some reminiscences-第14章

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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　grand…uncle　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



somewhere　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　amongst



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　the　only　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　200　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　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　Napoleondemi…



gods　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　amongst



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



unschreckbar　（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



grandfatherhad　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　friendly　way　how　the



misunderstanding　between　X　and　his　stepsons　had　arisen　and　devise



proper　measures　to　remove　the　same。〃　　A　deputation　to　that　effect



visited　X；