战争与和平(上)-第262章

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“Yes。　Julie　Drubetskoy　told　me　so。　I　went　to　call；　but　missed　them。　They　had　started　for　your　Moscow　estate。”


Chapter　25
THE　OFFICERS　would　have　taken　leave；　but　Prince　Andrey；　apparently　unwilling　to　be　left　alone　with　his　friend；　pressed　them　to　stay　and　have　some　tea。　Benches　were　set；　and　tea　was　brought。　With　some　astonishment　the　officers　stared　at　Pierre’s　huge；　bulky　figure；　and　heard　his　talk　of　Moscow；　and　of　the　position　of　our　troops；　which　he　had　succeeded　in　getting　a　view　of。　Prince　Andrey　did　not　speak；　and　his　face　was　so　forbidding　that　Pierre　addressed　his　remarks　more　to　the　simple…hearted　Timohin　than　to　Bolkonsky。
“So　you　understand　the　whole　disposition　of　the　troops？”　Prince　Andrey　put　in。
“Yes。　At　least；　how　do　you　mean？”　said　Pierre。　“As　I　am　not　a　military　man；　I　can’t　say　I　do　fully；　but　still　I　understand　the　general　arrangement。”
“Well；　then；　you　know　more　than　anybody　else；”　said　Prince　Andrey。
“Oh！”　said　Pierre　incredulously；　looking　over　his　spectacles　at　Prince　Andrey。　“Well；　and　what　do　you　say　of　the　appointment　of　Kutuzov？”　he　asked。
“I　was　very　glad　of　his　appointment；　that’s　all　I　know；”　said　Prince　Andrey。
“Well；　tell　me　your　opinion　of　Barclay　de　Tolly。　In　Moscow　they　are　saying　all　kinds　of　things　about　him。　What　do　you　think　of　him？”
“Ask　them；”　said　Prince　Andrey；　indicating　the　officers。
With　the　condescendingly　doubtful　smile　with　which　every　one　addressed　him；　Pierre　looked　at　Timohin。
“It　was　a　gleam　of　light　in　the　dark；　your　excellency；　when　his　highness　took　the　command；”　said　Timohin；　stealing　shy　glances　continually　at　his　colonel。
“Why　so？”　asked　Pierre。
“Well；　as　regards　firewood　and　food；　let　me　tell　you。　Why；　all　the　way　we　retreated　from　Sventsyan　not　a　twig；　nor　a　wisp　of　hay；　nor　anything；　dare　we　touch。　We　were　retreating；　you　see；　so　he　would　get　it；　wouldn’t　he；　your　excellency？”　he　said；　turning　to　his　prince；　“but　we　mustn’t　dare　to。　In　our　regiment　two　officers　were　court…martialled　for　such　things。　Well；　since　his　highness　is　in　command；　it’s　all　straightforward　as　regards　that。　We　see　daylight　…”
“Then　why　did　he　forbid　it？”
Timohin　looked　round　in　confusion；　at　a　loss　how　to　answer　such　a　question。　Pierre　turned　to　Prince　Andrey　with　the　same　inquiry。
“Why；　so　as　not　to　waste　the　country　we　were　leaving　for　the　enemy；”　said　Prince　Andrey；　with　angry　sarcasm。　“That’s　a　first　principle：　never　to　allow　pillage　and　accustom　your　men　to　marauding。　And　at　Smolensk　too　he　very　correctly　judged　that　the　French　were　the　stronger　and　might　overcome　us。　But　he　could　not　understand；”　cried　Prince　Andrey　in　a　voice　suddenly　shrill；　“he　could　not　understand　that　for　the　first　time　we　were　fighting　on　Russian　soil；　that　there　was　a　spirit　in　the　men　such　as　I　had　never　seen　before；　that　we　had　twice　in　succession　beaten　back　the　French；　and　that　success　had　multiplied　our　strength　tenfold。　He　ordered　a　retreat；　and　all　our　efforts　and　our　curses　were　in　vain。　He　had　no　thought　of　treachery；　he　tried　to　do　everything　for　the　best　and　thought　over　everything　well。　But　for　that　very　reason　he　was　no　good。　He　is　no　good　now　just　because　be　considers　everything　soundly　and　accurately　as　every　German　must。　How　can　I　explain　to　you。　…　Well；　your　father　has　a　German　valet；　say；　and　he’s　an　excellent　valet　and　satisfies　all　his　requirements　better　than　you　can　do　and　all’s　well　and　good；　but　if　your　father　is　sick　unto　death；　you’ll　send　away　the　valet　and　wait　on　your　father　yourself　with　your　awkward；　unpractised　hands；　and　be　more　comfort　to　him　than　a　skilful　man　who’s　a　stranger。　That’s　how　we　have　done　with　Barclay。　While　Russia　was　well；　she　might　be　served　by　a　stranger；　and　an　excellent　minister　he　was；　but　as　soon　as　she’s　in　danger；　she　wants　a　man　of　her　own　kith　and　kin。　So　you　in　your　club　have　been　making　him　out　to　be　a　traitor！　They　slander　him　now　as　a　traitor；　and　afterwards；　ashamed　of　their　false　accusations；　they　will　suddenly　glorify　him　as　a　hero　or　a　genius；　which　would　be　even　more　unfair　to　him。　He’s　an　honest　and　conscientious　German　…”
