战争与和平(上)-第211章

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The　Emperor　was　in　excellent　spirits　after　his　ride　about　Vilna；　greeted　and　followed　with　acclamations　by　crowds　of　the　inhabitants。　From　every　window　in　the　streets　through　which　he　had　passed　draperies　and　flags　with　his　monogram　had　been　hanging；　and　Polish　ladies　had　been　waving　handkerchiefs　to　welcome　him。
At　dinner　he　sat　Balashov　beside　him；　and　addressed　him　affably。　He　addressed　him　indeed　as　though　he　regarded　Balashov　as　one　of　his　own　courtiers；　as　one　of　the　people；　who　would　sympathise　with　his　plans　and　be　sure　to　rejoice　at　his　successes。　He　talked；　among　other　things；　of　Moscow；　and　began　asking　Balashov　questions　about　the　ancient　Russian　capital；　not　simply　as　a　traveller　of　inquiring　mind　asks　about　a　new　place　he　intends　to　visit；　but　apparently　with　the　conviction　that　Balashov　as　a　Russian　must　be　flattered　at　his　interest　in　it。
“How　many　inhabitants　are　there　in　Moscow；　how　many　horses？　Is　it　true　that　Moscow　is　called　the　holy　city？　How　many　churches　are　there　in　Moscow？”　he　asked。
And　when　he　was　told　there　were　over　two　hundred　churches；　he　said：　“Why　is　there　such　a　great　number　of　churches？”
“The　Russians　are　very　religious；”　replied　Balashov。
“A　great　number；　however；　of　monasteries　and　churches　is　always　a　sign　of　the　backwardness　of　a　people；”　said　Napoleon；　looking　at　Caulaincourt　for　appreciation　of　this　remark。
Balashov　ventured　respectfully　to　differ　from　the　opinion　of　the　French　Emperor。
“Every　country　has　its　customs；”　he　observed。
“But　there’s　nothing　like　that　anywhere　else　in　Europe；”　said　Napoleon。
“I　beg　your　majesty’s　pardon；”　said　Balashov；　“besides　Russia；　there　is　Spain；　where　there　is　also　a　great　number　of　churches　and　monasteries。”
This　reply　of　Balashov’s；　which　suggested　a　covert　allusion　to　the　recent　discomfiture　of　the　French　in　Spain；　was　highly　appreciated　when　Balashov　repeated　it　at　the　court　of　the　Emperor　Alexander；　though　at　the　time　at　Napoleon’s　dinner…table　it　was　very　little　appreciated　and　passed　indeed　unnoticed。
From　the　indifferent　and　perplexed　faces　of　the　marshals　present　it　was　obvious　that　they　were　puzzled　to　discover　wherein　lay　the　point　of　the　retort；　suggested　by　Balashov’s　intonation。　“If　there　were　a　point；　we　fail　to　catch　it；　or　the　remark　was　perhaps　really　pointless；”　their　expression　seemed　to　say。　So　little　effect　had　this　retort　that　Napoleon　indeed　certainly　saw　nothing　in　it；　and　he　na？vely　asked　Balashov　through　what　towns　the　direct　road　from　Vilna　to　Moscow　passed。　Balashov；　who　had　been　all　dinner…time　on　his　guard；　replied　that　as；　according　to　the　proverb；　every　road　leads　to　Rome；　every　road　leads　to　Moscow；　that　there　were　very　many　roads；　and　among　them　was　the　road　to　Poltava；　the　one　selected　by　Charles　XII。　Balashov　could　not　help　flushing　with　delight　at　the　felicity　of　this　reply。　Balashov　had　hardly　uttered　the　last　word　“Poltava”　when　Caulaincourt　began　talking　of　the　badness　of　the　road　from　Petersburg　to　Moscow　and　his　own　Petersburg　reminiscences。
After　dinner　they　went　to　drink　coffee　in　Napoleon’s　study；　which　had　four　days　before　been　the　study　of　the　Emperor　Alexander。　Napoleon　sat　down；　stirring　his　coffee　in　a　Sèvres　cup；　and　motioned　Balashov　to　a　seat　beside　him。
There　is　a　well…known　after…dinner　mood　which　is　more　potent　than　any　rational　consideration　in　making　a　man　satisfied　with　himself　and　disposed　to　regard　every　one　as　a　friend。　Napoleon　was　under　the　influence　of　this　mood。　He　fancied　himself　surrounded　by　persons　who　adored　him。　He　felt　no　doubt　that　Balashov　too　after　his　dinner　was　his　friend　and　his　worshipper。　Napoleon　addressed　him　with　an　amicable　and　rather　ironical　smile。
“This　is　the　very　room；　I　am　told；　in　which　the　Emperor　Alexander　used　to　sit。　Strange；　isn’t　it；　general？”　he　said；　obviously　without　the　slightest　misgiving　that　this　remark　could　be　other　than　agreeable　to　the　Russian；　since　it　afforded　a　proof　of　his；　Napoleon’s；　superiority　over　Alexander。
Balashov　could　make　no　reply　to　this；　and　he　bowed　in　silence。
