战争与和平(上)-第372章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


The　Tsar　greeted　the　officers　and　the　Semyonovsky　guard　of　honour；　and　once　more　shaking　hands　with　the　old　man；　he　went　with　him　into　the　castle。
When　he　was　alone　with　the　commander…in…chief；　the　Tsar　gave　expression　to　his　displeasure　at　the　slowness　of　the　pursuit　of　the　enemy；　and　the　blunders　made　at　Krasnoe　and　the　Berezina；　and　to　his　views　as　to　the　coming　campaign　abroad。　Kutuzov　made　no　observation　or　explanation。　The　same　expression　of　unreasoning　submission　with　which　seven　years　before　he　had　listened　to　the　Tsar’s　commands　on　the　field　of　Austerlitz　remained　fixed　now　on　his　face。
When　Kutuzov　had　left　the　room；　and　with　downcast　head　walked　across　the　reception…hall　with　his　heavy；　waddling　step；　a　voice　stopped　him。
“Your　highness；”　said　some　one。
He　raised　his　head；　and　looked　into　the　face　of　Count　Tolstoy；　who　stood　facing　him　with　a　small　object　on　a　silver　dish。　Kutuzov　seemed　for　some　time　unable　to　grasp　what　was　wanted　of　him。
All　at　once　he　seemed　to　recollect　himself；　a　faint　smile　gleamed　on　his　pudgy　face；　and　with　a　low；　respectful　bow；　he　picked　up　the　object　on　the　dish。　It　was　the　Order　of　St。　George　of　the　first　rank。


Chapter　11
THE　NEXT　DAY　the　commander…in…chief　gave　a　dinner　and　a　ball；　which　the　Tsar　honoured　with　his　presence。
Kutuzov　had　received　the　Order　of　St。　George　of　the　first　rank；　the　Tsar　had　shown　him　the　highest　marks　of　respect；　but　every　one　was　aware　that　the　Tsar　was　displeased　with　the　commander…in…chief。　The　proprieties　were　observed；　and　the　Tsar　set　the　first　example　in　doing　so。　But　every　one　knew　that　the　old　man　was　in　fault；　and　had　shown　his　incapacity。　When；　in　accordance　with　the　old　custom　of　Catherine’s　time；　Kutuzov　gave　orders　for　the　captured　standards　to　be　lowered　at　the　Tsar’s　feet　on　his　entering　the　ball…room；　the　Tsar　frowned　with　vexation；　and　muttered　words；　which　some　heard　as：　“The　old　comedian。”
The　Tsar’s　displeasure　was　increased　at　Vilna　by　Kutuzov’s　obvious　unwillingness　or　incapacity　to　see　the　importance　of　the　approaching　campaign。
When　next　morning　the　Tsar　said　to　the　officers　gathered　about　him：　“You　have　not　only　saved　Russia；　you　have　saved　Europe；”　every　one　knew　at　once　that　the　war　was　not　over。
Kutuzov　alone　refused　to　see　this；　and　frankly　gave　it　as　his　opinion　that　no　fresh　war　could　improve　the　position　of　Russia；　or　add　to　her　glory；　that　it　could　but　weaken　her　position；　and　cast　her　down　from　that　high　pinnacle　of　glory　at　which　in　his　view　Russia　was　standing　now。　He　tried　to　show　the　Tsar　the　impossibility　of　levying　fresh　troops；　and　talked　of　the　hardships　the　people　were　suffering；　the　possibility　of　failure；　and　so　on。
Such　being　his　attitude　on　the　subject；　the　commander…in…chief　could　naturally　be　looked　upon　only　as　a　hindrance　and　a　drag　on　the　progress　of　the　coming　campaign。
To　avoid　friction　with　the　old　man；　the　obvious　resource　was—as　with　him　at　Austerlitz　and　with　Barclay　at　the　beginning　of　the　war—to　withdraw　all　real　power　from　the　commander…in…chief；　without　disturbing　him　by　any　open　explanation　on　the　matter；　and　to　transfer　it　to　the　Tsar。
With　this　object；　the　staff　was　gradually　transformed；　and　all　the　real　power　of　Kutuzov’s　staff　was　removed　and　transferred　to　the　Tsar。　Toll；　Konovnitsyn；　and　Yermolov　received　new　appointments。　Every　one　talked　openly　of　the　commander…in…chief’s　great　weakness　and　failing　health。
He　was　bound　to　be　in　failing　health；　so　as　to　make　way　for　his　successor。　And　his　health　was；　in　fact；　failing。
Just　as　naturally；　as　simply；　and　as　gradually　as　Kutuzov　had　come　to　the　Court　of　Exchequer　at　Petersburg　out　of　Turkey　to　raise　the　militia；　and　then　to　take　the　command　of　the　army　just　at　the　time　when　he　was　needed；　did　a　new　commander　come　now　to　replace　him；　when　his　part　was　played。
The　war　of　1812；　in　addition　to　its　national　significance；　dear　to　every　Russian　heart；　was　to　take　a　new　European　character。
The　movement　of　men　from　west　to　east　was　to　be　followed　by　a　movement　from　east　to　west；　and　this　new　war　needed　a　new　representative；　with　other　aims　and　other　qualities；　and　moved　by　impulses　different　from　Kutuzov’s。
For　the　movement　from　east　to　west；　and　the　establishment　of　the　position　of　peoples；　Alexander　was　needed　just　as　Kutuzov　was　needed　for　the　deliverance　and　the　glory　of　Russia。
Kutuzov　did　not　see　what　was　meant　by　Europe；　the　balance　of　power；　and　Napoleon。　He　could　not　understand　all　that。
After　the　enemy　had　been　annihilated；　Russia　had　been　delivered　and　raised　to　the　highest　pinnacle　of　her　glory；　the　representative　of　the　Russian　people；　a　Russian　of　the　Russians；　had　no　more　left　to　do。　Nothing　was　left　for　the　representative　of　the　national　war　but　to　die。　And　he　did　die。


