第141章

第141章thefollowingdaythetsarstayedinvishau.hismedicalattendant,villier,wasseveraltimessummonedtohim.atheadquartersandamongthetroopsthatwerenearer,thenewscirculatedthatthetsarwasunwell.hewaseatingnothingandhadsleptbadlythatnight,sothoseabouthimreported.thecauseofthisindispositionwasthetooviolentshockgiventothesensitivesoulofthetsarbythesightofthekilledandwounded.

atdawnonthe17th,afrenchofficerwasconductedfromouroutpostsintovishau.hecameunderaflagoftrucetoaskforaninterviewwiththerussianemperor.thisofficerwassavary.thetsarhadonlyjustfallenasleep,andsosavaryhadtowait.atmiddayhewasadmittedtotheemperor,andanhourlaterherodeawayaccompaniedbyprincedolgorukovtotheoutpostsofthefrencharmy.savary’smissionwas,soitwasrumoured,toproposeameetingbetweenalexanderandnapolean.apersonalinterviewwas,totheprideandrejoicingofthewholearmy,refused,andinsteadofthetsar,princedolgorukov,thegeneralvictoriousintheactionatvishau,wasdespatchedwithsavarytoundertakenegotiationswithnapoleon,ifthesenegotiations—contrarytoexpectation—werefoundedonarealdesireforpeace.intheeveningdolgorukovcameback,wentstraighttothetsarandremainedalongwhilealonewithhim.

onthe18thand19ththetroopsmovedforwardtwodays’march,andtheenemy’soutposts,afterabriefinterchangeofshots,retired.inthehigherdepartmentsofthearmyanintense,bustlingexcitementandactivityprevailedfrommiddayofthe19thtillthemorningofthefollowingday,the20thofnovember,onwhichwasfoughtthememorablebattleofausterlitz.uptomiddayofthe19ththeactivity,theeagertalk,thebustle,andthedespatchingofadjutantswasconfinedtotheheadquartersoftheemperors;aftermiddaytheactivityhadreachedtheheadquartersofkutuzovandthestaffofthecommandingofficersofthecolumns.byeveningthisactivityhadbeencarriedbytheadjutantsinalldirectionsintoeverypartofthearmy,andinthenightofthe19ththemultitudeoftheeightythousandsofthealliedarmyrosefromitshalting-place,andwithahumoftalkmovedon,aheavingmassnineverstslong.

theintenseactivitythathadbeguninthemorningintheheadquartersoftheemperors,andhadgiventheimpetustoalltheactivityinremoterparts,waslikethefirstactioninthecentrewheelofagreattowerclock.slowlyonewheelbeganmoving,anotherbeganturning,andathird,andmoreandmorerapidly,levers,wheels,andblocksbegantorevolve,chimesbeganplaying,figuresbegantopopout,andthehandsbeganmovingrhythmically,asaresultofthatactivity.

justasinthemechanismoftheclock,inthemechanismofthemilitarymachinetoo,oncetheimpetuswasgiven,itwascarriedontothelastresults,andjustasunsympatheticallystationarywerethepartsofthemachinerywhichtheimpulsehadnotyetreached.wheelscreakontheiraxles,andteethbiteintocogs,andblockswhirinrapidmotion,whilethenextwheelstandsasapatheticandmotionlessasthoughitwerereadytostandsoforahundredyears.butthemomentumreachesit—thelevercatches,andthewheel,obeyingtheimpulse,creaksandtakesitsshareinthecommonmovement,theresultandaimofwhicharebeyonditsken.

justasintheclock,theresultofthecomplexactionofcountlessdifferentwheelsandblocksisonlytheslow,regularmovementofthehandmarkingthetime,sotheresultofallthecomplexhumanmovementofthose160,000russiansandfrenchmen—ofallthepassions,hopes,regrets,humiliations,sufferings,impulsesofpride,offear,andofenthusiasmofthosemen—wasonlythelossofthebattleofausterlitz,theso-calledbattleofthethreeemperors,thatis,theslowshiftingoftheregisteringhandonthedialofthehistoryofmankind.

princeandreywasondutythatday,andincloseattendanceonthecommander-in-chief.atsixo’clockintheeveningkutuzovvisitedtheheadquartersoftheemperors,andafterabriefinterviewwiththetsar,wentintoseetheober-hofmarschallcounttolstoy.