战争与和平(上)-第266章

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。　There　sprang　up　between　them　a　feeling　stronger　than　friendship；　that　was　the　feeling　of　life　being　only　possible　in　each　other’s　company。
Sometimes　they　did　not　speak　for　hours　together。　Sometimes；　as　they　lay　in　their　beds；　they　would　begin　to　talk；　and　talked　till　morning。　They　talked；　for　the　most　part；　of　their　own　remote　past。　Princess　Marya　told　her　of　her　childhood；　of　her　mother；　of　her　father；　of　her　dreams。　And　Natasha；　who　had　in　the　past　turned　away　with　calm　acceptance　of　her　non…comprehension　of　that　life　of　devotion　and　resignation；　of　the　idealism　of　Christian　self…sacrifice；　grew　to　love　Princess　Marya’s　past；　and　to　understand　that　side　of　life　of　which　she　had　had　no　conception　before。　She　had　no　thought　of　imitating　that　resignation　and　self…sacrifice　in　her　own　life；　because　she　was　accustomed　to　look　for　other　joys　in　life；　but　she　understood　and　loved　in　another　that　virtue　that　had　been　till　now　beyond　her　ken。　Princess　Marya；　too；　as　she　listened　to　Natasha’s　stories　of　her　childhood　and　early　girlhood；　had　a　glimpse　of　a　side　of　life　she　had　known　nothing　of；　of　faith　in　life　and　in　the　enjoyment　of　life。
They　still　refrained　from　talking　of　him；　that　they　might　not；　as　seemed　to　them；　desecrate　the　exalted　feeling　in　their　hearts；　but　this　reticence　led　them；　though　they　would　not　have　believed　it；　into　gradually　forgetting　him。
Natasha　had　grown　thin　and　pale；　and　was　physically　so　weak　that　every　one　was　continually　talking　about　her　health；　and　she　was　glad　it　was　so。　Yet　sometimes　she　was　suddenly　seized；　not　simply　by　a　dread　of　death；　but　by　a　dread　of　sickness；　of　ill…health；　of　losing　her　good　looks；　and　sometimes　she　unconsciously　examined　her　bare　arm；　marvelling　at　its　thinness；　or　peeped　in　the　looking…glass　in　the　morning　at　her　pinched　face；　and　was　touched　by　its　piteous　look。　It　seemed　to　her　that　this　was　as　it　should　be；　and　yet　she　felt　afraid　and　mournful　at　it。
One　day　she　ran　upstairs　quickly；　and　was　painfully　short　of　breath。　Immediately　she　made　some　pretext　for　going　down　again；　and　ran　upstairs　again；　to　try　her　strength　and　put　herself　to　the　test。
Another　day　she　called　Dunyasha；　and　her　voice　broke。　She　called　her　once　more；　though　she　heard　her　coming—called　her　in　the　deep　chest　voice　with　which　she　used　to　sing；　and　listened　to　the　sound。
She　knew　it　not；　and　would　not　have　believed　it　yet　though　the　layer　of　mould　under　which　she　fancied　that　her　soul　was　buried　seemed　unbroken；　the　delicate；　tender；　young　blades　of　grass　were　already　pushing　through　it；　and　were　destined　to　take　root；　and　so　to　hide　the　grief　that　had　crushed　her　under　their　living　shoots　that　it　would　soon　be　unseen　and　forgotten。　The　wound　was　healing　from　within。
Towards　the　end　of　January　Princess　Marya　set　off　for　Moscow；　and　the　count　insisted　on　Natasha　going　with　her　to　consult　the　doctors。


Chapter　4
AFTER　THE　ENGAGEMENT　at　Vyazma；　where　Kutuzov　could　not　restrain　his　troops　in　their　desire　to　break　through；　to　cut　off　and　all　the　rest　of　it；　the　further　march　of　the　flying　French；　and　of　the　Russians　flying　after　them；　continued　as　far　as　Krasnoe　without　a　battle。　The　flight　was　so　rapid　that　the　Russian　army　racing　after　the　French　could　not　catch　them　up；　the　horses　of　the　cavalry　and　artillery　broke　down；　and　information　as　to　the　movements　of　the　French　was　always　very　uncertain。
The　Russian　soldiers　were　so　exhausted　by　this　unbroken　march　at　the　rate　of　forty　versts　a　day　that　they　were　unable　to　quicken　their　pace。
To　form　an　idea　of　the　degree　of　exhaustion　of　the　Russian　army；　one　need　only　grasp　clearly　what　is　meant　by　the　fact　that　while　losing　no　more　than　five　thousand　killed　and　wounded；　and　not　a　hundred　prisoners；　the　Russian　army；　which　had　left　Tarutino　a　hundred　thousand　strong；　numbered　only　fifty　thousand　on　reaching　Krasnoe。
