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第14章

a personal record-第14章

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course of such dishes is really excusable。







But enough of generalizing。  Returning to particulars; Mr。



Nicholas B。 confided to his sister…in…law (my grandmother) in his



misanthropically laconic manner that this supper in the woods had



been nearly 〃the death of him。〃  This is not surprising。  What



surprises me is that the story was ever heard of; for granduncle



Nicholas differed in this from the generality of military men of



Napoleon's time (and perhaps of all time) that he did not like to



talk of his campaigns; which began at Friedland and ended some



where in the neighbourhood of Bar…le…Duc。  His admiration of the



great Emperor was unreserved in everything but expression。  Like



the religion of earnest men; it was too profound a sentiment to



be displayed before a world of little faith。  Apart from that he



seemed as completely devoid of military anecdotes as though he



had hardly ever seen a soldier in his life。  Proud of his



decorations earned before he was twenty…five; he refused to wear



the ribbons at the buttonhole in the manner practised to this day



in Europe and even was unwilling to display the insignia on



festive occasions; as though he wished to conceal them in the



fear of appearing boastful。







〃It is enough that I have them;〃 he used to mutter。  In the



course of thirty years they were seen on his breast only



twiceat an auspicious marriage in the family and at the funeral



of an old friend。  That the wedding which was thus honoured was



not the wedding of my mother I learned only late in life; too



late to bear a grudge against Mr。 Nicholas B。; who made amends at



my birth by a long letter of congratulation containing the



following prophecy: 〃He will see better times。〃  Even in his



embittered heart there lived a hope。  But he was not a true 



prophet。







He was a man of strange contradictions。  Living for many years in



his brother's house; the home of many children; a house full of



life; of animation; noisy with a constant coming and going of



many guests; he kept his habits of solitude and silence。 



Considered as obstinately secretive in all his purposes; he was



in reality the victim of a most painful irresolution in all



matters of civil life。  Under his taciturn; phlegmatic behaviour



was hidden a faculty of short…lived passionate anger。  I suspect



he had no talent for narrative; but it seemed to afford him



sombre satisfaction to declare that he was the last man to ride



over the bridge of the river Elster after the battle of Leipsic。 



Lest some construction favourable to his valour should be put on



the fact he condescended to explain how it came to pass。  It



seems that shortly after the retreat began he was sent back to



the town where some divisions of the French army (and among them



the Polish corps of Prince Joseph Poniatowski); jammed hopelessly



in the streets; were being simply exterminated by the troops of



the Allied Powers。  When asked what it was like in there; Mr。



Nicholas B。 muttered only the word 〃Shambles。〃  Having delivered



his message to the Prince he hastened away at once to render an



account of his mission to the superior who had sent him。  By that



time the advance of the enemy had enveloped the town; and he was



shot at from houses and chased all the way to the river…bank by a



disorderly mob of Austrian Dragoons and Prussian Hussars。  The



bridge had been mined early in the morning; and his opinion was



that the sight of the horsemen converging from many sides in the



pursuit of his person alarmed the officer in command of the



sappers and caused the premature firing of the charges。  He had



not gone more than two hundred yards on the other side when he



heard the sound of the fatal explosions。  Mr。 Nicholas B。



concluded his bald narrative with the word 〃Imbecile;〃 uttered



with the utmost deliberation。  It testified to his indignation at



the loss of so many thousands of lives。  But his phlegmatic



physiognomy lighted up when he spoke of his only wound; with



something resembling satisfaction。  You will see that there was



some reason for it when you learn that he was wounded in the



heel。  〃Like his Majesty the Emperor Napoleon himself;〃 he



reminded his hearers; with assumed indifference。  There can be no



doubt that the indifference was assumed; if one thinks what a



very distinguished sort of wound it was。  In all the history of



warfare there are; I believe; only three warriors publicly known



to have been wounded in the heelAchilles and Napoleondemigods



indeedto whom the familial piety of an unworthy descendant adds



the name of the simple mortal; Nicholas B。







The Hundred Days found Mr。 Nicholas B。 staying with a distant



relative of ours; owner of a small estate in Galicia。  How he got



there across the breadth of an armed Europe; and after what



adventures; I am afraid will never be known now。  All his papers



were destroyed shortly before his death; but if there was among



them; as he affirmed; a concise record of his life; then I am



pretty sure it did not take up more than a half sheet of foolscap



or so。  This relative of ours happened to be an Austrian officer



who had left the service after the battle of Austerlitz。  Unlike



Mr。 Nicholas B。; who concealed his decorations; he liked to



display his honourable discharge in which he was mentioned as un



schreckbar (fearless) before the enemy。  No conjunction could



seem more unpromising; yet it stands in the family tradition that



these two got on very well together in their rural solitude。







When asked whether he had not been sorely tempted during the



Hundred Days to make his way again to France and join the service



of his beloved Emperor; Mr。 Nicholas B。 used to mutter: 〃No



money。  No horse。  Too far to walk。〃







The fall of Napoleon and the ruin of national hopes affected



adversely the character of Mr。 Nicholas B。  He shrank from



returning to his province。  But for that there was also another



reason。  Mr。 Nicholas B。 and his brothermy maternal grand



fatherhad lost their father early; while they were quite



children。  Their mother; young still and left very well off;



married again a man of great charm and of an amiable disposition;



but without a penny。  He turned out an affectionate and careful



stepfather; it was unfortunate; though; that while directing the



boys' education and forming their character by wise counsel; he



did his best to get hold of the fortune by buying and selling



land in his own name and investing capital in such a manner as to



cover up the traces of the real ownership。  It seems that such



practices can be successful if one is charming enough to dazzle



one's own wife permanently; and brave enough to defy the vain



terrors of public opinion。  The critical time came when the elder



of the boys on attaining his majority; in the year 1811; asked



for the accounts and some part at least of the inheritance to



begin life upon。  It was then that the stepfather declared with



calm finality that there were no accounts to render and no



property to inherit。  The whole fortune was his very own。  He was



very good…natured about the young man's misapprehension of the



true state of affairs; but; of course; felt obliged to maintain



his position firmly。  Old friends came and went busily; voluntary



mediators appeared travelling on most horrible roads from the



most distant corners of the three provinces; and the Marshal of



the Nobility (ex…officio guardian of all well…born orphans)



called a meeting of landowners to 〃ascertain in a frie

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