Chapter 17 Chapter Seventeen

Kutuzov, like all old people, slept very little at night.He often dozed off suddenly during the day; at night he lay naked, mostly not asleep, but thinking. That's how he lay now, his big, heavy, mutilated head resting on one fat hand, with one eye open, looking into the darkness, deep in thought. Ever since Bennigsen had become the most powerful man on the staff through letters with the Emperor, he had always avoided Kutuzov, and Kutuzov was quieter because they no longer forced him and his The army launched a futile attack.The lessons of the Tarutino battle and the eve of the battle, which Kutuzov was so painful and still fresh in his memory, must still be valid, he thought.

"They should understand that if we attack, we will only fail. Patience and time are our invincible warriors!" Kutuzov thought.He knows that the historical experience of the international communist movement has criticized the teachings of the "left" communists, so don't pick them up.When they are ripe, they will naturally fall down. Picking the green ones not only ruins the apples but also hurts the tree, and it also makes you lose your teeth.As an experienced hunter, he knew that the beast had been wounded in such a way that only the power of the whole of Russia could injure it, but he had not yet ascertained whether it would be fatal.Now, from the information sent by Loriston and Berteremy, and from the partisan reports, Kutuzov can almost conclude that it was mortally wounded.However, evidence is still needed, and it will have to wait.

They wanted to run to see how they killed the beast.Wait a minute, we'll see.Always moving, always attacking.he thought. "For what? To show off. Seems like it's fun to fight. They're like kids. We don't get a real report of what's happened. They have to show off how well they fought. But that's not the problem now." "What ingenious campaign tactics they have proposed to me! They think that they have thought of two or three accidents (he remembered the general plan from Petersburg) and they have thought of everything, but there are too many accidents to count. .”

Was the wound at Borodino fatal?This question had been hanging in Kutuzov's mind for a whole month without being resolved.On the one hand the French took Moscow.Kutuzov, on the other hand, felt beyond doubt that the terrible blow to which he and the entire Russian people had exerted all their strength was enough to kill the enemy.But no matter what evidence is needed, he has been waiting for a month.Therefore, human nature is pure and good. "Yi, the longer you wait, the more impatient you are. In those sleepless nights, he lay in bed doing what the young generals did, doing what he blamed them for. Like a young man, he thought Everything that could happen, but the difference is that he doesn't base it on it. He sees not two or three, but thousands. He thinks more and more. He imagines all or part of Napoleon's army The various movements of the Russian Federation—the attack on Petersburg, the attack on him, the siege of him, he thought he was most afraid of Napoleon with his weapons—staying in Moscow waiting for him—against him. Kutuzov even It occurred to him that Napoleon's army would fall back to Medny and Yukhnov; but one thing he did not expect, which was already a fact, was that during the first eleven days of his departure from Moscow, Napoleon frantically, convulsively, Fleeing, Kutuzov did not dare to think of this at the time: the French were completely routed. Dolokhov's report on Brussier's division, information from the partisans on the internal difficulties of Napoleon's army, preparations from all sides Rumors of withdrawing from Moscow—all this confirms that the French army is routed and ready to flee; How much weight is there in rumors, knowing that those who have a certain desire always collect information to confirm their desire, and in this case, information to the contrary is always ignored. The more Kutuzov wanted that, the more he The less he could convince himself that it was true. It took up all his attention. The rest was just routine. He talked to his staff, he wrote letters from Tarutino to Mrs. Stael, read novels, published Medals, correspondence with Petersburg, etc., were routine affairs, but the ruin of the French, which he alone foresaw, was the only desire in his heart.

On the night of October 11th, he put his head on his hands and thought about it. There was a sound in the next room, the footsteps of Thor, Konovnitsyn, and Borhovittinov. "Hey, who's there? Come in, come in! What's the news?" the Grand Marshal called to them. As the candles were almost lit, Thor recounted the contents of the message. "Who brought the news?" asked Kutuzov.After the candle was lit, Thor was taken aback by his stern look. "There is no doubt about it, sir." "Call him, call him!" Kutuzov sat up, one of his legs was thrown off the bed, and his fat belly lay on one side on the other curled up thigh.He squinted his one visible eye to examine the messenger more closely, as if trying to read from his face the things that occupied his mind.

"Go ahead, go ahead, my dear," he said to Borkhovitinov in his deep, aged voice, pushing up his open shirt. "Come closer, come closer. What news have you brought me? Eh? Napoleon has left Moscow? Is it reliable? Eh?" Borhovittinov reported again in detail what he had been ordered to report. "Speak quickly, speak quickly! Don't worry me," interrupted Kutuzov. After reporting everything, Borhovittinov stood silently, awaiting orders.Thor was about to say something when Kutuzov interrupted him.He was about to say something, but suddenly his eyes narrowed and his face scrunched up; he waved Thor, then turned across the room, to the corner darkened by the statue of the god that hung there.

"Lord! My Creator! You have heard our prayers..." He folded his palms and said in a trembling voice, "Russia is saved. Thank You, Lord!" Then he wept.