战争与和平(上)-第206章

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　the　place　where　Napoleon　had　stood；　though　he　was　no　longer　there；　and　at　that　moment　thought　themselves　happy。
In　the　evening　between　giving　two　orders—one　for　hastening　the　arrival　of　the　counterfeit　rouble　notes　that　had　been　prepared　for　circulation　in　Russia；　and　the　other　for　shooting　a　Saxon　who　had　been　caught　with　a　letter　containing　a　report　on　the　disposition　of　the　French　army—Napoleon　gave　a　third　order　for　presenting　the　colonel；　who　had　quite　unnecessarily　flung　himself　in　the　river；　the　order　of　the　Légion　d’Honneur；　of　which　he　was　himself　the　head。　Quos　vult　perdere；　dementat。


Chapter　3
THE　RUSSIAN　EMPEROR　had　meanwhile　been　spending　more　than　a　month　in　Vilna；　holding　reviews　and　inspecting　man？uvres。　Nothing　was　in　readiness　for　the　war；　which　all　were　expecting；　though　it　was　to　prepare　for　it　that　the　Tsar　had　come　from　Petersburg。　There　was　no　general　plan　of　action。　The　vacillation　between　all　the　plans　that　were　proposed　and　the　inability　to　fix　on　any　one　of　them；　was　more　marked　than　ever　after　the　Tsar　had　been　for　a　month　at　headquarters。　There　was　a　separate　commander…in…chief　at　the　head　of　each　of　the　three　armies；　but　there　was　no　commander　with　authority　over　all　of　them；　and　the　Tsar　did　not　undertake　the　duties　of　such　a　commander…in…chief　himself。
The　longer　the　Tsar　stayed　at　Vilna；　the　less　ready　was　the　Russian　army　for　the　war；　which　it　had　grown　weary　of　expecting。　Every　effort　of　the　men　who　surrounded　the　Tsar　seemed　to　be　devoted　to　making　their　sovereign　spend　his　time　pleasantly　and　forget　the　impending　war。
Many　balls　and　fêtes　were　given　by　the　Polish　magnates；　by　members　of　the　court；　and　by　the　Tsar　himself；　and　in　the　month　of　June　it　occurred　to　one　of　the　Polish　generals　attached　to　the　Tsar’s　staff　that　all　the　generals　on　the　staff　should　give　a　dinner　and　a　ball　to　the　Tsar。　The　suggestion　was　eagerly　taken　up。　The　Tsar　gave　his　consent。　The　generals　on　the　staff　subscribed　the　necessary　funds。　The　lady　who　was　most　likely　to　please　the　Tsar’s　taste　was　selected　as　hostess　for　the　ball。　Count　Bennigsen；　who　had　land　in　the　Vilna　province；　offered　his　house　in　the　outskirts　for　this　fête；　and　the　13th　of　June　was　the　day　fixed　for　a　ball；　a　dinner；　with　a　regatta　and　fireworks　at　Zakreta；　Count　Bennigsen’s　suburban　house。
On　the　very　day　on　which　Napoleon　gave　the　order　to　cross　the　Niemen；　and　the　vanguard　of　his　army　crossed　the　Russian　frontier；　driving　back　the　Cossacks；　Alexander　was　at　the　ball　given　by　the　generals　on　his　staff　at　Count　Bennigsen’s　house。
It　was　a　brilliant　and　festive　entertainment。　Connoisseurs　declared　that　rarely　had　so　many　beauties　been　gathered　together　at　one　place。　Countess　Bezuhov；　who　had　been　among　the　Russian　ladies　who　had　followed　the　Tsar　from　Petersburg　to　Vilna；　was　at　that　ball；　her　heavy；　Russian　style　of　beauty—as　it　is　called—overshadowing　the　more　refined　Polish　ladies。　She　was　much　noticed；　and　the　Tsar　had　deigned　to　bestow　a　dance　upon　her。
Boris　Drubetskoy；　who　had　left　his　wife　at　Moscow；　and　was　living　“en　gar？on；”　as　he　said；　at　Vilna；　was　also　at　that　ball；　and　although　he　was　not　a　general　on　the　staff；　he　had　subscribed　a　large　sum　to　the　ball。　Boris　was　now　a　wealthy　man　who　had　risen　to　high　honours。　He　no　longer　sought　patronage；　but　was　on　an　equal　footing　with　the　most　distinguished　men　of　his　age。　At　Vilna　he　met　Ellen；　whom　he　had　not　seen　for　a　long　while。　As　Ellen　was　enjoying　the　good　graces　of　a　very　important　personage　indeed；　and　Boris　had　so　recently　been　married；　they　made　no　allusion　to　the　past；　but　met　as　good…natured；　old　friends。
At　midnight　dancing　was　still　going　on。　Ellen　happening　to　have　no　suitable　partner　had　herself　proposed　a　mazurka　to　Boris。　They　were　the　third　couple。　Boris　was　looking　coldly　at　Ellen’s　splendid　bare　shoulders；　which　rose　out　of　her　dress　of　dark　gauze　and　gold；　and　was　talking　to　her　of　old　acquaintances；　and　yet　though　others　and　himself　too　were　unaware　of　it；　he　never　for　a　second　ceased　observing　the　Tsar　who　was　in　the　same　room。　The　Tsar　was　not　dancing；　he　was　standing　in　the　doorway；　stopping　one　person　after　the　other　with　the　gracious　words　he　alone　knew　how　to　utter。