The　rapidity　of　the　Russian　pursuit　had　as　disintegrating　an　effect　on　the　Russian　army　as　the　flight　of　the　French　had　on　their　army。　The　only　difference　was　that　the　Russian　army　moved　at　its　own　will；　free　from　the　menace　of　annihilation　that　hung　over　the　French；　and　that　the　sick　and　stragglers　of　the　French　were　left　in　the　hands　of　their　enemy；　while　Russian　stragglers　were　at　home　among　their　own　people。　The　chief　cause　of　the　wasting　of　Napoleon’s　army　was　the　rapidity　of　its　movements；　and　an　indubitable　proof　of　that　is　to　be　seen　in　the　corresponding　dwindling　of　the　Russian　army。
Just　as　at　Tarutino　and　at　Vyazma；　all　Kutuzov’s　energies　were　directed　to　preventing—so　far　as　it　lay　in　his　power—any　arrest　of　the　fatal　flight　of　the　French　from　being　checked　（as　the　Russian　generals　in　Petersburg；　and　also　in　the　army；　wished　it　to　be）。　He　did　all　he　could　to　urge　on　the　flight　of　the　French；　and　to　slacken　the　speed　of　his　own　army。
In　addition　to　the　exhaustion　of　the　men；　and　the　immense　losses　due　to　the　rapidity　of　their　movements；　Kutuzov　saw　another　reason　for　slackening　the　pace；　and　not　being　in　a　hurry。　The　object　of　the　Russian　army　was　the　pursuit　of　the　French。　The　route　of　the　French　was　uncertain；　and　therefore　the　more　closely　our　soldiers　followed　the　heels　of　the　French；　the　greater　the　distances　they　had　to　traverse。　It　was　only　by　following　at　a　considerable　distance　that　they　could　take　advantage　of　short　cuts　across　the　zig…zags　made　by　the　French　in　their　course。　All　the　skilful　man？uvres　suggested　by　the　generals　were　based　on　forced　marches　at　accelerated　speed；　while　the　only　rational　object　to　be　aimed　at　was　the　diminution　of　the　strain　put　on　the　men。　And　this　was　the　object　to　which　all　Kutuzov’s　efforts　were　directed　during　the　whole　campaign　from　Moscow　to　Vilna；—not　casually；　not　fitfully；　but　so　consistently　that　he　never　once　lost　sight　of　it。
Not　through　reason；　not　by　science；　but　with　all　his　Russian　heart　and　soul；　Kutuzov　felt　and　knew；　as　every　Russian　soldier　felt　it；　that　the　French　were　vanquished；　that　their　foes　were　in　flight；　and　that　they　must　see　them　off。　But　at　the　same　time　he　felt　with　his　soldiers；　as　one　man；　all　the　sufferings　of　that　march；　unheard　of　at　such　speed　and　in　such　weather。
But　the　generals；　especially　those　not　Russian；　burning　to　distinguish　themselves；　to　dazzle　people；　to　take　some　duke　or　king　prisoner　for　some　incomprehensible　reason—those　generals　thought　that　then；　when　any　battle　was　sickening　and　meaningless；　was　the　very　time　for　fighting　battles　and　conquering　somebody。　Kutuzov　simply　shrugged　his　shoulders　when　they　came　to　him　one　after　another　with　projects　of　man？uvres　with　the　ill…shod；　half…clothed；　and　half…starved　soldiers；　whose　numbers　had　in　one　month　dwindled　to　one…half　without　a　battle；　and　who　would　even；　under　the　most　favourable　circumstances；　have　a　longer　distance　to　traverse　before　they　reached　the　frontier　than　they　had　come　already。
This　desire　on　the　part　of　the　generals　to　distinguish　themselves；　to　execute　man？uvres；　to　attack；　and　to　cut　off　the　enemy；　was　particularly　conspicuous　whenever　the　Russian　army　did　come　into　contact　with　the　French。
So　it　was　at　Krasnoe；　where　they　had　expected　to　find　one　of　the　three　columns　of　the　French；　and　stumbled　upon　Napoleon　himself　with　sixteen　thousand　troops。　In　spite　of　all　Kutuzov’s　efforts　to　avoid　this　disastrous　engagement；　and　to　keep　his　men　safe　for　three　days　at　Krasnoe；　there　was　a　slaughter　of　the　disordered　bands　of　the　French　by　the　exhausted　soldiers　of　the　Russian　army。