“Yes；　four　days　ago；　Wintzengerode　and　Stein　were　deliberating　in　this　very　room；”　Napoleon　continued；　with　the　same　confident　and　ironical　smile。　“What　I　can’t　understand；”　he　said；　“is　the　Emperor　Alexander’s　gathering　round　him　all　my　personal　enemies。　That　I　do　not　understand。　Didn’t　he　consider　that　I　might　do　the　same？”　he　asked　Balashov；　and　obviously　the　question　brought　him　back　to　a　reminiscence　of　the　morning’s　anger；　which　was　still　fresh　in　him。　“And　let　him　know　that　I　will　do　so；”　Napoleon　said；　getting　up　and　pushing　away　his　cup。　“I’ll　drive　all　his　kith　and　kin　out　of　Germany—the　Würtembergs　and　Badens　and　Weimars…Yes；　I’ll　drive　them　out。　Let　him　get　a　refuge　ready　for　them　in　Russia。”
Balashov　bowed　his　head；　with　an　air　that　indicated　that　he　would　be　glad　to　withdraw；　and　was　simply　listening　because　he　had　no　alternative　but　to　listen　to　what　was　said　to　him。　Napoleon　did　not　notice　this　expression。　He　was　addressing　Balashov　now；　not　as　the　envoy　of　his　enemy；　but　as　a　man　now　quite　devoted　to　him　and　certain　to　rejoice　at　the　humiliation　of　his　former　master。
“And　why　has　the　Emperor　Alexander　taken　the　command　of　his　troops？　What’s　that　for？　War　is　my　profession；　but　his　work　is　to　reign　and　not　to　command　armies。　What　has　induced　him　to　take　such　a　responsibility　on　himself？”
Napoleon　again　took　his　snuff…box；　walked　several　times　in　silence　up　and　down　the　room；　and　all　at　once　surprised　Balashov　by　coming　close　up　to　him。　And　with　a　faint　smile；　as　confidently；　rapidly；　and　swiftly；　as　though　he　were　doing　something　that　Balashov　could　not　but　regard　as　an　honour　and　a　pleasure；　he　put　his　hand　up　to　the　face　of　the　Russian　general　of　forty；　and　gave　him　a　little　pinch　on　the　ear　with　a　smile　on　his　lips。
To　have　the　ear　pulled　by　the　Emperor　was　regarded　as　the　greatest　honour　and　mark　of　favour　at　the　French　court。
“Well；　you　say　nothing；　admirer　and　courtier　of　the　Emperor　Alexander；”　he　said；　as　though　it　were　comic　that　there　should　be　in　his　presence　a　courtier　and　worshipper　of　any　man　other　than　him；　Napoleon。　“Are　the　horses　ready　for　the　general？”　he　added；　with　a　slight　nod　in　acknowledgment　of　Balashov’s　bow。　“Give　him　mine；　he　has　a　long　way　to　go。…”
The　letter　taken　back　by　Balashov　was　Napoleon’s　last　letter　to　Alexander。　Every　detail　of　the　conversation　was　transmitted　to　the　Russian　Emperor；　and　the　war　began。


Chapter　8
AFTER　HIS　INTERVIEW　with　Pierre　in　Moscow；　Prince　Andrey　went　away　to　Petersburg；　telling　his　family　that　he　had　business　there。　In　reality　his　object　was　to　meet　Anatole　Kuragin　there。　He　thought　it　necessary　to　meet　him；　but　on　inquiring　for　him　when　he　reached　Petersburg；　he　found　he　was　no　longer　there。　Pierre　had　let　his　brother…in…law　know　that　Prince　Andrey　was　on　his　track。　Anatole　Kuragin　had　promptly　obtained　a　commission　from　the　minister　of　war；　and　had　gone　to　join　the　army　in　Moldavia。　While　in　Petersburg　Prince　Andrey　met　Kutuzov；　his　old　general；　who　was　always　friendly　to　him；　and　Kutuzov　proposed　that　he　should　accompany　him　to　Moldavia；　where　the　old　general　was　being　sent　to　take　command　of　the　army。　Prince　Andrey　received　an　appointment　on　the　staff　of　the　commander；　and　went　to　Turkey。
Prince　Andrey　did　not　think　it　proper　to　write　to　Kuragin　to　challenge　him　to　a　duel。　He　thought　that　a　challenge　coming　from　him；　without　any　new　pretext　for　a　duel；　would　be　compromising　for　the　young　Countess　Rostov；　and　therefore　he　was　seeking　to　encounter　Kuragin　in　person　in　order　to　pick　a　quarrel　with　him　that　would　serve　as　a　pretext　for　a　duel。　But　in　the　Turkish　army　too　Prince　Andrey　failed　to　come　across　Kuragin。　The　latter　had　returned　to　Russia　shortly　after　Prince　Andrey　reached　the　Turkish　army。　In　a　new　country；　amid　new　surroundings；　Prince　Andrey　found　life　easier　to　bear。　After　his　betrothed’s　betrayal　of　him；　which　he　felt　the　more　keenly；　the　more　studiously　he　strove　to　conceal　its　effect　on　him　from　others；　he　found　it　hard　to　bear　the　conditions　of　life　in　which　he　had　been　happy；　and　felt　still　more　irksome　the　freedom　and　independence　he　had　once　prized　so　highly。　He　could　not　now　think　the　tho