战争与和平(上)-第205章

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　is　no　sense　in　such　a　question。　The　question　I　have　asked　these　gentlemen　to　meet　to　discuss　is　the　question　of　the　war。　The　question　is：　The　safety　of　Russia　lies　in　her　army。　Is　it　better　to　risk　the　loss　of　the　army　and　of　Moscow　by　giving　battle；　or　to　abandon　Moscow　without　a　battle？　That　is　the　question　on　which　I　desire　to　learn　your　opinion。”　He　lurched　back　into　his　low　chair　again。
A　debate　began。　Bennigsen　did　not　yet　consider　that　the　game　was　lost。　Overruled　by　the　opinion　of　Barclay　and　others　in　admitting　the　impossibility　of　maintaining　a　defensive　position　at　Fili；　he　proceeded　to　prove　his　Russian　patriotism　and　devotion　to　Moscow　by　proposing　to　move　the　army　during　the　night　from　the　right　to　the　left　flank　of　the　position；　and　to　aim　a　blow　at　the　French　right　flank　next　day。　Opinions　were　divided；　and　arguments　were　advanced　for　and　against　this　project。　Yermolov；　Dohturov；　and　Raevsky　sided　with　Bennigsen。　Led　by　a　feeling　that　a　sacrifice　was　called　for　before　abandoning　the　city；　and　by　other　personal　considerations；　these　generals　seemed　unable　to　grasp　that　the　council　then　sitting　could　not　affect　the　inevitable　course　of　events；　and　that　Moscow　was　already　in　effect　abandoned。　The　other　generals　understood　this；　and　leaving　the　question　of　Moscow　on　one　side；　talked　of　the　direction　the　army　ought　to　take　in　retreating。
Malasha；　who　kept　her　eyes　fixed　on　what　was　passing　before　her；　saw　the　council　in　quite　a　different　light。　It　seemed　to　her　that　the　whole　point　at　issue　was　a　personal　struggle　between　“Granddad”　and　“Longcoat；”　as　she　called　Bennigsen　to　herself。　She　saw　that　they　were　angry　when　they　spoke　to　one　another；　and　in　her　heart　she　was　on　“Granddad’s”　side。　In　the　middle　of　the　conversation；　she　caught　the　swift；　subtle　glance　that　“Granddad”　gave　Bennigsen；　and　immediately　after　she　noted　with　glee　that　“Granddad’s”　words　had　put　“Longcoat”　down。　Bennigsen　suddenly　flushed；　and　strode　angrily　across　the　room。　The　words　that　had　thus　affected　Bennigsen　were　Kutuzov’s　quietly　and　softly　uttered　comment　on　his　proposal　to　move　the　troops　from　the　right　to　the　left　flank　in　the　night　in　order　to　attack　the　French　right。
“I　cannot　approve　of　the　count’s　plan；　gentlemen；”　said　Kutuzov。　“Movements　of　troops　in　close　proximity　to　the　enemy　are　always　risky；　and　military　history　affords　many　examples　of　disasters　arising　from　them。　For　instance　…”　（Kutuzov　seemed　to　ponder；　seeking　an　example；　and　then　looking　with　a　frank；　na？ve　expression　at　Bennigsen）　…　“well；　the　battle　of　Friedland；　which；　as　I　have　no　doubt　the　count　remembers；　was　not　…　completely　successful　owing　to　the　change　of　the　position　of　the　troops　in　too　close　proximity　to　the　enemy　…”
A　momentary　silence　followed　that　seemed　lengthy　to　all。
The　debate　was　renewed；　but　pauses　often　interrupted　it；　and　it　was　felt　that　there　was　nothing　to　talk　about。
In　one　of　these　pauses　Kutuzov　heaved　a　heavy　sigh；　as　though　preparing　to　speak。　All　looked　round　at　him。
“Well；　gentlemen；　I　see　that　it　is　I　who　will　have　to　pay　for　the　broken　pots；”　he　said。　And　slowly　rising　from　his　seat；　he　walked　up　to　the　table。　“Gentlemen；　I　have　heard　your　opinions。　Some　of　you　will　not　agree　with　me。　But　I”　（he　stopped）；　“by　the　authority　intrusted　me　by　my　Tsar　and　my　country；　give　the　order　to　retire。”
After　that　the　generals　began　to　disperse　with　the　solemnity　and　circumspect　taciturnity　with　which　people　separate　after　a　funeral。　Several　of　the　generals　made　some　communication　to　the　commander…in…chief　in　a　low　voice；　pitched　in　quite　a　different　scale　from　that　in　which　they　had　been　talking　at　the　council。
