Book Three: 1805 - Chapter XV

by Leo Tolstoy

　　At eight o'clock Kutuzov rode to Pratzen at the head of the fourthcolumn, Miloradovich's, the one that was to take the place ofPrzebyszewski's and Langeron's columns which had already gone downinto the valley. He greeted the men of the foremost regiment andgave them the order to march, thereby indicating that he intended tolead that column himself. When he had reached the village of Pratzenhe halted. Prince Andrew was behind, among the immense numberforming the commander in chief's suite. He was in a state ofsuppressed excitement and irritation, though controlledly calm as aman is at the approach of a long-awaited moment. He was firmlyconvinced that this was the day of his Toulon, or his bridge ofArcola. How it would come about he did not know, but he felt sure itwould do so. The locality and the position of our troops were known tohim as far as they could be known to anyone in our army. His ownstrategic plan, which obviously could not now be carried out, wasforgotten. Now, entering into Weyrother's plan, Prince Andrewconsidered possible contingencies and formed new projects such asmight call for his rapidity of perception and decision.

　　To the left down below in the mist, the musketry fire of unseenforces could be heard. It was there Prince Andrew thought the fightwould concentrate. "There we shall encounter difficulties, and there,"thought he, "I shall be sent with a brigade or division, and there,standard in hand, I shall go forward and break whatever is in front ofme."

　　He could not look calmly at the standards of the passing battalions.Seeing them he kept thinking, "That may be the very standard withwhich I shall lead the army."

　　In the morning all that was left of the night mist on the heightswas a hoar frost now turning to dew, but in the valleys it still laylike a milk-white sea. Nothing was visible in the valley to the leftinto which our troops had descended and from whence came the sounds offiring. Above the heights was the dark clear sky, and to the right thevast orb of the sun. In front, far off on the farther shore of thatsea of mist, some wooded hills were discernible, and it was therethe enemy probably was, for something could be descried. On theright the Guards were entering the misty region with a sound ofhoofs and wheels and now and then a gleam of bayonets; to the leftbeyond the village similar masses of cavalry came up and disappearedin the sea of mist. In front and behind moved infantry. Thecommander in chief was standing at the end of the village lettingthe troops pass by him. That morning Kutuzov seemed worn andirritable. The infantry passing before him came to a halt withoutany command being given, apparently obstructed by something in front.

　　"Do order them to form into battalion columns and go round thevillage!" he said angrily to a general who had ridden up. "Don't youunderstand, your excellency, my dear sir, that you must not defilethrough narrow village streets when we are marching against theenemy?"

　　"I intended to re-form them beyond the village, your excellency,"answered the general.

　　Kutuzov laughed bitterly.

　　"You'll make a fine thing of it, deploying in sight of the enemy!Very fine!"

　　"The enemy is still far away, your excellency. According to thedispositions..."

　　"The dispositions!" exclaimed Kutuzov bitterly. "Who told youthat?... Kindly do as you are ordered."

　　"Yes, sir."

　　"My dear fellow," Nesvitski whispered to Prince Andrew, "the old manis as surly as a dog."

　　An Austrian officer in a white uniform with green plumes in hishat galloped up to Kutuzov and asked in the Emperor's name had thefourth column advanced into action.

　　Kutuzov turned round without answering and his eye happened tofall upon Prince Andrew, who was beside him. Seeing him, Kutuzov'smalevolent and caustic expression softened, as if admitting thatwhat was being done was not his adjutant's fault, and still notanswering the Austrian adjutant, he addressed Bolkonski.

　　"Go, my dear fellow, and see whether the third division has passedthe village. Tell it to stop and await my orders."

　　Hardly had Prince Andrew started than he stopped him.

　　"And ask whether sharpshooters have been posted," he added. "Whatare they doing? What are they doing?" he murmured to himself, stillnot replying to the Austrian.

　　Prince Andrew galloped off to execute the order.

　　Overtaking the battalions that continued to advance, he stoppedthe third division and convinced himself that there really were nosharpshooters in front of our columns. The colonel at the head ofthe regiment was much surprised at the commander in chief's order tothrow out skirmishers. He had felt perfectly sure that there wereother troops in front of him and that the enemy must be at least sixmiles away. There was really nothing to be seen in front except abarren descent hidden by dense mist. Having given orders in thecommander in chief's name to rectify this omission, Prince Andrewgalloped back. Kutuzov still in the same place, his stout body restingheavily in the saddle with the lassitude of age, sat yawning wearilywith closed eyes. The troops were no longer moving, but stood with thebutts of their muskets on the ground.

　　"All right, all right!" he said to Prince Andrew, and turned to ageneral who, watch in hand, was saying it was time they started as allthe left-flank columns had already descended.

　　"Plenty of time, your excellency," muttered Kutuzov in the midstof a yawn. "Plenty of time," he repeated.

　　Just then at a distance behind Kutuzov was heard the sound ofregiments saluting, and this sound rapidly came nearer along the wholeextended line of the advancing Russian columns. Evidently the personthey were greeting was riding quickly. When the soldiers of theregiment in front of which Kutuzov was standing began to shout, herode a little to one side and looked round with a frown. Along theroad from Pratzen galloped what looked like a squadron of horsemenin various uniforms. Two of them rode side by side in front, at fullgallop. One in a black uniform with white plumes in his hat rode abobtailed chestnut horse, the other who was in a white uniform rodea black one. These were the two Emperors followed by their suites.Kutuzov, affecting the manners of an old soldier at the front, gavethe command "Attention!" and rode up to the Emperors with a salute.His whole appearance and manner were suddenly transformed. He put onthe air of a subordinate who obeys without reasoning. With anaffectation of respect which evidently struck Alexanderunpleasantly, he rode up and saluted.

