战争与和平(上)-第336章

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as。　The　officer　took　a　hasty　meal　at　a　comrade’s；　and　trotted　back　to　the　advance　guard　to　see　Miloradovitch。　Miloradovitch；　too；　was　not　at　home；　but　there　he　was　told　that　he　was　at　a　ball　at　General　Kikin’s　and　that；　most　likely；　Yermolov　was　there　too。
“But　where　is　that？”
“At　Etchkino；　that　way；”　said　an　officer　of　the　Cossacks；　pointing　out　to　him　a　country　house　in　the　far　distance。
“Out　there！　beyond　our　lines！”
“Two　regiments　of　our　fellows　have　been　sent　out　to　the　outposts；　and　there　is　a　spree　going　on　there　now；　fine　doings！　Two　bands；　three　choruses　of　singers。”
The　officer　rode　out　beyond　our　lines　to　Etchkino。　While　yet　a　long　way　off；　he　heard　the　gay　sounds　of　a　soldier’s　dance　tune　sung　in　chorus。
“In　the　meadows　…　in　the　meadows；”　he　heard　with　a　whistle　and　string　music；　drowned　from　time　to　time　in　a　roar　of　voices。　The　officer’s　spirits；　too；　rose　at　these　sounds；　but　at　the　same　time　he　was　in　terror　lest　he　should　be　held　responsible　for　having　so　long　delayed　giving　the　important　message　intrusted　to　him。　It　was　by　now　nearly　nine　o’clock。　He　dismounted　and　walked　up　to　the　entrance　of　a　big　manor…house　that　had　been　left　uninjured　between　the　French　and　the　Russian　lines。　Footmen　were　bustling　about　with　wines　and　edibles　in　the　vestibule　and　the　buffet。　Choruses　were　standing　under　the　windows。　The　officer　was　led　up　to　a　door；　and　he　saw　all　at　once　all　the　most　important　generals　in　the　army；　among　them　the　big；　impressive　figure　of　Yermolov。　All　the　generals　were　standing　in　a　semicircle；　laughing　loudly；　their　uniforms　unbuttoned；　and　their　faces　flushed　and　animated。　In　the　middle　of　the　room　a　handsome；　short　general　with　a　red　face；　was　smartly　and　jauntily　executing　the　steps　of　the　trepak。
“Ha；　ha；　ha！　Bravo；　Nikolay　Ivanovitch！　ha；　ha！　…”
The　officer　felt　doubly　guilty　in　breaking　in　at　such　a　moment　with　important　business；　and　he　would　have　waited；　but　one　of　the　generals　caught　sight　of　him；　and　hearing　what　he　had　come　for；　told　Yermolov。　The　latter；　with　a　frowning　face；　came　out　to　the　officer；　and　hearing　his　story；　took　the　papers　from　him　without　a　word。
“Do　you　suppose　it　was　by　chance　that　he　was　not　at　home？”　said　a　comrade　of　the　officer’s　who　was　on　the　staff；　speaking　of　Yermolov　that　evening。　“That’s　all　stuff　and　nonsense；　it　was　all　done　on　purpose。　To　play　a　trick　on　Konovnitsyn。　You　see；　there’ll　be　a　pretty　kettle　of　fish　to…morrow！”