Malasha；　who　had　long　been　expected　in　the　other　room　to　supper；　dropped　backwards　down　from　the　stove；　her　bare　toes　clinging　to　the　projections　of　the　stove；　and　slipping　between　the　generals’　legs；　she　darted　out　at　the　door。
After　dismissing　the　generals；　Kutuzov　sat　a　long　while　with　his　elbows　on　the　table；　pondering　that　terrible　question：　“When；　when　had　it　become　inevitable　that　Moscow　should　be　abandoned？　When　was　the　thing　done　that　made　it　inevitable；　and　who　is　to　blame　for　it？”
“This　I　did　not　expect！”　he　said　to　the　adjutant；　Schneider；　who　came　in　to　him　late　at　night；　“this　I　did　not　expect！　This　I　never　thought　of！”
“You　must　rest；　your　highness；”　said　Schneider。
“Yes；　but　they　shall　eat　horse…flesh　like　the　Turks！”　Kutuzov　cried；　not　heeding　him；　as　he　brought　his　podgy　fist　down　on　the　table。　“They　too；　shall　eat　it；　if　only　…！”


Chapter　5
MEANWHILE；　in　an　event　of　even　greater　importance　than　the　retreat　of　the　army　without　a　battle；　in　the　abandonment　and　burning　of　Moscow；　Count　Rastoptchin；　whom　we　conceive　as　taking　the　lead　in　that　event；　was　acting　in　a　very　different　manner　from　Kutuzov。
This　event—the　abandonment　and　burning　of　Moscow—was；　after　the　battle　of　Borodino；　as　inevitable　as　the　retreat　of　the　army　without　fighting。
Every　Russian　could　have　foretold　what　happened；　not　as　a　result　of　any　train　of　intellectual　deductions；　but　from　the　feeling　that　lies　at　the　bottom　of　our　hearts；　and　lay　at　the　bottom　of　our　fathers’！
In　every　town　and　village　on　Russian　soil；　from　Smolensk　onwards；　without　the　assistance　of　Count　Rastoptchin　and　his　placards；　the　same　thing　took　place　as　happened　in　Moscow。　The　people　awaited　the　coming　of　the　enemy　without　disturbance；　did　not　display　excitement；　tore　nobody　to　pieces；　but　calmly　awaited　their　fate；　feeling　in　themselves　the　power　to　find　what　they　must　do　in　the　moment　of　difficulty。
And　as　soon　as　the　enemy　came　near；　the　wealthier　elements　of　the　population　went　away；　leaving　their　property　behind；　the　poorer　remained；　and　burnt　and　destroyed　all　that　was　left。
The　sense　that　this　would　be　so；　and　always　would　be　so；　lay；　and　lies　at　the　bottom　of　every　Russian’s　heart。　And　a　sense　of　this；　and　more；　a　foreboding　that　Moscow　would　be　taken　by　the　enemy；　lay　in　the　Russian　society　of　Moscow　in　1812。　Those　who　had　begun　leaving　Moscow　in　July　and　the　beginning　of　August　had　shown　that　they　expected　it。　Those　who　left　the　city　with　what　they　could　carry　away；　abandoning　their　houses　and　half　their　property；　did　so　in　consequence　of　that　latent　patriotism；　which　finds　expression；　not　in　phrases；　not　in　giving　one’s　children　to　death　for　the　sake　of　the　fatherland；　and　such　unnatural　exploits；　but　expresses　itself　imperceptibly　in　the　most　simple；　organic　way；　and　so　always　produces　the　most　powerful　results。
“It’s　a　disgrace　to　fly　from　danger；　only　the　cowards　are　flying　from　Moscow；”　they　were　told。　Rastoptchin；　in　his　placards；　urged　upon　them　that　it　was　base　to　leave　Moscow。　They　were　ashamed　at　hearing　themselves　called　cowards；　they　were　ashamed　of　going　away；　but　still　they　went　away；　knowing　that　it　must　be　so。　Why　did　they　go　away？　It　cannot　be　supposed　that　Rastoptchin　had　scared　them　with　tales　of　the　atrocities　perpetrated　by　Napoleon　in　the　countries　he　conquered。　The　first　to　leave　were　the　wealthy；　educated　people；　who　knew　very　well　that　Vienna　and　Berlin　remained　uninjured；　and　that　the　inhabitants　of　those　cities；　when　Napoleon　was　in　occupation　of　them；　had　spent　their　time　gaily　with　the　fascinating　Frenchmen；　of　whom　all　Russians；　and　especially　the　ladies；　had　at　that　period　been　so　fond。