　　This unpleasant impression merely flitted over the young and happyface of the Emperor like a cloud of haze across a clear sky andvanished. After his illness he looked rather thinner that day thanon the field of Olmutz where Bolkonski had seen him for the first timeabroad, but there was still the same bewitching combination of majestyand mildness in his fine gray eyes, and on his delicate lips thesame capacity for varying expression and the same prevalent appearanceof goodhearted innocent youth.

　　At the Olmutz review he had seemed more majestic; here he seemedbrighter and more energetic. He was slightly flushed after gallopingtwo miles, and reining in his horse he sighed restfully and lookedround at the faces of his suite, young and animated as his own.Czartoryski, Novosiltsev, Prince Volkonsky, Strogonov, and the others,all richly dressed gay young men on splendid, well-groomed, fresh,only slightly heated horses, exchanging remarks and smiling, hadstopped behind the Emperor. The Emperor Francis, a rosy, long facedyoung man, sat very erect on his handsome black horse, looking abouthim in a leisurely and preoccupied manner. He beckoned to one of hiswhite adjutants and asked some question- "Most likely he is askingat what o'clock they started," thought Prince Andrew, watching his oldacquaintance with a smile he could not repress as he recalled hisreception at Brunn. In the Emperors' suite were the picked youngorderly officers of the Guard and line regiments, Russian andAustrian. Among them were grooms leading the Tsar's beautiful relayhorses covered with embroidered cloths.

　　As when a window is opened a whiff of fresh air from the fieldsenters a stuffy room, so a whiff of youthfulness, energy, andconfidence of success reached Kutuzov's cheerless staff with thegalloping advent of all these brilliant young men.

　　"Why aren't you beginning, Michael Ilarionovich?" said the EmperorAlexander hurriedly to Kutuzov, glancing courteously at the sametime at the Emperor Francis.

　　"I am waiting, Your Majesty," answered Kutuzov, bending forwardrespectfully.

　　The Emperor, frowning slightly, bent his ear forward as if he hadnot quite heard.

　　"Waiting, Your Majesty," repeated Kutuzov. (Prince Andrew noted thatKutuzov's upper lip twitched unnaturally as he said the word"waiting.") "Not all the columns have formed up yet, Your Majesty."

　　The Tsar heard but obviously did not like the reply; he shrugged hisrather round shoulders and glanced at Novosiltsev who was near him, asif complaining of Kutuzov.

　　"You know, Michael Ilarionovich, we are not are not on theEmpress' Field where a parade does not begin till all the troops areassembled," said the Tsar with another glance at the EmperorFrancis, as if inviting him if not to join in at least to listen towhat he was saying. But the Emperor Francis continued to look abouthim and did not listen.

　　"That is just why I do not begin, sire," said Kutuzov in aresounding voice, apparently to preclude the possibility of notbeing heard, and again something in his face twitched- "That is justwhy I do not begin, sire, because we are not on parade and not onthe Empress' Field." said clearly and distinctly.

　　In the Emperor's suite all exchanged rapid looks that expresseddissatisfaction and reproach. "Old though he may be, he should not, hecertainly should not, speak like that," their glances seemed to say.

　　The Tsar looked intently and observantly into Kutuzov's eyewaiting to hear whether he would say anything more. But Kutuzov,with respectfully bowed head, seemed also to be waiting. The silencelasted for about a minute.

　　"However, if you command it, Your Majesty," said Kutuzov, liftinghis head and again assuming his former tone of a dull, unreasoning,but submissive general.

　　He touched his horse and having called Miloradovich, the commanderof the column, gave him the order to advance.

　　The troops again began to move, and two battalions of the Novgorodand one of the Apsheron regiment went forward past the Emperor.

　　As this Apsheron battalion marched by, the red-faced Miloradovich,without his greatcoat, with his Orders on his breast and an enormoustuft of plumes in his cocked hat worn on one side with its cornersfront and back, galloped strenuously forward, and with a dashingsalute reined in his horse before the Emperor.

　　"God be with you, general!" said the Emperor.

　　"Ma foi, sire, nous ferons ce qui sera dans notre possibilite,sire,"* he answered gaily, raising nevertheless ironic smiles amongthe gentlemen of the Tsar's suite by his poor French.

　　*"Indeed, Sire, we shall do everything it is possible to do, Sire."

　　Miloradovich wheeled his horse sharply and stationed himself alittle behind the Emperor. The Apsheron men, excited by the Tsar'spresence, passed in step before the Emperors and their suites at abold, brisk pace.

　　"Lads!" shouted Miloradovich in a loud, self-confident, and cheeryvoice, obviously so elated by the sound of firing, by the prospectof battle, and by the sight of the gallant Apsherons, his comradesin Suvorov's time, now passing so gallantly before the Emperors,that he forgot the sovereigns' presence. "Lads, it's not the firstvillage you've had to take," cried he.

　　"Glad to do our best!" shouted the soldiers.

　　The Emperor's horse started at the sudden cry. This horse that hadcarried the sovereign at reviews in Russia bore him also here on thefield of Austerlitz, enduring the heedless blows of his left footand pricking its ears at the sound of shots just as it had done on theEmpress' Field, not understanding the significance of the firing,nor of the nearness of the Emperor Francis' black cob, nor of all thatwas being said, thought, and felt that day by its rider.

　　The Emperor turned with a smile to one of his followers and made aremark to him, pointing to the gallant Apsherons.