Toll　wrote　out　a　disposition：　first　column　to　advance　to　this　spot；　and　so　on。　And　as　always；　what　was　done　was　not　at　all　in　accordance　with　that　disposition。　Prince　Eugene　of　Würtemberg　kept　up　a　fire　from　the　hills　on　the　mob　of　French　as　they　raced　by；　and　asked　for　reinforcements；　which　did　not　come。　In　the　nights　the　French　dispersed　to　get　round　the　Russians；　hid　themselves　in　the　woods；　and　all　that　could　struggled　on　again。
Miloradovitch；　who　declared　that　he　had　no　wish　to　know　anything　about　the　commissariat　arrangements　of　his　detachment；　who　could　never　be　found　when　he　was　wanted；　that　chevalier　sans　peur　et　sans　reproche；　as　he　called　himself；　always　eager　for　parleys　with　the　French；　sent　messengers　to　demand　their　surrender；　wasted　time；　and　did　not　carry　out　the　orders　given　him。
“I　make　you　a　present　of　that　column；　lads；”　he　said　to　his　men；　pointing　out　the　French　to　his　cavalry。　And　the　cavalry；　with　spur　and　sabre；　urged　their　broken…down　horses　into　a　trot；　and　with　immense　effort　reached　the　column　he　had　bestowed　on　them；　that　is　to　say；　a　mob　of　frozen；　numb；　and　starving　Frenchmen。　And　the　column　laid　down　their　weapons　and　surrendered；　which　was　what　they　had　been　longing　to　do　for　weeks　past。
At　Krasnoe　there　were　taken　twenty…six　thousand　prisoners；　a　hundred　cannons；　a　stick　of　some　sort；　which　was　promptly　dubbed　a　“marshal’s　baton。”　And　the　generals　disputed　among　themselves　who　had　gained　most　distinction　in　the　action；　and　were　delighted　at　it；　though　they　were　full　of　regret　at　not　having　captured　Napoleon　or　some　marshal　and　hero；　and　blamed　one　another；　and　above　all　Kutuzov；　for　failing　to　do　so。
These　men；　drawn　on　by　their　own　passions；　were　but　the　blind　instruments　of　the　most　melancholy　law　of　necessity；　but　they　believed　themselves　heroes；　and　imagined　that　what　they　were　doing　was　the　noblest　and　most　honourable　achievement。　They　blamed　Kutuzov；　and　declared　from　the　very　beginning　of　the　campaign　he　had　prevented　them　from　conquering　Napoleon；　that　he　thought　of　nothing　but　his　own　sensual　gratifications；　and　would　not　advance　out　of　Polotnyany　Zavody　because　he　was　comfortable　there；　that　he　had　checked　the　advance　at　Krasnoe；　that　he　had　completely　lost　his　head　when　he　heard　Napoleon　was　near；　that　one　might　really　suppose　he　had　a　secret　understanding　with　Napoleon；　that　he　had　been　bought　over　by　him；　and　so　on　and　so　on。
And　not　only　contemporaries；　misled　by　their　own　passions；　have　spoken　thus。　Posterity　and　history　have　accepted　Napoleon　as　grand；　while　foreign　writers　have　called　Kutuzov　a　crafty；　dissolute；　weak；　intriguing　old　man；　and　Russians　have　seen　in　him　a　nondescript　being；　a　sort　of　puppet；　only　of　use　owing　to　his　Russian　name　…


Chapter　5
IN　1812　AND　1813　Kutuzov　was　openly　accused　of　blunders。　The　Tsar　was　dissatisfied　with　him。　And　in　a　recent　history　inspired　by　promptings　from　the　highest　quarters；　Kutuzov　is　spoken　of　as　a　designing；　intriguing　schemer；　who　was　panic…stricken　at　the　name　of　Napoleon；　and　guilty　through　his　blunders　at　Krasnoe　and　Berezina　of　robbing　the　Russian　army　of　the　glory　of　complete　victory　over　the　French。　Such　is　the　lot　of　men　not　recognised　by　Russian　intelligence　as　“great　men；”　grands　hommes；　such　is　the　destiny　of　those　rare　and　always　solitary　men　who　divining　the　will　of　Providence　submit　their　personal　will　to　it。　The　hatred　and　contempt　of　the　crowd　is　the　punishment　of　such　men　for　their　comprehension　of　higher　laws。
Strange　and　terrible　to　say；　Napoleon；　the　most　insignificant　tool　of　history；　who　never　even　in　exile　displayed　one　trait　of　human　dignity；　is　the　subject　of　the　admiration　and　enthusiasm　of　the　Russian　historians；　in　their　eyes　he　is　a　grand　homme。
Kutuzov；　the　man　who　from　the　beginning　to　the　end　of　his　command　in　1812；　from　Borodino　to　Vilna；