War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy [170]
“But in what position are we going to attack him? I was at the outposts today, and it’s impossible to tell precisely where he’s camped with his main forces,” said Prince Andrei.
He wanted to explain to Dolgorukov the plan of attack he had worked out for himself.
“Oh, that makes no difference at all,” Dolgorukov began speaking quickly, getting up and unfolding a map on the table. “All the possibilities have been foreseen: if he’s camped by Brünn…”
And Prince Dolgorukov quickly and vaguely recounted Weyrother’s plan for a flanking movement.
Prince Andrei started to object and demonstrate his own plan, which might have been just as good as Weyrother’s, but had the shortcoming that Weyrother’s had already been approved. As soon as Prince Andrei began to demonstrate the disadvantages of the latter and the advantages of his own, Prince Dolgorukov stopped listening to him, and gazed absentmindedly not at the map, but at Prince Andrei’s face.
“Anyhow, there’ll be a council of war at Kutuzov’s today: you can speak all this out there,” said Dolgorukov.
“I’ll do just that,” said Prince Andrei, stepping away from the map.
“What are you worrying about, gentlemen?” asked Bilibin, who up to then had been listening to their conversation with a merry smile and was now obviously going to come out with a quip. “Whether there’s victory or defeat tomorrow, the glory of Russian arms is assured. Besides your Kutuzov, there’s not a single Russian leader of a column. The leaders are: Herr General Wimpfen, le comte de Langeron, le prince de Liechtenstein, le prince de Hohenloe, et enfin Prsch…Prsch…et ainsi de suite, comme tous les noms polonais.”*262 6
“Taisez-vous, mauvaise langue,”*263 said Dolgorukov. “It’s not true, there are now two Russians: Miloradovich and Dokhturov, and there would have been a third, Count Arakcheev, but he has weak nerves.”
“However, I think Mikhail Ilarionovich has come out,” said Prince Andrei. “I wish you luck and success, gentlemen,” he added and left, after shaking hands with Dolgorukov and Bilibin.
On the way home, Prince Andrei could not help asking Kutuzov, who was sitting silently next to him, what he thought about the next day’s battle.
Kutuzov looked sternly at his adjutant, paused, and said:
“I think the battle will be lost, and I said so to Count Tolstoy and asked him to convey it to the sovereign. And what do you think he replied? Eh, mon cher général, je me mêle de riz et des côtelettes, mêlez-vous des affaires de la guerre.†264 Yes…That was the answer I got!”
XII
After nine in the evening, Weyrother moved with his plans to Kutuzov’s quarters, where a council of war was called. All the leaders of columns were summoned to the commander in chief, and, apart from Bagration, who refused to come, they all arrived at the appointed time.
Weyrother, who was fully in charge of the forthcoming battle, presented, in his liveliness and briskness, a sharp contrast with the displeased and drowsy Kutuzov, who reluctantly played the role of chairman and leader of the council of war. Weyrother obviously felt himself at the head of the movement which had now become irrepressible. He was like a horse harnessed to a wagon and running downhill. Whether he was pulling or being pushed, he did not know; but he was racing with all possible speed, having no time left to discuss what this movement would lead to. That evening Weyrother had gone twice to inspect the enemy lines in person and twice to the emperors, Russian and Austrian, to report and explain, and then to his office, where he had dictated the German disposition. Exhausted, he now arrived at Kutuzov’s.
He was clearly so preoccupied that he even forgot to be respectful with the commander in chief: he interrupted him, spoke quickly, unclearly, not looking into his interlocutor’s eyes, not answering the questions put to him, was covered with mud, and looked pitiful, exhausted, disconcerted, and at the