Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

"Well, that's the end of it," said Kutuzov, signing the last document, rising with difficulty, the creases on his fat white neck stretched, and he walked toward the door with a cheerful air. The pastor's wife flushed immediately and was very excited. She picked up the plate that she had been preparing for a long time but was not presented in time, bowed deeply, and held it before Kutuzov. Kutuzov narrowed his eyes, and with a smile on his face, he put her chin in his hand and said: "What a beauty! Thank you, dear!" He took a few gold coins from his trouser pocket and put them on her plate.

"Well, how are you doing?" said Kutuzov, going to the room prepared for him.Two dimples appeared on the blush cheeks of the pastor's wife, and she followed him into the main room.The adjutant went up to the steps and asked Prince Andrew to have breakfast with him; half an hour later Prince Andrey was summoned again to Kutuzov.Kutuzov, still in his open uniform, was lying on the sofa.He had a French book in his hand, and when Prince Andrew entered he closed the book and clamped a knife where he read it.Prince Andrew saw the cover and knew that it was Leschevaliers du Cygne, the work of Madame de Genlis.

-------- ①French: "Swan Rider". ②French: Mrs. Jean Lis. "Sit down, sit here, let's talk," Kutuzov said. "Grief, grief. But remember, my dear friend, that I am also your father, a second father..." Prince Andrei compared what he knew about his father's death to what he saw on the way to Bald Mountain. Kutuzov narrated it. "How far... how far!" Kutuzov said suddenly, his voice agitated, and it was evident that he had clearly imagined the present situation in Russia from Prince Andrew's account. "Give me some time, give me some time!" he added with an angry look on his face, obviously unwilling to continue the subject that excited him, and said: "I asked you to come stay with me."

"Thank you, Your Excellency," replied Prince Andrei, "but I'm afraid I'm no longer fit for the job of a staff officer." He said with a smile, and Kutuzov noticed his smile and looked suspiciously at him. he. "The main thing," continued Prince Andrei, "is that I'm used to life in the regiment. I like the officers, and it seems that the officers like me too. It would be a pity to leave the regiment. If I resign from your service honor, then please believe me..." On Kutuzov's puffy face, there was an expression of intelligence, kindness, and at the same time, a somewhat mocking expression.He interrupted Bolkonski and said:

"Unfortunately, I really need you; but you're right, you're right, we don't have a shortage of people here. There are always consultants, but there's a shortage of talent. If all consultants went to the team like you, we I remember you in Austerlitz... I remember, I remember, I remember you holding a military flag." Kutuzov said, recalling this past, Ender A cheerful blush appeared on Duke Lie's face immediately.Kutuzov took his hand and kissed his cheek, and Prince Andrew saw the tears in the old man's eyes again.Although Prince Andrew knew that Kutuzov was prone to tears, and, out of sympathy for his father's loss, expressed special kindness and compassion for him, the memory of Austerlitz pleased and pleased Prince Andrew.

"By God, go your own way. Your way, I know, is an honorable one." He paused for a moment. "In Bucharest, I was sorry for your coming: I had to send someone then." Kutuzov then changed the subject and talked about the Turkish war and the conclusion of the peace treaty. "Yes, I have been reproached quite a bit," said Kutuzov, "for the war, and for the peace treaty... But everything came at the right time. Toutvientapointaceluiquisaitattendre has no fewer advisers than here..." He returned to the subject of counselors, a question that had haunted him. "Well, advisor, advisor!" he said. "If everyone listens, then we in Turkey will not be able to conclude a peace treaty and the war will not be ended. Haste makes waste, and if Kamensky does not die, he will suffer. He stormed the fortress with thirty thousand men. Captured a The fortress is not difficult, the difficult thing is to win the whole campaign. To do this, what is needed is not surprise and charge, but patience and time. Kamensky sent troops to Ruschuk, but I only sent Go to two things—patience and time—to conquer more forts than Kamensky, and make the Turks eat horsemeat.” He shook his head. “That will happen to the French! Take my word for it.” Kutuzov patted his chest and said with great excitement, "I'll make them eat horse meat!" His eyes were again blurred with tears.

-------- ① French: For those who are good at waiting, everything comes at the right time. "But there must be a war anyway?" said Prince Andrew. "It's all right to fight a war, if everyone wants to, there's nothing to say... But know, dear friend: there are no stronger fighters than Patience and Time, two fighters who can do anything But the advisers n'entenBdentpasdecetteoreille, voilalemal. Some want it, others don't. How?" he asked, evidently waiting for an answer. "Tell me, what do you tell me to do?" He repeated, his eyes looked deep and wise.

"I'll tell you what to do: how I did it. Dansledoute, moncher," he paused, "abstiens-toi." He said the words slowly. "Well, good-bye, good friend; remember, I sincerely want to share your loss. I am not your lord, duke, or commander-in-chief. I am your father. Whatever you need, come to me .Goodbye, darling." He hugged him again and kissed him.Kutuzov breathed a sigh of relief before Prince Andrei went out the door, and picked up the unfinished copy of Madame Jeanlis's novel "Leschevaliers du Cygne". -------- ①French: If you refuse to listen to this, the difficulty lies here.

②French: If you hesitate, dear, then do something else first. ③French: "Swan Knight". Prince Andrei could not explain how this feeling came about; but, returning to the regiment after his interview with Kutuzov, he was relieved of the whole course of the war and of the people who were responsible for it.The more he saw that there was nothing personal in this old man, that he lacked the intelligence to analyze events and draw conclusions, and what seemed to be only the habit of enthusiasm and the ability to observe the development of events, the more assured he felt that everything would be in order. . "He has nothing personal. He doesn't think about anything, he doesn't do anything," thought Prince Andrew, "but he listens to everything, remembers everything, arranges everything in a reasonable way, and he does everything that is good for him." He does not interfere; he does not condone what is harmful. He understands that there is something stronger and more important than his will--this is the inevitable course of events. He is good at observing these events and understanding their meaning. Therefore, he is also good at giving up interference in these events, giving up his personal will that had other goals. Above all," thought Prince Andrew, "why trust him? Because he is Russian, although he read Jean Lis Madame's novels and French proverbs; and also because his voice trembled when he said, 'What the hell!' and he sobbed when he said he made them eat horsemeat." Exactly It was from this more or less vague feeling that the people praised Kutuzov and unanimously chose him as commander-in-chief against the wishes of the court.