“They　say　he’s　an　able　general；　though；”　said　Pierre。
“I　don’t　know　what’s　meant　by　an　able　general；”　Prince　Andrey　said　ironically。
“An　able　general；”　said　Pierre；　“well；　it’s　one　who　foresees　all　contingencies　…　well；　divines　the　enemy’s　projects。”
“But　that’s　impossible；”　said　Prince　Andrey；　as　though　of　a　matter　long　ago　settled。
Pierre　looked　at　him　in　surprise。
“But　you　know　they　say；”　he　said；　“that　war　is　like　a　game　of　chess。”
“Yes；”　said　Prince　Andrey；　“only　with　this　little　difference；　that　in　chess　you　may　think　over　each　move　as　long　as　you　please；　that　you　are　not　limited　as　to　time；　and　with　this　further　difference　that　a　knight　is　always　stronger　than　a　pawn　and　two　pawns　are　always　stronger　than　one；　while　in　war　a　battalion　is　sometimes　stronger　than　a　division；　and　sometimes　weaker　than　a　company。　No　one　can　ever　be　certain　of　the　relative　strength　of　armies。　Believe　me；”　he　said；　“if　anything　did　depend　on　the　arrangements　made　by　the　staff；　I　would　be　there；　and　helping　to　make　them；　but　instead　of　that　I　have　the　honour　of　serving　here　in　the　regiment　with　these　gentlemen　here；　and　I　consider　that　the　day　really　depends　upon　us　to…morrow　and　not　on　them。　…　Success　never　has　depended　and　never　will　depend　on　position；　on　arms；　nor　even　on　numbers；　and；　least　of　all；　on　position。”
“On　what　then？”
“On　the　feeling　that　is　in　me　and　him；”　he　indicated　Timohin；　“and　every　soldier。”
Prince　Andrey　glanced　at　Timohin；　who　was　staring　in　alarm　and　bewilderment　at　his　colonel。　In　contrast　to　his　usual　reserved　taciturnity；　Prince　Andrey　seemed　excited　now。　Apparently　he　could　not　refrain　from　expressing　the　ideas　that　suddenly　rose　to　his　mind。　“The　battle　is　won　by　the　side　that　has　firmly　resolved　to　win。　Why　did　we　lose　the　battle　of　Austerlitz？　Our　losses　were　almost　equalled　by　the　French　losses；　but　we　said　to　ourselves　very　early　in　the　day　that　we　were　losing　the　battle；　and　we　lost　it。　And　we　said　so　because　we　had　nothing　to　fight　for　then；　we　wanted　to　get　out　of　fighting　as　quick　as　we　could。　‘We　are　defeated；　so　let　us　run！’　and　we　did　run。　If　we　had　not　said　that　till　evening；　God　knows　what　might　not　have　happened。　But　to…morrow　we　shan’t　say　that。　You　talk　of　our　position；　of　the　left　flank　being　weak；　and　the　right　flank　too　extended；”　he　went　on；　“all　that’s　nonsense；　that’s　all　nothing。　But　what　awaits　us　to…morrow？　A　hundred　millions　of　the　most　diverse　contingencies；　which　will　determine　on　the　instant　whether　they　run　or　we　do；　whether　one　man　is　killed　and　then　another；　but　all　that’s　being　done　now　is　all　mere　child’s　play。　The　fact　is　that　these　people　with　whom　you　have　been　inspecting　the　positions　do　nothing　towards　the　progress　of　things；　they　are　a　positive　hindrance。　They　are　entirely　taken　up　with　their　own　petty　interests。”
“At　such　a　moment？”　said　Pierre　reproachfully。
“At　such　a　moment；”　repeated　Prince　Andrey。　“To　them　this　is　simply　a　moment　on　which　one　may　score　off　a　rival　and　win　a　cross　or　ribbon　the　more。　To　my　mind　what　is　before　us　to…morrow　is　this：　a　hundred　thousand　Russian　and　a　hundred　thousand　French　troops　have　met　to　fight；　and　the　fact　is　that　these　two　hundred　thousand　men　will　fight；　and　the　side　that　fights　most　desperataly　and　spares　itself　least　will　conquer。　And　if　you　like；　I’ll　tell　you　that　whatever　happens；　and　whatever　mess　they　make　up　yonder；　we　shall　win　the　battle　to…morrow；　whatever　happens　we　shall　win　the　victory。”
“Your　excellency；　that’s　the　truth　of　it；　the　holy　truth；”　put　in　Timohin；　“who　would　spare　himself　now！　The　soldiers　in　my　battalion；　would　you　believe　it；　wouldn’t　drink　their　vodka；　this　isn’t　an　ordinary　day；　they　say。”
All　were　silent。
The　officers　rose。　Prince　Andrey　went　with　them　out　of　the　barn；　giving　the　last　instructions　to　the　adjutant。　When　the　officers　had　gone；　Pierre　came　nearer　to　Prince　Andrey；　and　was　just　about　to　begin　talking　when　they　heard　the　tramp　of　hoofs　not　far　away　on　the　road；　and　glancing　in　that　direction　Prince　Andrey　recognised　Woltzogen　and　Klausewitz；　accom