第144章

第144章thegeneralsseemedtolistenreluctantlytotheintricateaccountofthedispositionofthetroops.thetall,fair-hairedgeneral,buxhevden,stoodleaninghisbackagainstthewall,andfixinghiseyesonaburningcandle,heseemednottobelistening,noteventowishtobethoughttobelistening.exactlyoppositetoweierother,withhisbright,wide-openeyesfixeduponhim,wasmiloradovitch,aruddyman,withwhiskersandshouldersturnedupwards,sittinginamilitaryposewithhishandsonhiskneesandhiselbowsbentoutwards.hesatinobstinatesilence,staringintoweierother’sface,andonlytakinghiseyesoffhimwhentheaustrianstaff-commanderceasedspeaking.thenmiloradovitchlookedroundsignificantlyattheothergenerals.butfromthatsignificantglanceitwasimpossibletotellwhetherheagreedordisagreed,waspleasedordispleased,atthearrangements.nexttoweierothersatcountlangeron,withasubtlesmilethatneverlefthissouthernfrenchfaceduringthereading;hegazedathisdelicatefingersashetwistedroundagoldensnuff-boxwithaportraitonit.inthemiddleofoneofthelengthyparagraphshestoppedtherotatorymotionofthesnuff-box,liftedhishead,andwithhostilecourtesylurkinginthecornersofhisthinlips,interruptedweierotherandwouldhavesaidsomething.buttheaustriangeneral,continuingtoread,frownedangrilywithamotionoftheelbowsthatseemedtosay：“later,later,youshallgiveyouropinion,nowbesogoodastolookatthemapandlisten.”langeronturneduphiseyeswithalookofbewilderment,lookedroundatmiloradovitch,asthoughseekingenlightenment,butmeetingthesignificantgazeofmiloradovitch,thatsignifiednothing,hedroppedhiseyesdejectedly,andfelltotwistinghissnuff-boxagain.

“ageographylesson,”hemurmuredasthoughtohimself,butloudenoughtobeheard.

przhebyshevsky,withrespectfulbutdignifiedcourtesy,puthishanduptohisearonthesidenearestweierother,withtheairofamanabsorbedinattention.dohturov,alittleman,satoppositeweierotherwithastudiousandmodestlookonhisface.bendingoverthemap,hewasconscientiouslystudyingthearrangementofthetroopsandtheunfamiliarlocality.severaltimesheaskedweierothertorepeatwordsanddifficultnamesofvillagesthathehadnotcaught.weierotherdidso,anddohturovmadeanoteofthem.

whenthereading,whichlastedmorethananhour,wasover,langeron,stoppinghistwistingsnuff-box,begantospeakwithoutlookingatweierotheroranyoneinparticular.hepointedouthowdifficultitwastocarryoutsuchadisposition,inwhichtheenemy’spositionwasassumedtobeknown,whenitmightwellbeuncertainseeingthattheenemywasinmovement.langeron’sobjectionswerewellfounded,yetitwasevidentthattheirprincipalobjectwastomakeweierother,whohadreadhisplanssoconceitedly,asthoughtoalotofschoolboys,feelthathehadtodealnotwithfools,butwithmenwhocouldteachhimsomethinginmilitarymatters.

whenthemonotonoussoundofweierother’svoiceceased,kutuzovopenedhiseyes,asthemillerwakesupatanyinterruptioninthedroningofthemill-wheels,listenedtowhatlangeronwassaying,andasthoughsayingtohimself：“oh,you’restillatthesamenonsense！”madehastetoclosehiseyesagain,andlethisheadsinkstilllower.

langeron,tryingtodealthemostmalignantthrustspossibleatweierother’smilitaryvanityasauthoroftheplan,showedthatbonapartemighteasilybecometheattackingpartyinsteadofwaitingtobeattacked,andsorenderallthisplanofthedispositionofthetroopsutterlyfutile.weierothermetallobjectionswithaconfidentandcontemptuoussmile,obviouslypreparedbeforehandforeveryobjection,regardlessofwhattheymightsaytohim.

“ifhecouldhaveattackedus,hewouldhavedonesoto-day,”hesaid.

“yousupposehim,then,tobepowerless？”saidlangeron.

“idoubtifhehasasmuchasfortythousandtroops,”answeredweierotherwiththesmileofadoctortowhomthesick-nurseistryingtoexpoundherownmethodoftreatment.

“inthatcase,heisgoingtomeethisruininawaitingourattack,”saidlangeronwithasubtle,ironicalsmile,lookingroundagainforsupporttomiloradovitchnearhim.butmiloradovitchwasobviouslythinkingatthatinstantofanythingintheworldratherthanthematterindisputebetweenthegenerals.

“mafoi,”hesaid,“to-morrowweshallseeallthatonthefieldofbattle.”

weierothersmiledagain,asmilethatsaidthatitwascomicandqueerforhimtomeetwithobjectionsfromrussiangeneralsandtohavetogiveproofstoconfirmwhathewasnotsimplyhimselfconvincedof,buthadthoroughlyconvincedtheirmajestiestheemperorsoftoo.