战争与和平(上)-第124章

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　time　of　anguish；　and　bent　over　the　child　with　the　glass。
“But　I　wish　it；”　he　said。　“Come；　I　beg　you；　give　it　him…”
Princess　Marya　shrugged　her　shoulders　but　obediently　she　took　the　glass；　and　calling　the　nurse；　began　giving　the　child　the　medicine。　The　baby　screamed　and　wheezed。　Prince　Andrey；　scowling　and　clutching　at　his　head；　went　out　of　the　room　and　sat　down　on　the　sofa　in　the　adjoining　one。
The　letters　were　still　in　his　hand。　Mechanically　he　opened　them　and　began　to　read。　The　old　prince　in　his　big；　sprawling　hand；　making　use　of　occasional　abbreviations；　wrote　on　blue　paper　as　follows：
“I　have　this　moment　received；　through　a　special　messenger；　very　joyful　news；　if　it’s　not　a　falsehood。　Bennigsen　has　gained　it　seems　a　complete　victory　over　Bonaparte　near　Eylau。　In　Petersburg　every　one’s　jubilant　and　rewards　have　been　sent　to　the　army　without　stint。　Though　he’s　a　German—I　congratulate　him。　Commander　in　Kortchevo；　a　certain　Handrikov；　I　can’t　make　out　what　he’s　about；　full　contingent　of　men　and　regulation　provision　not　yet　arrived。　Gallop　over　at　once　and　say　I’ll　have　his　head　off　if　it’s　not　all　here　within　the　week。　I　have　a　letter　too　about　the　Prussian　battle　at　Preussisch…Eylau　from　Petenka；　he　took　part　in　it；—it’s　true。　If　people　don’t　meddle　who’ve　no　business　to　meddle；　even　a　German　beats　Bonaparte。　They　say　he’s　running　away　in　great　disorder。　Mind　you　gallop　over　to　Kortchevo　and　do　the　business　without　delay！”
Prince　Andrey　sighed　and　broke　open　the　other　letter。　It　was　a　letter　from　Bilibin；　two　sheets　covered　with　fine　handwriting。　He　folded　it　up　without　reading　it；　and　read　through　once　more　his　father’s　letter；　ending　with　the　words：　“Mind　you　gallop　over　to　Kortchevo　and　do　the　business　without　delay！”
“No；　excuse　me；　I’m　not　going　now　till　the　child　is　better；”　he　thought；　and　going　to　the　door　he　glanced　into　the　nursery。　Princess　Marya　was　still　standing　at　the　crib；　softly　rocking　the　baby。　“Oh；　and　what　was　the　other　unpleasant　thing　he　writes　about？”　Prince　Andrey　thought　of　the　contents　of　his　father’s　letter。　“Yes。　Our　troops　have　gained　a　victory　over　Bonaparte　precisely　when　I’m　not　in　the　army。　Yes；　yes；　everything　mocks　at　me…well　and　welcome　too…”　and　he　began　reading　the　letter　in　French　from　Bilibin。　He　read；　not　understanding　half　of　it；　read　simply　to　escape　for　one　moment　from　thinking　of　what　he　had　too　long；　too　exclusively　and　too　anxiously　been　dwelling　upon。


Chapter　9
BILIBIN　was　now　in　a　diplomatic　capacity　at　the　headquarters　of　the　army；　and　though　he　wrote　in　French；　with　French　jests；　and　French　turns　of　speech；　he　described　the　whole　campaign　with　an　impartial　self…criticism　and　self…mockery　exclusively　Russian。　Bilibin　wrote　that　the　obligation　of　diplomatic　discretion　was　a　torture　to　him；　and　that　he　was　happy　to　have　in　Prince　Andrey　a　trustworthy　correspondent　to　whom　he　could　pour　out　all　the　spleen　that　had　been　accumulating　in　him　at　the　sight　of　what　was　going　on　in　the　army。　The　letter　was　dated　some　time　back；　before　the　battle　of　Eylau。
“Since　our　great　success　at　Austerlitz；　you　know；　my　dear　prince；”　wrote　Bilibin；　“that　I　have　not　left　headquarters。　Decidedly　I　have　acquired　a　taste　for　warfare；　and　it　is　just　as　well　for　me。　What　I　have　seen　in　these　three　months　is　incredible。
“I　will　begin　ab　ovo。　‘The　enemy　of　the　human　race；’　as　you　know；　is　attacking　the　Prussians。　The　Prussians　are　our　faithful　allies；　who　have　only　deceived　us　three　times　in　three　years。　We　stand　up　for　them。　But　it　occurs　that　the　enemy　of　the　human　race　pays　no　attention　to　our　fine　speeches；　and　in　his　uncivil　and　savage　way　flings　himself　upon　the　Prussians　without　giving　them　time　to　finish　the　parade　that　they　had　begun；　and　by　a　couple　of　conjuring　tricks　thrashes　them　completely；　and　goes　to　take　up　his　quarters　in　the　palace　of　Potsdam。
“　‘I　most　earnestly　desire；’　writes　the　King　of　Prussia　to　Bonaparte；　‘that　your　majesty　may　be　received　and　treated　in　my　palace　in　a　manner　agreeable　to　you；　and　I　have　hastened　to　take　all　the　measures　to　that　end　which　circumstances　allowed。　May　I　have　succeeded！’　The　Prussian　generals　pride　themselves　on　their　politeness　towards　the　French；　and　lay　down　their　arms　at　the　first　summons。
