战争与和平(上)-第260章

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ld　not　have　it　so；　or　he　was　talked　over。　You　see　…”　Boris　did　not　finish　because　Kaisarov；　Kutuzov’s　adjutant；　at　that　moment　came　up　to　Pierre。　“Ah；　Paisy　Sergeitch；”　said　Boris　to　him；　with　an　unembarrassed　smile；　“I　am　trying；　you　see；　to　explain　the　position　to　the　count。　It’s　amazing　how　his　highness　can　gauge　the　enemy’s　plans　so　accurately！”
“Do　you　mean　about　the　left　flank？”　said　Kaisarov。
“Yes；　yes；　just　so。　Our　left　flank　is　now　extremely　strong。”
Although　Kutuzov　had　made　a　clearance　of　the　superfluous　persons　on　the　staff；　Boris　had　succeeded；　after　the　change　he　had　made；　in　retaining　a　post　at　headquarters。　Boris　was　in　attendance　on　Count　Bennigsen。　Count　Bennigsen；　like　every　one　on　whom　Boris　had　been　in　attendance；　looked　on　young　Prince　Drubetskoy　as　an　invaluable　man。　Among　the　chief　officers　of　the　army　there　were　two　clearly　defined　parties：　Kutuzov’s　party　and　the　party　of　Bennigsen；　the　chief　of　the　staff。　Boris　belonged　to　the　latter　faction；　and　no　one　succeeded　better　than　he　did　in　paying　the　most　servile　adulation　to　Kutuzov；　while　managing　to　insinuate　that　the　old　fellow　was　not　good　for　much；　and　that　everything　was　really　due　to　the　initiative　of　Bennigsen。　Now　the　decisive　moment　of　battle　had　come；　which　must　mean　the　downfall　of　Kutuzov　and　the　transfer　of　the　command　to　Bennigsen；　or　if　Kutuzov　should　gain　the　battle；　the　credit　of　it　must　be　skilfully　put　down　to　Bennigsen。　In　any　case　many　promotions　were　bound　to　be　made；　and　many　new　men　were　certain　to　be　brought　to　the　front　after　the　morrow。　And　Boris　was　consequently　in　a　state　of　nervous　exhilaration　all　that　day。
Others　of　Pierre’s　acquaintances　joined　him；　and　he　had　not　time　to　answer　all　the　questions　about　Moscow　that　were　showered　upon　him；　nor　to　listen　to　all　they　had　to　tell　him。　Every　face　wore　a　look　of　excitement　and　agitation。　But　it　seemed　to　Pierre　that　the　cause　of　the　excitement　that　was　betrayed　by　some　of　those　faces　was　to　be　found　in　questions　of　personal　success；　and　he　could　not　forget　that　other　look　of　excitement　he　had　seen　in　the　other　faces；　that　suggested　problems；　not　of　personal　success；　but　the　universal　questions　of　life　and　death。
Kutuzov　noticed　Pierre’s　figure　and　the　group　gathered　about　him。
“Call　him　to　me；”　said　Kutuzov。
An　adjutant　communicated　his　highness’s　desire；　and　Pierre　went　towards　the　bench。　But　a　militiaman　approached　Kutuzov　before　him。　It　was　Dolohov。
“How　does　that　man　come　to　be　here？”　asked　Pierre。
“Oh；　he’s　such　a　sly　dog；　he　pokes　himself　in　everywhere！”　was　the　answer　he　received。　“He　has　been　degraded　to　the　ranks；　you　know。　Now　he　wants　to　pop　up　again。　He　has　made　plans　of　some　sort　and　spies　in　the　enemy’s　lines　at　night　…　but　he’s　a　plucky　fellow　…”
Pierre　took　off　his　hat　and　bowed　respectfully　to　Kutuzov。
“I　decided　that　if　I　were　to　lay　the　matter　before　your　highness；　you　might　dismiss　me　or　say　that　you　were　aware　of　the　facts　and　then　I　shouldn’t　lose　anything；”　Dolohov　was　saying。
“To　be　sure。”
“And　if　I　were　right；　I　should　do　a　service　for　my　fatherland；　for　which　I　am　ready　to　die。”
“To　be　sure　…　to　be　sure　…”
“And　if　your　highness　has　need　of　a　man　who　would　not　spare　his　skin　graciously　remember　me　…　perhaps　I　might　be　of　use　to　your　highness　…”
“To　be　sure　…　to　be　sure　…”　repeated　Kutuzov；　looking　with　laughing；　half…closed　eye　at　Pierre。
Meanwhile　Boris；　with　his　courtier…like　tact；　had　moved　close　to　the　commander…in…chief　with　Pierre；　and　in　the　most　natural　manner；　in　a　quiet　voice；　as　though　continuing　his　previous　conversation；　he　said　to　Pierre：
“The　peasant　militiamen　have　simply　put　on　clean；　white　shirts　to　be　ready　to　die。　What　heroism；　count！”
Boris　said　this　to　Pierre　with　the　evident　intention　of　being　overheard　by　his　excellency。　He　knew　Kutuzov’s　attention　would　be　caught　by　those　words；　and　his　highness　did　in　fact　address　him。
“What　are　you　saying　about　the　militia？”　he　said　to　Boris。
“They　have　put　on　white　shirts；　your　highness；　by　way　of　preparing　for　to…morrow；　to　be　ready　for　death。”