They　went　away　because　to　Russians　the　question　whether　they　would　be　comfortable　or　not　under　the　government　of　the　French　in　Moscow　could　never　occur。　To　be　under　the　government　of　the　French　was　out　of　the　question；　it　was　worse　than　anything。　They　were　going　away　even　before　Borodino；　and　still　more　rapidly　after　Borodino；　regardless　of　the　calls　to　defend　the　city；　regardless　of　the　proclamations　of　the　governor　of　Moscow；　of　his　intention　of　going　with　the　Iversky　Virgin　into　battle；　and　of　the　air…balloons　which　were　to　demolish　the　French；　and　all　the　nonsense　with　which　Rastoptchin　filled　his　placards。　They　knew　that　it　was　for　the　army　to　fight；　and　if　the　army　could　not；　it　would　be　of　no　use　to　rush　out　with　young　ladies　and　house…serfs　to　fight　Napoleon　on　the　Three　Hills；　and　so　they　must　make　haste　and　get　away；　sorry　as　they　were　to　leave　their　possessions　to　destruction。　They　drove　away　without　a　thought　of　the　vast　consequences　of　this　immense　wealthy　city　being　abandoned　by　its　inhabitants；　and　being　inevitably　thereby　consigned　to　the　flames。　To　abstain　from　destroying　and　burning　empty　houses　would　never　occur　to　the　Russian　peasantry。　They　drove　away；　each　on　his　own　account；　and　yet　it　was　only　in　consequence　of　their　action　that　the　grand　event　came　to　pass　that　is　the　highest　glory　of　the　Russian　people。　The　lady　who　in　June　set　off　with　her　Negroes　and　her　buffoons　from　Moscow　for　her　Saratov　estates；　with　a　vague　feeling　that　she　was　not　going　to　be　a　servant　of　Bonaparte’s；　and　a　vague　dread　that　she　might　be　hindered　from　going　by　Rastoptchin’s　orders；　was　simply　and　genuinely　doing　the　great　deed　that　saved　Russia。
Count　Rastoptchin　at　one　time　cried　shame　on　those　who　were　going；　then　removed　all　the　public　offices；　then　served　out　useless　weapons　to　the　drunken　rabble；　then　brought　out　the　holy　images；　and　prevented　Father　Augustin　from　removing　the　holy　relics　and　images；　then　got　hold　of　all　the　private　conveyances　that　were　in　Moscow；　then　in　one　hundred　and　thirty…six　carts　carried　out　the　air…balloon　made　by　Leppich；　at　one　time　hinted　that　he　should　set　fire　to　Moscow；　at　one　time　described　how　he　had　burnt　his　own　house；　and　wrote　a　proclamation　to　the　French　in　which　he　solemnly　reproached　them　for　destroying　the　home　of　his　childhood。　He　claimed　the　credit　of　having　set　fire　to　Moscow；　then　disavowed　it；　he　commanded　the　people　to　capture　all　spies；　and　bring　them　to　him；　then　blamed　the　people　for　doing　so；　he　sent　all　the　French　residents　out　of　Moscow；　and　then　let　Madame　Aubert…Chalmey；　who　formed　the　centre　of　French　society　in　Moscow；　remain。　For　no　particular　reason　he　ordered　the　respected　old　postmaster；　Klucharov；　to　be　seized　and　banished。　He　got　the　people　together　on　the　Three　Hills　to　fight　the　French；　and　then；　to　get　rid　of　them；　handed　a　man　over　to　them　to　murder；　and　escaped　himself　by　the　back　door。　He　vowed　he　would　never　survive　the　disaster　of　Moscow；　and　later　on　wrote　French　verses　in　albums　on　his　share　in　the　affair。
This　man　had　no　inkling　of　the　import　of　what　was　happening。　All　he　wanted　was　to　do　something　himself；　to　astonish　people；　to　perform　some　heroic　feat　of　patriotism；　and；　like　a　child；　he　frolicked　about　the　grand　and　inevitable　event　of　the　abandonment　and　burning　of　Moscow；　trying　with　his　puny　hand　first　to　urge　on；　and　then　to　hold　back；　the　tide　of　the　vast　popular　current　that　was　bearing　him　along　with　it。


Chapter　6
ELLEN　had　accompanied　the　court　on　its　return　from　Vilna　to　Petersburg；　and　there　found　herself　in　a　difficult　position。
In　Petersburg　Ellen　had　enjoyed　the　special　patronage　of　a　great　personage；　who　occupied　one　of　the　highest　positions　in　the　government。　In　Vilna　she　had　formed　a　liaison　with　a　young　foreign　prince。
When　she　returned　to　Petersburg　the　prince　and　the　great　dignitary　were　both　in　that　town；　both　claimed　their　rights；　and　Ellen　was　confronted　with　a　problem　that　had　not　pre