Book Thirteen: 1812 - Chapter IV

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Bennigsen's note and the Cossack's information that the left flankof the French was unguarded were merely final indications that itwas necessary to order an attack, and it was fixed for the fifth ofOctober.

　　On the morning of the fourth of October Kutuzov signed thedispositions. Toll read them to Ermolov, asking him to attend to thefurther arrangements.

　　"All right- all right. I haven't time just now," replied Ermolov,and left the hut.

　　The dispositions drawn up by Toll were very good. As in theAusterlitz dispositions, it was written- though not in German thistime:

　　"The First Column will march here and here," "the Second Column willmarch there and there," and so on; and on paper, all these columnsarrived at their places at the appointed time and destroyed the enemy.Everything had been admirably thought out as is usual in dispositions,and as is always the case, not a single column reached its place atthe appointed time.

　　When the necessary number of copies of the dispositions had beenprepared, an officer was summoned and sent to deliver them toErmolov to deal with. A young officer of the Horse Guards, Kutuzov'sorderly, pleased at the importance of the mission entrusted to him,went to Ermolov's quarters.

　　"Gone away," said Ermolov's orderly.

　　The officer of the Horse Guards went to a general with whomErmolov was often to be found.

　　"No, and the general's out too."

　　The officer, mounting his horse, rode off to someone else.

　　"No, he's gone out."

　　"If only they don't make me responsible for this delay! What anuisance it is!" thought the officer, and he rode round the wholecamp. One man said he had seen Ermolov ride past with some othergenerals, others said he must have returned home. The officer searchedtill six o'clock in the evening without even stopping to eat.Ermolov was nowhere to be found and no one knew where he was. Theofficer snatched a little food at a comrade's, and rode again to thevanguard to find Miloradovich. Miloradovich too was away, but herehe was told that he had gone to a ball at General Kikin's and thatErmolov was probably there too.

　　"But where is it?"

　　"Why, there, over at Echkino," said a Cossack officer, pointing to acountry house in the far distance.

　　"What, outside our line?"

　　"They've put two regiments as outposts, and they're having such aspree there, it's awful! Two bands and three sets of singers!"

　　The officer rode out beyond our lines to Echkino. While still at adistance he heard as he rode the merry sounds of a soldier's dancesong proceeding from the house.

　　"In the meadows... in the meadows!" he heard, accompanied bywhistling and the sound of a torban, drowned every now and then byshouts. These sounds made his spirits rise, but at the same time hewas afraid that he would be blamed for not having executed soonerthe important order entrusted to him. It was already past eighto'clock. He dismounted and went up into the porch of a large countryhouse which had remained intact between the Russian and French forces.In the refreshment room and the hall, footmen were bustling about withwine and viands. Groups of singers stood outside the windows. Theofficer was admitted and immediately saw all the chief generals of thearmy together, and among them Ermolov's big imposing figure. Theyall had their coats unbuttoned and were standing in a semicirclewith flushed and animated faces, laughing loudly. In the middle of theroom a short handsome general with a red face was dancing the trepakwith much spirit and agility.

　　"Ha, ha, ha! Bravo, Nicholas Ivanych! Ha, ha, ha!"

　　The officer felt that by arriving with important orders at such amoment he was doubly to blame, and he would have preferred to wait;but one of the generals espied him and, hearing what he had comeabout, informed Ermolov.

　　Ermolov came forward with a frown on his face and, hearing whatthe officer had to say, took the papers from him without a word.

　　"You think he went off just by chance?" said a comrade, who was onthe staff that evening, to the officer of the Horse Guards,referring to Ermolov. "It was a trick. It was done on purpose to getKonovnitsyn into trouble. You'll see what a mess there'll betomorrow."