战争与和平(上)-第345章

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f　laughing；　got　up；　walked　away　from　the　inquisitive　intruder；　and　looked　about　him。
The　immense；　endless　bivouac；　which　had　been　full　of　the　sound　of　crackling　fires　and　men　talking；　had　sunk　to　rest；　the　red　camp…fires　burnt　low　and　dim。　High　overhead　in　the　lucid　sky　stood　the　full　moon。　Forests　and　fields；　that　before　could　not　be　seen　beyond　the　camp；　came　into　view　now　in　the　distance。　And　beyond　those　fields　and　forests　could　be　seen　the　bright；　shifting；　alluring；　boundless　distance。　Pierre　glanced　at　the　sky；　at　the　far…away；　twinkling　stars。　“And　all　that　is　mine；　and　all　that　is　in　me；　and　all　that　is　I！”　thought　Pierre。　“And　all　this　they　caught　and　shut　up　in　a　shed　closed　in　with　boards！”　He　smiled　and　went　to　lie　down　to　sleep　beside　his　companions。


Chapter　15
EARLY　in　October　another　messenger　came　to　Kutuzov　from　Napoleon　with　overtures　for　peace　and　a　letter；　falsely　professing　to　come　from　Moscow；　though　Napoleon　was　in　fact　not　far　ahead　of　Kutuzov　on　the　old　Kaluga　road。　Kutuzov　answered　this　letter　as　he　had　done　the　first　one；　brought　him　by　Lauriston；　he　said　that　there　could　be　no　question　of　peace。
Soon　after　this　Dorohov’s　irregulars；　which　were　moving　on　the　left　of　Tarutino；　sent　a　report　that　French　troops　had　appeared　at　Fominskoe；　that　these　troops　were　of　Broussier’s　division；　and　that　that　division；　being　separate　from　the　rest　of　the　army；　might　easily　be　cut　to　pieces。　The　soldiers　and　officers　again　clamoured　for　action。　The　staff　generals；　elated　by　the　easy　victory　of　Tarutino；　urged　on　Kutuzov　that　Dorohov’s　suggestion　should　be　acted　upon。
Kutuzov　did　not　consider　any　action　necessary。　A　middle　course；　as　was　inevitable；　was　adopted；　a　small　detachment　was　sent　to　Fominskoe　to　attack　Broussier。
By　strange　chance　this　appointment；　a　most　difficult　and　most　important　one；　as　it　turned　out　to　be　later；　was　given　to　Dohturov；　that　modest　little　general；　whom　no　one　has　depicted　to　us　making　plans　of　campaign；　dashing　at　the　head　of　regiments；　dropping　crosses　about　batteries；　or　doing　anything　of　the　kind；　whom　people　looked　on　and　spoke　of　as　lacking　decision　and　penetration；　though　all　through　the　Russian　wars　with　the　French；　from　Austerlitz　to　the　year　1813；　we　always　find　him　in　command　where　the　position　is　particularly　difficult。　At　Austerlitz　he　was　the　last　to　remain　at　the　ford　of　Augest；　rallying　the　regiments；　saving　what　he　could；　when　all　was　flight　and　ruin；　and　not　a　single　other　general　was　to　be　found　in　the　rearguard。　When　ill　with　fever；　he　marched　with　twenty　thousand　men　to　Smolensk　to　defend　the　town　against　the　whole　of　Napoleon’s　army。　In　Smolensk　he　had　only　just　fallen　asleep　at　the　Malahovsky　gates　in　a　paroxysm　of　fever　when　he　was　waked　by　the　cannonade　of　Smolensk；　and　Smolensk　held　out　a　whole　day。　At　Borodino　when　Bagration　was　killed；　and　nine…tenths　of　the　men　of　our　left　flank　had　been　slain；　and　the　fire　of　all　the　French　artillery　was　turned　upon　it；　Kutuzov　made　haste　to　recall　another　general　he　had　sent　by　mistake；　and　sent　there　no　other　than　Dohturov；　who　was　said　to　be　lacking　in　decision　and　penetration。　And　unpretentious　little　Dohturov　went　there；　and　Borodino　became　the　greatest　glory　of　the　Russian　arms。　And　many　of　its　heroes　have　been　celebrated　in　prose　and　verse；　but　of　Dohturov　hardly　a　word。　Again　Dohturov　was　sent　to　Fominskoe；　and　from　there　to　Maley　Yaroslavets；　the　place　where　the　last　battle　was　fought　with　the　French；　and　where　it　is　plain　the　final　destruction　of　the　French　army　really　begun。　And　again　many　heroes　and　men　of　genius　are　described　to　us　in　accounts　of　this　period　of　the　campaign；　but　of　Dohturov　nothing　is　said；　or　but　few　words　of　dubious　praise。　This　silence　in　regard　to　Dohturov　is　the　plainest　testimony　to　his　merits。
It　is　natural　that　a　man　who　does　not　understand　the　working　of　a　machine　should　suppose；　when　he　sees　it　in　action；　that　a　shaving　that　has　fallen　into　it　by　chance；　and　flaps　about　in　it；　hindering　its　progress；　is　the　most　important　part　of　the　mechanism。　Any　one　who　does　not　understand　the　construction　of　the　machine　cannot　conceive　that　this　shaving　is　only　clogging　and　spoiling　it；　while　the　little　cog…wheel；　which　turns　noiselessly；　is　one　of　the　most　essential　parts　of　the　machine。
On　the　10th　of　October　Dohturov　had　marched　halfway　to　Fominskoe；　and　halted　at　the　village　of　Aristovo；　making　every　preparation　for　exactly　carrying　out　the　orders　given　him。　On　the　same　day　the　whole　French　army；　after　reaching　in　its　spasmodic　rush　as　far　as　Murat’s　position；　seemingly　with　the　object　of　giving　battle；　suddenly；　with　no　apparent　cause；　turned　off　to　the　left　to　the　new　Kaluga　road；　and　began　marching　into　Fominskoe；　where　Broussier　had　before　been　alone。　Dohturov　had　under　his　command　at　the　time　only　Dorohov’s　troops　and　the　two　small　detachments　of　Figner　and　Seslavin。
On　the　evening　of　the　11th　of　October；　Seslavin　came　to　the　general　at　Aristovo　with　a　French　prisoner　of　the　guards。　The　prisoner　said　that　the　troops　that　had　reached　Fominskoe　that　day　were　the　advance　guard　of　the　whole　army；　that　Napoleon　was　with　them；　that　the　whole　army　had　marched　out　of　Moscow　five　days　before。　The　same　evening　a　house…serf　coming　from　Borovsk　brought　word　that　he　had　seen　an　immense　army　entering　that　town。　Dorohov’s　Cossacks　reported　that　they　had　seen　the　French　guards　marching　along　the　road　to　Borovsk。　From　all　this　it　was　evident　that　where　they　had　expected　to　find　one　division　there　was　now　the　whole　army　of　the　French；　marching　from　Moscow　in　an　unexpected　direction—along　the　old　Kaluga　road。　Dohturov　was　unwilling　to　take　any　action；　as　it　was　not　clear　to　him　now　where　his　duty　lay。　He　had　received　instructions　to　attack　Fominskoe。　But　there　had　then　been　only　Broussier　at　Fominskoe；　and　now　the　whole　French　army　was　there。　Yermolov　wanted　to　act　on　his　own　judgment；　but　Dohturov　insisted　that　he　must　have　instructions　from　his　highness　the　commander…in…chief。　It　was　resolved　to　send　a　report　to　the　staff。
For　this　purpose　they　chose　a　capable　officer；　Bolhovitinov；　who　was　to　take　a　written　report；　and　to　explain　the　whole　matter　verbally。　At　midnight　Bolhovitinov　received　his　despatch　and　his　verbal　instructions；　and　galloped　off　to　headquarters；　accompanied　by　a　Cossack　with　spare　horses。


