Chapter 39 Chapter Sixteen

"Ah, it's finally over!" Kutuzov signed the last official document, stood up with difficulty, straightened his white and fat neck, and walked happily to the door. The priest's wife blushed and grabbed the plate that she had been preparing for a long time but could not deliver in time.With a low bow, she offered the tray to Kutuzov. Kutuzov narrowed his eyes, smiled, put her chin in his hand and said: "Oh, how beautiful! Thank you, dear lady!" He took out a few gold coins from his trouser pocket and put them on her plate. "So how is your day?" said Kutuzov, going to the room prepared for him.Dimpled on the pink face of the priest's wife, she followed him into the room.The adjutant went up to the steps and invited Prince Andrew to dinner.Half an hour later Prince Andrew was called again to Kutuzov.Kutuzov, still in his military uniform, unbuttoned it, and lay down in the easy chair.He had a French book in his hand, and seeing Prince Andrew coming in, put a knife in the book and closed it.Prince Andrei saw the cover and knew that it belonged to Madame Jeanley.

"Sit down, sit here, and we'll talk," said Kutuzov. "I'm very sad, very sad. But remember, boy, I'm your father too, a second father..." Prince Andrei told Kutuzov about his father's deathbed, and about his passing through the Bald Mountains. "What's going on... what's going on!" Kutuzov suddenly exclaimed excitedly, obviously seeing the situation in Russia clearly in Prince Andrey's words. "Give me time, give me time." !” he added, scowling, evidently unwilling to talk about the subject that excited him.He went on to say: "I came to you to keep you by my side."

"Thank you, sir," replied Prince Andrew, "but I'm afraid I'm not fit to be in the staff," he said with a smile.Kutuzov noticed his smile and looked at him questioningly. "The main thing," added Prince Andrew, "is that I'm used to being in the regiment. I like the officers of the regiment, and they like me. I hate to leave the regiment. I resign the honor of staying with you, and that's because ..." Kutuzov's fat face had a clever, good-natured, slightly mocking expression.He interrupted Prince Andrew and said: "Unfortunately, I wanted to keep you, but you are right, right. We have no shortage of men here. We have plenty of advisers, but we don't have talent. If the advisers stay in the army like you do, the army will It won’t be like this now. I remember you at Austerlitz . famous.Kutuzov took his hand and offered him his cheek, and again he saw tears rolling in the old man's eyes.Although Prince Andrei knew that Kutuzov was prone to tears, and was now especially kind to him, sympathizing with his grief at the loss of his father, yet he was delighted and pleased when he heard of Austerlitz.

"God bless you on your way. I know you are on an honorable way!" He paused. "I was worried about you in Bucharest and had to send someone to look for you." Then Kutuzov changed The subject was changed, to the Turkish war and the conclusion of the peace treaty. "Yeah, I've heard a lot of reproaches, now for war, now for peace... and all in time. If you're good at waiting, you'll get it in time. There are no fewer counselors there than here..." He went on to counselors, obviously Keep this question in mind. "Alas, counselor, counselor!" he said, "if we had listened to the counselor, we would not have made peace in Turkey, nor ended the war. Haste makes waste. If Kaminsky does not die, he will suffer too. .He stormed the fortress with 30,000 men. It is not difficult to capture the fortress, but it is difficult to win the battle. To win the battle does not require charge and onslaught, but patience and time. Kaminsky sent troops to attack Rushuk, but I used Patience and time took more forts than Kaminski, and made the Turks eat horsemeat." He shook his head. "I will make the French eat horse meat! I will do what I say!" Kutuzov said emotionally, patting his chest, "I will make them eat horse meat!" His eyes filled with tears again.

"Then shall we fight?" asked Prince Andrew. "It's a fight, and if everyone wants it that way, there's nothing you can do about it... But you know, my boy, there's no better weapon than patience and time. With patience and time, anything can be done, but the counselor If we don't listen, that's the worst part. Some people want to fight and some don't. What to do?" he asked, obviously waiting for an answer. "What do you think should be done?" He asked again, with a deep and wise light shining in his eyes. "I'll tell you what to do. My boy, when in doubt, take a look. That's what I do now." He said carefully.

"Good-bye, then, dear friend! I sympathize with your misfortune. I am not the lord, nor the duke, nor the commander-in-chief, but your father. If you need anything, come to me. Good-bye." Yes, good boy." Kutuzov embraced Andrey again and kissed him.Kutuzov breathed a sigh of relief before Prince Andrei went out the door, and picked up Madame Jeanley's novel which he had not finished reading. Prince Andrei returned to the regiment after his meeting with Kutuzov, feeling at ease with the general situation and with those to whom he had been entrusted.How he felt this way, he couldn't tell.The more clearly Prince Andrew saw that the old man had no selfish motives, that he seemed to lack the wisdom to generalize events and draw conclusions, but only the habit of being emotional, and the ability to quietly observe the development of events, the more assured he was, the more convinced that everything would work out. well arranged. "He has nothing personal. He makes no plans, takes no measures," thought Prince Andrew, "but he listens to all things, remembers all things, arranges everything, does not hinder any good, He does not let go of any bad things. He understands that there is one thing stronger and more important than his will, and that is the inevitable law of events. He is good at seeing the development of events and understanding their significance, so he does not interfere with them and can Abandon personal will, change original intention. People trust him mainly because he is a Russian, although he reads Madame Jeanley's French novels, speaks French idioms, and his voice trembles when he says, "What is it all like?" 'I'm going to make them eat horsemeat,' he whimpered."

Kutuzov became the commander-in-chief. Although he violated the will of the imperial court, he won the general support of the people.It is out of this vague feeling.