Chương Chương 170 · 第170章

The Emperor of Russia had, meanwhile, been in Vílna for more than a

month, reviewing troops and holding maneuvers. Nothing was ready for the

war that everyone expected and to prepare for which the Emperor had come

from Petersburg. There was no general plan of action. The vacillation

between the various plans that were proposed had even increased after

the Emperor had been at headquarters for a month. Each of the three

armies had its own commander in chief, but there was no supreme

commander of all the forces, and the Emperor did not assume that

responsibility himself.

The longer the Emperor remained in Vílna the less did everybody—tired of

waiting—prepare for the war. All the efforts of those who surrounded the

sovereign seemed directed merely to making him spend his time pleasantly

and forget that war was impending.

In June, after many balls and fetes given by the Polish magnates, by the

courtiers, and by the Emperor himself, it occurred to one of the Polish

aides-de-camp in attendance that a dinner and ball should be given for

the Emperor by his aides-de-camp. This idea was eagerly received.

The Emperor gave his consent. The aides-de-camp collected money by

subscription. The lady who was thought to be most pleasing to the

Emperor was invited to act as hostess. Count Bennigsen, being a

landowner in the Vílna province, offered his country house for the fete,

and the thirteenth of June was fixed for a ball, dinner, regatta, and

fireworks at Zakret, Count Bennigsen’s country seat.

The very day that Napoleon issued the order to cross the Niemen, and

his vanguard, driving off the Cossacks, crossed the Russian frontier,

Alexander spent the evening at the entertainment given by his

aides-de-camp at Bennigsen’s country house.

It was a gay and brilliant fete. Connoisseurs of such matters declared

that rarely had so many beautiful women been assembled in one place.

Countess Bezúkhova was present among other Russian ladies who had

followed the sovereign from Petersburg to Vílna and eclipsed the refined

Polish ladies by her massive, so-called Russian type of beauty. The

Emperor noticed her and honored her with a dance.

Borís Drubetskóy, having left his wife in Moscow and being for the

present en garçon (as he phrased it), was also there and, though not an

aide-de-camp, had subscribed a large sum toward the expenses. Borís

was now a rich man who had risen to high honors and no longer sought

patronage but stood on an equal footing with the highest of those of his

own age. He was meeting Hélène in Vílna after not having seen her for

a long time and did not recall the past, but as Hélène was enjoying

the favors of a very important personage and Borís had only recently

married, they met as good friends of long standing.

At midnight dancing was still going on. Hélène, not having a suitable

partner, herself offered to dance the mazurka with Borís. They were the

third couple. Borís, coolly looking at Hélène’s dazzling bare shoulders

which emerged from a dark, gold-embroidered, gauze gown, talked to her

of old acquaintances and at the same time, unaware of it himself and

unnoticed by others, never for an instant ceased to observe the Emperor

who was in the same room. The Emperor was not dancing, he stood in the

doorway, stopping now one pair and now another with gracious words which

he alone knew how to utter.

As the mazurka began, Borís saw that Adjutant General Balashëv, one of

those in closest attendance on the Emperor, went up to him and contrary

to court etiquette stood near him while he was talking to a Polish

lady. Having finished speaking to her, the Emperor looked inquiringly

at Balashëv and, evidently understanding that he only acted thus because

there were important reasons for so doing, nodded slightly to the lady

and turned to him. Hardly had Balashëv begun to speak before a look of

amazement appeared on the Emperor’s face. He took Balashëv by the arm

and crossed the room with him, unconsciously clearing a path seven

yards wide as the people on both sides made way for him. Borís noticed

Arakchéev’s excited face when the sovereign went out with Balashëv.

Arakchéev looked at the Emperor from under his brow and, sniffing with

his red nose, stepped forward from the crowd as if expecting the Emperor

to address him. (Borís understood that Arakchéev envied Balashëv and

was displeased that evidently important news had reached the Emperor

otherwise than through himself.)

But the Emperor and Balashëv passed out into the illuminated garden

without noticing Arakchéev who, holding his sword and glancing

wrathfully around, followed some twenty paces behind them.

All the time Borís was going through the figures of the mazurka, he was

worried by the question of what news Balashëv had brought and how he

could find it out before others. In the figure in which he had to choose

two ladies, he whispered to Hélène that he meant to choose Countess

Potocka who, he thought, had gone out onto the veranda, and glided over

the parquet to the door opening into the garden, where, seeing Balashëv

and the Emperor returning to the veranda, he stood still. They were

moving toward the door. Borís, fluttering as if he had not had time to

withdraw, respectfully pressed close to the doorpost with bowed head.

The Emperor, with the agitation of one who has been personally

affronted, was finishing with these words:

“To enter Russia without declaring war! I will not make peace as long as

a single armed enemy remains in my country!” It seemed to Borís that it

gave the Emperor pleasure to utter these words. He was satisfied with

the form in which he had expressed his thoughts, but displeased that

Borís had overheard it.

“Let no one know of it!” the Emperor added with a frown.

Borís understood that this was meant for him and, closing his eyes,

slightly bowed his head. The Emperor re-entered the ballroom and

remained there about another half-hour.

Borís was thus the first to learn the news that the French army had

crossed the Niemen and, thanks to this, was able to show certain

important personages that much that was concealed from others was

usually known to him, and by this means he rose higher in their

estimation.

The unexpected news of the French having crossed the Niemen was

particularly startling after a month of unfulfilled expectations, and at

a ball. On first receiving the news, under the influence of indignation

and resentment the Emperor had found a phrase that pleased him, fully

expressed his feelings, and has since become famous. On returning home

at two o’clock that night he sent for his secretary, Shishkóv, and told

him to write an order to the troops and a rescript to Field Marshal

Prince Saltykóv, in which he insisted on the words being inserted that

he would not make peace so long as a single armed Frenchman remained on

Russian soil.

Next day the following letter was sent to Napoleon:

Monsieur mon frère,

Yesterday I learned that, despite the loyalty with which I have kept

my engagements with Your Majesty, your troops have crossed the Russian

frontier, and I have this moment received from Petersburg a note, in

which Count Lauriston informs me, as a reason for this aggression, that

Your Majesty has considered yourself to be in a state of war with me

from the time Prince Kurákin asked for his passports. The reasons on

which the Duc de Bassano based his refusal to deliver them to him would

never have led me to suppose that that could serve as a pretext for

aggression. In fact, the ambassador, as he himself has declared, was

never authorized to make that demand, and as soon as I was informed of

it I let him know how much I disapproved of it and ordered him to remain

at his post. If Your Majesty does not intend to shed the blood of our

peoples for such a misunderstanding, and consents to withdraw your

troops from Russian territory, I will regard what has passed as not

having occurred and an understanding between us will be possible. In

the contrary case, Your Majesty, I shall see myself forced to repel an

attack that nothing on my part has provoked. It still depends on Your

Majesty to preserve humanity from the calamity of another war.

I am, etc.,

(signed) Alexander