Chapter　5
THE　DECREPIT　OLD　MAN；　Kutuzov；　had　bade　them　wake　him　early　next　day；　and　in　the　early　morning　he　said　his　prayers；　dressed；　and　with　a　disagreeable　consciousness　that　he　had　to　command　in　a　battle　of　which　he　did　not　approve；　he　got　into　his　carriage　and　drove　from　Letashevka；　five　versts　behind　Tarutino；　to　the　place　where　the　attacking　columns　were　to　be　gathered　together。　Kutuzov　drove　along；　dropping　asleep　and　waking　up　again；　and　listening　to　hear　whether　that　were　the　sound　of　shots　on　the　right；　whether　the　action　had　not　begun。　But　everything　was　still　quiet。　A　damp　and　cloudy　autumn　day　was　dawning。　As　he　approached　Tarutino；　Kutuzov　noticed　cavalry　soldiers　leading　their　horses　to　a　watercourse　across　the　road　along　which　he　was　riding。　Kutuzov　looked　at　them；　stopped　his　carriage；　and　asked　what　regiment　did　they　belong　to。　They　belonged　to　a　column　which　was　to　have　been　far　away　in　front　in　ambush。
“A　mistake；　perhaps；”　thought　the　old　commander…in…chief。　But　as　he　drove　on　further；　Kutuzov　saw　infantry　regiments　with　their　arms　stacked；　and　the　soldiers　in　their　drawers　busy　cooking　porridge　and　fetching　wood。　He　sent　for　their　officer。　The　officer　submitted　that　no　command　to　advance　had　been　given。
“No　command　…”　Kutuzov　began；　but　he　checked　himself　at　once；　and　ordered　the　senior　officer　to　be　summoned　to　him。　Getting　out　of　the　carriage；　with　drooping　head　he　walked　to　and　fro　in　silence；　breathing　heavily。　When　the　general　staff　officer；　Eichen；　for　whom　he　had　sent；　arrived；　Kutuzov　turned　purple　with　rage；　not　because　that　officer　was　to　blame　for　the　mistake；　but　because　he　was　an　object　of　sufficient　importance　for　him　to　vent　his　wrath　on。　And　staggering　and　gasping；　the　old　man　fell　into　that　state　of　fury　in　which　he　would　sometimes　roll　on　the　ground　in　frenzy；　and　flew　at　Eichen；　shaking　his　fists；　and　shouting　abuse　in　the　language　of　the　gutter。　Another　officer；　Captain　Brozin；　who　was　in　no　way　to　blame；　happening　to　appear；　suffered　the　same　fate。
“What　will　the　blackguards　do　next？　Shoot　them！　The　scoundrels！”　he　shouted　hoarsely；　shaking　his　fist　and　staggering。　He　was　in　a　state　of　actual　physical　suffering。　He；　his　highness　the　commander…in…chief；　who　was　assured　by　every　one　that　no　one　in　Russia　had　ever　had　such　power　as　he；　he　put　into　this　position—made　a　laughing…stock　to　the　whole　army。　“Worrying　myself；　praying　over　to…day；　not　sleeping　all　night；　and　thinking　about　everything—all　for　nothing！”　he　thought　about　himself。　“When　I　was　a　mere　boy　of　an　officer　no　one　would　have　dared　to　make　a　laughing…stock　of　me　like　this　…　And　now！”　He　was　in　a　state　of　physical　suffering；　as　though　from　corporal　punishment；　and　could　not　help　expressing　it　in　wrathful　and　agonised　outcries。　But　soon　his　strength　was　exhausted；　and　looking　about　him；　feeling　that　he　had　said　a　great　deal　that　was　unjust；　he　got　into　his　carriage　and　drove　back　in　silence。
His　wrath　once　spent　did　not　return　again；　and　Kutuzov；　blinking　feebly；　listened　to　explanations　and　self…justifications　（Yermolov　himself　did　not　put　in　an　appearance　till　next　day）；　and　to　the　earnest　representation　of　Bennigsen；　Konovnitsyn；　and　Toll　that　the　battle　that　had　not　come　off　should　take　place　on　the　following　day。　And　again　Kutuzov　had　to　acquiesce。


Chapter　6
NEXT　DAY　the　troops　were　massed　in　their　appointed　places　by　the　evening；　and　were　moving　forward　in　the　night。　It　was　an　autumn　night　with　a　sky　overcast　by　purplish…black　clouds；　but　free　from　rain。　The　earth　was　damp；　but　not　muddy；　and　the　troops　advanced　noiselessly；　except　for　a　hardly　audible　jingling　now　and　then　from　the　artillery。　They　were　forbidden　to　talk　aloud；　to　smoke　or　to　strike　a　light；　the　horses　were　kept　from　neighing。　The　secrecy　of　the　enterprise　increased　its　attractiveness。　The　men　marched　on　gaily。　Several　columns　halted；　stacked　their　guns　in　piles；　and　lay　down　on　the　chilly　ground；　supposing　they　had　reached　their　destination。　Other　columns　（the　majority）　marched　all　night　long；　and　arrived　somewhere；　unmistakably　not　where　they　were　meant　to　be。
Count　Orlov…Denisov　with　his　Cossacks　（the　detachment　of　least　importance　of　the　lot）　was　the　only　one　that　reached　the　right　place　at　the　right　time。　This　detachment　halted　at　the　extreme　edge　of　a　forest；　on　a　path　from　the　village　of　Stromilovo　to　Dmitrovskoe。
Before　dawn　Count　Orlov；　who　had　fallen　asleep；　was　waked　up。　A　deserter　from　the　French　camp　was　brought　to　him。　It　was　a　Polish　under…officer　of　Poniatovsky’s　corps。　This　under…officer　explained　in　Polish　that　he　had　deserted　because　he　had　been　insulted　in　the　service；　because　he　ought　long　ago　to　have　been　an　officer；　and　was　braver　than　any　of　them；　and　so　he　had　thrown　them　up　and　wanted　to　punish　them。　He　said　that　Murat　was　camping　for　the　night　a　verst　from　them；　and　that　if　they　would　give　him　a　convoy　of　a　hundred　men　he　would　take　him　alive。　Count　Orlov…Denisov　took　council　with　his　comrades。　The　proposition　was　too　alluring　to　be　refused。　Every　one　clamoured　to　go；　everyone　advised　making　the　attempt。　After　many　disputes　and　confabulations；　it　was　settled　that　Major…General　Grekov；　with　two　regiments　of　Cossacks；　should　go　with　the　Polish　deserter。
“Now；　remember；”　said　Count　Orlov…Denisov　to　the　Polish　deserter；　as　he　dismissed　him；　“if　you　have　been　lying；　I　will　have　you　shot　like　a　dog；　but　if　it’s　true；　a　hundred　crowns。”
The　deserter　made　no　reply　to　these　words；　and　with　a　resolute　air　mounted　his　horse　and　rode　off　with　Grekov’s　men；　who　were　hurriedly　gathered　together。　They　disappeared　into　the　wood。　Count　Orlov；　shivering　from　the　freshness　of　the　dawning　morning；　and　excited　by　the　enterprise　he　had　undertaken　on　his　own　responsibility；　came　out　of　the　wood