Chapter　16
IT　was　a　dark；　warm　autumn　night。　Rain　had　been　falling　for　the　last　four　days。　Changing　horses　twice；　Bolhovitinov　galloped　in　an　hour　and　a　half　thirty　versts　over　a　muddy；　slippery　road。　He　reached　Letashevko　after　one　o’clock　in　the　night。　Dismounting　at　a　hut；　on　the　hurdle　fence　of　which　was　the　inscription　“Headquarters　of　the　Staff；”　and　letting　his　horse　go；　he　walked　into　the　dark　entry。
“The　general　on　duty　at　once！　Very　important！”　he　cried　to　some　one；　who　jumped　up；　wheezing　in　the　darkness。
“His　honour　has　been　very　unwell　since　the　evening；　he　has　not　slept　for　three　nights；”　an　orderly’s　voice　whispered；　interposing。　“You　must　wake　the　captain　first。”
“Very　important　from　General　Dohturov；”　said　Bolhovitinov；　feeling　for　the　opened　door　and　going　in。
The　orderly　went　in　before　him；　and　began　waking　some　one　up。　“Your　honour；　your　honour；　a　courier。”
“What？　what？　from　whom？”　said　a　sleepy　voice。
“From　Dohturov　and　from　Alexey　Petrovitch。　Napoleon　is　at　Fominskoe；”　said　Bolhovitinov；　not　seeing　the　speaker　in　the　darkness；　but　assuming　from　the　voice　that　it　was　not　Konovnitsyn。
The　man　who　had　been　waked　yawned　and　stretched。　“I　don’t　want　to　wake　him；”　he　said；　fumbling　for　something。　“He’s　ill！　Perhaps　it’s　only　a　rumour。”
“Here　is　the　report；”　said　Bolhovitinov。　“My　instructions　are　to　give　it　at　once　to　the　general　on　duty。”
“Wait　a　minute；　I’ll　strike　a　light。　What　do　you　do　with　things；　damn　you！”　said　the　sleepy　voice　addressing　the　orderly。　The　speaker　was　Shtcherbinin；　Konovnitsyn’s　adjutant。　“I　have　found　it；　I　have　found　it；”　he　added。
The　orderly　struck　a　light；　Shtcherbinin　felt　for　a　candlestick。
“Ah；　the　nasty　beasts！”　he　said　with　disgust。
By　the　light　of　the　sparks　in　the　tinderbox　Bolhovitinov　had　a　glimpse　of　Shtcherbinin’s　youthful　face；　and　in　a　corner　another　man　asleep。　This　was