“Ah！　…　A　marvellous；　unique　people；”　said　Kutuzov；　and　closing　his　eyes　he　shook　his　head。　“A　unique　people！”　he　repeated；　with　a　sigh。
“Do　you　want　a　sniff　of　powder？”　he　said　to　Pierre。　“Yes；　a　pleasant　smell。　I　have　the　honour　to　be　one　of　your　wife’s　worshippers；　is　she　quite　well？　My　quarters　are　at　your　service。”　And　Kutuzov　began；　as　old　people　often　do；　gazing　abstractedly　about　him；　as　though　forgetting　all　he　had　to　say　or　do。　Apparently　recollecting　the　object　of　his　search；　he　beckoned　to　Andrey　Sergeitch　Kaisarov；　the　brother　of　his　adjutant。
“How　was　it；　how　do　they　go；　those　verses　of　Marin？　How　do　they　go？　What　he　wrote　on　Gerakov：　‘You　will　be　teacher　in　the　corps　…’　Tell　me；　tell　me；”　said　Kutuzov；　his　countenance　relaxing　in　readiness　for　a　laugh。　Kaisarov　repeated　the　lines　…　Kutuzov；　smiling；　nodded　his　head　to　the　rhythm　of　the　verse。
When　Pierre　moved　away　from　Kutuzov；　Dolohov　approached　and　took　his　hand
“I　am　very　glad　to　meet　you　here；　count；”　he　said；　aloud；　disregarding　the　presence　of　outsiders；　and　speaking　with　a　marked　determination　and　gravity。　“On　the　eve　of　a　day　which　God　knows　who　among　us　will　be　destined　to　survive　I　am　glad　to　have　the　chance　of　telling　you　that　I　regret　the　misunderstandings　there　have　been　between　us　in　the　past；　and　I　should　be　glad　to　think　you　had　nothing　against　me。　I　beg　you　to　forgive　me。”
Pierre　looked　with　a　smile　at　Dolohov；　not　knowing　what　to　say　to　him。　With　tears　starting　into　his　eyes；　Dolohov　embraced　and　kissed　Pierre。
Boris　had　said　a　few　words　to　his　general；　and　Count　Bennigsen　addressed　Pierre；　proposing　that　he　should　accompany　them　along　the　line。
“You　will　find　it　interesting；”　he　said。
“Yes；　very　interesting；”　said　Pierre。
Half　an　hour　later　Kutuzov　was　on　his　way　back　to　Tatarinovo；　while　Bennigsen　and　his　suite；　with　Pierre　among　them；　were　inspecting　the　position。


Chapter　23
FROM　GORKY　Bennigsen　went　down　the　high…road　to　the　bridge；　which　the　officer　on　the　knoll　had　pointed　out　to　Pierre　as　the　centre　of　the　position；　where　by　the　riverside　lay　rows　of　sweet…scented；　new…mown　hay。　They　crossed　the　bridge　to　the　village　of　Borodino；　then　turned　to　the　left；　and　passing　immense　numbers　of　men　and　cannons；　came　out　on　to　the　high　knoll　on　which　militiamen　were　at　work　excavating。　This　was　the　redoubt；　as　yet　unnamed；　afterwards　called　Raevsky’s　redoubt；　or　the　battery　on　the　mound。
Pierre　did　not　take　special　notice　of　this　redoubt。　He　did　not　dream　that　that　spot　would　be　more　memorable　for　him　than　any　other　part　of　the　plain　of　Borodino。　Then　they　crossed　a　hollow　to　Semyonovskoye；　where　the　soldiers　were　dragging　away　the　last　logs　of　the　huts　and　barns。　Then　they　rode　on　downhill　and　uphill　again；　across　a　field　of　rye；　trampled　and　laid　as　though　by　hail；　along　the　track　newly　made　by　the　artillery；　over　the　ridges　of　the　ploughed　field；　to　the　earthworks；　at　which　the　men　were　still　at　work。
Bennigsen　halted　at　the　earthworks；　and　looked　in　front　at　the　redoubt　of　Shevardino；　which　had　been　ours　the　day　before。　Several　horsemen　could　be　descried　upon　it。　The　officers　said　that　Napoleon　and　Murat　were　there。　And　all　gazed　eagerly　at　the　little　group　of　horsemen。　Pierre　too　stared　at　them；　trying　to　guess　which　of　the　scarcely　discernible　figures　was　Napoleon。　At　last　the　group　of　horsemen　descended　the　hill　and　passed　out　of　sight。
Bennigsen　began　explaining　to　a　general　who　had　ridden　up　to　him　the　whole　position　of　our　troops。　Pierre　listened　to　his　words；　straining　every　faculty　of　his　mind　to　grasp　the　essential　points　of　the　coming　battle；　but　to　his　mortification　he　felt　that　his　faculties　were　not　equal　to　the　task。　He　could　make　nothing　of　it。　Bennigsen　finished　speaking；　and　noticing　Pierre’s　listening　face；　he　said；　turning　suddenly　to　him：
“It’s　not　very　interesting　for　you；　I　expect。”
“Oh；　on　the　contrary；　it’s　very　interesting；”　Pierre　repeated；　not　quite　truthfully。
From　the　earthworks　they　turned　still　more　to　the　left　of　the　road　that　ran　winding　through　a　thick；　low…growing；　birch　wood。　In　the　middle　of　the　wood　a　brown　har