At　the　beginning　of　the　mazurka；　Boris　saw　that　a　general　of　the　staff；　Balashov；　one　of　the　persons　in　closest　attendance　on　the　Tsar；　went　up　to　him；　and；　regardless　of　court　etiquette；　stopped　close　to　him；　while　he　conversed　with　a　Polish　lady。　After　saying　a　few　words　to　the　lady；　the　Tsar　glanced　inquiringly　at　Balashov；　and　apparently　seeing　that　he　was　behaving　like　this　only　because　he　had　weighty　reasons　for　doing　so；　he　gave　the　lady　a　slight　nod　and　turned　to　Balashov。　The　Tsar’s　countenance　betrayed　amazement；　as　soon　as　Balashov　had　begun　to　speak。　He　took　Balashov’s　arm　and　walked　across　the　room　with　him；　unconsciously　clearing　a　space　of　three　yards　on　each　side　of　him　as　people　hastily　drew　back。　Boris　noticed　the　excited　face　of　Araktcheev　as　the　Tsar　walked　up　the　room　with　Balashov。　Araktcheev；　looking　from　under　his　brows　at　the　Tsar；　and　sniffing　with　his　red　nose；　moved　forward　out　of　the　crowd　as　though　expecting　the　Tsar　to　apply　to　him。　（Boris　saw　that　Araktcheev　envied　Balashov　and　was　displeased　at　any　important　news　having　reached　the　Tsar　not　through　him。）　But　the　Tsar　and　Balashov　walked　out　by　the　door　into　the　lighted　garden；　without　noticing　Araktcheev。　Araktcheev；　holding　his　sword　and　looking　wrathfully　about　him；　followed　twenty　paces　behind　them。
Boris　went　on　performing　the　figures　of　the　mazurka；　but　he　was　all　the　while　fretted　by　wondering　what　the　news　could　be　that　Balashov　had　brought；　and　in　what　way　he　could　find　it　out　before　other　people。　In　the　figure　in　which　he　had　to　choose　a　lady；　he　whispered　to　Ellen　that　he　wanted　to　choose　Countess　Pototsky；　who　had；　he　thought；　gone　out　on　to　the　balcony；　and　gliding　over　the　parquet；　he　flew　to　the　door　that　opened　into　the　garden；　and　seeing　the　Tsar　and　Balashov　coming　into　the　verandah；　he　stood　still　there。　The　Tsar　and　Balashov　moved　towards　the　door。　Boris；　with　a　show　of　haste；　as　though　he　had　not　time　to　move　away；　squeezed　respectfully　up　to　the　doorpost　and　bowed　his　head。　The　Tsar　in　the　tone　of　a　man　resenting　a　personal　insult　was　saying：
“To　enter　Russia　with　no　declaration　of　war！　I　will　consent　to　conciliation　only　when　not　a　single　enemy　under　arms　is　left　in　my　country；”　he　said。
It　seemed　to　Boris　that　the　Tsar　liked　uttering　these　words：　he　was　pleased　with　the　form　in　which　he　had　expressed　his　feelings；　but　displeased　at　Boris　overhearing　them。
“Let　nobody　know　of　it！”　the　Tsar　added；　frowning。
Boris　saw　that　this　was　aimed　at　him；　and　closing　his　eyes；　inclined　his　head　a　little。　The　Tsar　went　back　to　the　ballroom；　and　remained　there　another　half　hour。
Boris　was　the　first　person　to　learn　the　news　that　the　French　troops　had　crossed　the　Niemen；　and；　thanks　to　that　fact；　was　enabled　to　prove　to　various　persons　of　great　consequence；　that　much　that　was　hidden　from　others　was　commonly　known　to　him；　and　was　thereby　enabled　to　rise　even　higher　than　before　in　the　opinion　of　those　persons。
The　astounding　news　of　the　French　having　crossed　the　Niemen　seemed　particularly　unexpected　from　coming　after　a　month’s　uninterrupted　expectation　of　it；　and　arriving　at　a　ball！　At　the　first　moment　of　amazement　and　resentment　on　getting　the　news；　Alexander　hit　on　the　declaration　that　has　since　become　famous—a　declaration　which　pleased　him　and　fully　expressed　his　feelings。　On　returning　home　after　the　ball　at　two　o’clock　in　the　night；　the　Tsar　sent　for　his　secretary；　Shishkov；　and　told　him　to　write　a　decree　to　the　army　and　a　rescript　to　Field…Marshal　Prince　Saltykov；　and　he　insisted　on　the　words　being　inserted　that　he　would　never　make　peace　as　long　as　one　Frenchman　under　arms　remained　in　Russia。
The　next　day　the　following　letter　was　written　to　Napoleon：
MONSIEUR　MON　FRèRE；—I　learnt　yesterday　that　in　spite　of　the　loyalty　with　which　I　have　kept　my　engagements　with　your　Majesty；　your　troops　have　crossed　the　frontiers　of　Russia；　and　I　have　this　moment　received　from　Petersburg　the　note　in　which　Count　Lauriston　informs　me　as　cause　of　this　invasion　that　your　majesty　cons