“The　head　of　the　garrison　at　Glogau；　who　has　ten　thousand　men；　asks　the　King　of　Prussia　what　he　is　to　do　if　he　is　summoned　to　surrender。…All　these　are　actual　facts。
“In　short；　hoping　only　to　produce　an　effect　by　our　military　attitude；　we　find　ourselves　at　war　in　good　earnest；　and；　what　is　more；　at　war　on　our　own　frontiers　with　and　for　the　King　of　Prussia。　Everything　is　fully　ready；　we　only　want　one　little　thing；　that　is　the　commander…in…chief。　As　it　is　thought　that　the　successes　at　Austerlitz　might　have　been　more　decisive　if　the　commander…in…chief　had　not　been　so　young；　the　men　of　eighty　have　been　passed　in　review；　and　of　Prosorovsky　and　Kamensky　the　latter　is　preferred。　The　general　comes　to　us　in　a　k？bik　after　the　fashion　of　Suvorov；　and　is　greeted　with　acclamations　of　joy　and　triumph。
“On　the　4th　comes　the　first　post　from　Petersburg。　The　mails　are　taken　to　the　marshal’s　room；　for　he　likes　to　do　everything　himself。　I　am　called　to　sort　the　letters　and　take　those　meant　for　us。　The　marshal　looks　on　while　we　do　it；　and　waits　for　the　packets　addressed　to　him。　We　seek—there　are　none。　The　marshal　gets　impatient；　sets　to　work　himself；　and　finds　letters　from　the　Emperor　for　Count　T。；　Prince　V。；　and　others。　Then　he　throws　himself　into　one　of　his　furies。　He　rages　against　everybody；　snatches　hold　of　the　letters；　opens　them；　and　reads　those　from　the　Emperor　to　other　people。
“　‘Ah；　so　that’s　how　I’m　being　treated！　No　confidence　in　me！　Oh；　ordered　to　keep　an　eye　on　me；　very　well；　get　along　with　you！’
“And　then　he　writes　the　famous　order　of　the　day　to　General　Bennigsen：
“　‘I　am　wounded；　I　cannot　ride　on　horseback；　consequently　cannot　command　the　army。　You　have　led　your　corps　d’armée　defeated　to　Pultusk！　Here　it　remains　exposed　and　destitute　of　wood　and　of　forage；　and　in　need　of　assistance；　and　so；　as　you　reported　yourself　to　Count　Buxhevden　yesterday；　you　must　think　of　retreat　to　our　frontier；　and　so　do　today。’
“　‘All　my　expeditions　on　horseback；’　he　writes　to　the　Emperor；　‘have　given　me　a　saddle　sore；　which；　after　my　former　journeys；　quite　prevents　my　sitting　a　horse；　and　commanding　an　army　so　widely　scattered；　and　therefore　I　have　handed　over　the　said　command　to　the　general　next　in　seniority　to　me；　Count　Buxhevden；　having　despatched　to　him　all　my　suite　and　appurtenances　of　the　same；　advising　him；　if　bread　should　run　short；　to　retreat　further　into　the　interior　of　Prussia；　seeing　that　bread　for　one　day’s　rations　only　is　left；　and　some　regiments　have　none；　as　the　commanders　Osterman　and　Sedmoretsky　have　reported；　and　the　peasantry　of　the　country　have　had　everything　eaten　up。　I　shall　myself　remain　in　the　hospital　at　Ostrolenka　till　I　am　cured。　In　regard　to　which　I　must　humbly　submit　the　report　that　if　the　army　remains　another　fortnight　in　its　present　bivouac；　by　spring　not　a　man　will　be　left　in　health。
“　‘Graciously　discharge　from　his　duty　an　old　man　who　is　sufficiently　disgraced　by　his　inability　to　perform　the　great　and　glorious　task　for　which　he　was　chosen。　I　shall　await　here　in　the　hospital　your　most　gracious　acceptance　of　my　retirement；　that　I　may　not　have　to　act　the　part　of　a　secretary　rather　than　a　commander。　My　removal　is　not　producing　the　slightest　sensation—a　blind　man　is　leaving　the　army；　that　is　all。　More　like　me　can　be　found　in　Russia　by　thousands！’
“The　marshal　is　angry　with　the　Emperor　and　punishes　all　of　us；　isn’t　it　logical！
“That　is　the　first　act。　In　the　next　the　interest　and　the　absurdity　rise；　as　they　ought。　After　the　marshal　has　departed　it　appears　that　we　are　within　sight　of　the　enemy　and　shall　have　to　give　battle。　Buxhevden　is　commanding　officer　by　right　of　seniority；　but　General　Bennigsen　is　not　of　that　opinion；　the　rather　that　it　is　he　and　his　corps　who　face　the　enemy；　and　he　wants　to　seize　the　opportunity　to　fight　a　battle　‘on　his　own　hand；’　as　the　Germans　say。　He　fights　it。　It　is　the　battle　of　Pultusk；　which　is　counted　a　great　victory；　but　which　in　my　opinion　i