecalledhislastfarewelltohisfatherandhiswife;herecalledtheearlydaysofhisloveforher,thoughtofherapproachingmotherhood;andhefeltsorryforherandforhimself,andinanervouslyoverwroughtandsoftenedmoodhewentoutofthecottageatwhichheandnesvitskywereputtingup,andbegantowalktoandfrobeforeit.thenightwasy,andthemoonlightglimmeredmysteriouslythroughthemist.“yes,to-morrow,to-morrow！”hethought.“to-morrow,maybe,allwillbeoverforme,allthesememorieswillbenomore,allthesememorieswillhavenomoremeaningforme.to-morrow,perhaps—forcertain,indeed—to-morrow,ihaveapresentiment,ishallhaveforthefirsttimetoshowallicando.”andhepicturedtheengagement,thelossofit,theconcentrationofthefightingatonepoint,andthehesitationofallthecommandingofficers.andthenthehappymoment—thattoulonhehadbeenwaitingforsolong—atlastcomestohim.resolutelyandclearlyhespeakshisopiniontokutuzovandweierother,andtheemperors.allarestruckbythejustnessofhisview,butnooneundertakestocarryitintoexecution,andbehold,heleadstheregiment,onlymakingitaconditionthatnooneistointerferewithhisplans,andheleadshisdivisiontothecriticalpointandwinsthevictoryalone.“anddeathandagony！”saidanothervoice.butprinceandreydidnotanswerthatvoice,andwentonwithhistriumphs.thedispositionofthebattlethatensuesisallhisworkalone.nominally,heisanadjutantonthestaffofkutuzov,buthedoeseverythingalone.thebattleisgainedbyhimalone.kutuzovisreplaced,heisappointed.…“well,andthen？”saidtheothervoiceagain,“whatthen,ifyoudoadozentimesoverescapebeingwounded,killed,ordeceivedbeforethat;well,whatthen？”“why,then…”princeandreyansweredhimself,“idon’tknowwhatwillcomethen,ican’tknow,anddon’twantto;butifiwantthat,ifiwantglory,wanttobeknowntomen,wanttobelovedbythem,it’snotmyfaultthatiwantit,thatit’stheonlythingicarefor,theonlythingilivefor.yes,theonlything！ishallneversaytoanyone,but,mygod！whatamitodo,ificarefornothingbutglory,butmen’slove？death,wounds,thelossofmyfamily—nothinghasterrorsforme.anddearandpreciousasmanypeoplearetome：father,sister,wife—thepeopledearesttome;yetdreadfulandunnaturalasitseems,iwouldgivethemallupforamomentofglory,oftriumphovermen,oflovefrommenwhomidon’tknow,andshallneverknow,fortheloveofthosepeoplethere,”hethought,listeningtothetalkinthecourtyardofkutuzov’shouse.hecouldhearthevoicesoftheofficers’servantspackingup;oneofthem,probablyacoachman,wasteasingkutuzov’soldcook,amancalledtit,whomprinceandreyknew.hekeptcallinghimandmakingajokeonhisname.

“tit,hey,tit？”hesaid.

“well？”answeredtheoldman.

“tit,stupaymolotit”（“tit,goa-thrashing”）,saidthejester.

“pooh,gotothedevil,do,”heheardthecook’svoice,smotheredinthelaughteroftheservants.

“andyet,theonlythingiloveandprizeistriumphoverallofthem,thatmysteriouspowerandglorywhichseemshoveringovermeinthismist！”