Chapter　12
As　is　generally　the　case；　Pierre　only　felt　the　full　strain　of　the　physical　hardships　and　privations　he　had　suffered　as　a　prisoner；　when　they　were　over。　After　he　had　been　rescued；　he　went　to　Orel；　and　two　days　after　getting　there；　as　he　was　preparing　to　start　for　Kiev；　he　fell　ill　and　spent　three　months　laid　up　at　Orel。　He　was　suffering；　so　the　doctors　said；　from　a　bilious　fever。　Although　they　treated　him　by　letting　blood　and　giving　him　drugs；　he　recovered。
Everything　that　had　happened　to　Pierre　from　the　time　of　his　rescue　up　to　his　illness　had　left　hardly　any　impression　on　his　mind。　He　had　only　a　memory　of　dark　grey　weather；　sometimes　rainy　and　sometimes　sunshiny；　of　internal　physical　aches；　of　pain　in　his　feet　and　his　side。　He　remembered　a　general　impression　of　the　misery　and　suffering　of　men；　remembered　the　worrying　curiosity　of　officers　and　generals；　who　questioned　him　about　his　imprisonment；　the　trouble　he　had　to　get　horses　and　a　conveyance；　and　more　than　all　he　remembered　his　own　dullness　of　thought　and　of　feeling　all　that　time。
On　the　day　of　his　rescue　he　saw　the　dead　body　of　Petya　Rostov。　The　same　day　he　learned　that　Prince　Andrey　had　lived　for　more　than　a　month　after　the　battle　of　Borodino；　and　had　only　a　short　time　before　died　at　Yaroslavl　in　the　Rostovs’　house。　The　same　day　Denisov；　who　had　told　Pierre　this　piece　of　news；　happened　to　allude　in　conversation　to　the　death　of　Ellen；　supposing　Pierre　to　have　been　long　aware　of　it。　All　this　had　at　the　time　seemed　to　Pierre　only　strange。　He　felt　that　he　could　not　take　in　all　the　bearings　of　these　facts。　He　was　at　the　time　simply　in　haste　to　get　away　from　these　places　where　men　were　slaughtering　each　other　to　some　quiet　refuge　where　he　might　rest　and　recover　his　faculties；　and　think　over　all　the　new　strange　things　he　had　learned。
But　as　soon　as　he　reached　Orel；　he　fell　ill。　On　coming　to　himself　after　his　illness；　Pierre　saw　waiting　on　him　two　of　his　servants；　Terenty　and　Vaska；　who　had　come　from　Moscow；　and　the　eldest　of　his　cousins；　who　was　staying　at　Pierre’s　estate　in　Elets；　and　hearing　of　his　rescue　and　his　illness　had　come　to　nurse　him。
During　his　convalescence　Pierre　could　only　gradually　recover　from　the　impressions　of　the　last　few　months；　which　had　become　habitual。　Only　by　degrees　could　he　become　accustomed　to　the　idea　that　there　was　no　one　to　drive　him　on　to…morrow；　that　no　one　would　take　his　warm　bed　from　him；　and　that　he　was　quite　sure　of　getting　his　dinner；　and　tea；　and　supper。　But　for　a　long　while　afterwards　he　was　always　in　his　dreams　surrounded　by　his　conditions　as　a　prisoner。
And　only　in　the　same　gradual　way　did　Pierre　grasp　the　meaning　of　the　news　he　had　heard　since　his　escape：　of　the　death　of　Prince　Andrey；　of　the　death　of　his　wife；　and　of　the　overthrow　of　the　French。
The　joyful　sense　of　freedom—that　full；　inalienable　freedom　inherent　in　man；　of　which　he　had　first　had　a　consciousness　at　the　first　halting…place　outside　Moscow—filled　Pierre’s　soul　during　his　convalescence。　He　was　surprised　that　this　inner　freedom；　independent　as　it　was　of　all　external　circumstances；　was　now　as　it　were　decked　out　in　a　luxury；　a　superfluity　of　external　freedom。　He　was　alone　in　a　strange　town　without　acquaintances。　No　one　made　any　demands　on　him；　no　one　sent　him　anywhere。　He　had　all　he　wanted；　the　thought　of　his　wife；　that　had　in　old　days　been　a　continual　torture　to　him；　was　no　more；　since　she　herself　was　no　more。
“Ah；　how　happy　I　am！　how　splendid　it　is！”　he　sai