War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy [610]
Bilibin was attentively examining his fingernails, and many, clearly grown timid, seemed to be asking what they were guilty of. Anna Pavlovna, like a little old woman repeating the prayer before communion, whispered in advance: “Let the brazen and insolent Goliath…”
Prince Vassily continued:
“Let the brazen and insolent Goliath from the borders of France encompass the ends of Russia in deathly horror; meek faith, that sling of the Russian David, will suddenly crush the head of his bloodthirsty pride. Behold the image of St. Sergius, zealous of old after the good of our fatherland, is being offered to Your Imperial Majesty. I lament that my failing strength prevents me from delighting in seeing Your most gentle face. I have sent up to heaven my warm prayers that the Almighty may exalt the generation of the righteous and fulfill among the blessed the wishes of Your Majesty.”
“Quelle force! Quel style!”*644 were heard in praise of the reader and of the writer. Inspired by this speech, Anna Pavlovna’s guests talked for a long time about the situation of the fatherland and made various conjectures about the outcome of the battle which was to be offered one of those days.
“Vous verrez,”†645 said Anna Pavlovna, “tomorrow, on the sovereign’s birthday, we’ll receive news. I have a good presentiment.”
II
Anna Pavlovna’s presentiment indeed proved true. The next day, during the prayer service in the palace on the occasion of the sovereign’s birthday, Prince Volkonsky was called out of the church and received an envelope from Prince Kutuzov. This was Kutuzov’s report written from Tatarinovo on the day of the battle. Kutuzov wrote that the Russians had not retreated a step, that the French losses were much greater than ours, that he was reporting in haste from the battlefield, and had not yet had time to gather the latest information. Which meant it was a victory. And at once, before leaving church, thanks were offered up to the Creator for His help and for the victory.
Anna Pavlovna’s presentiment proved true, and for the whole morning a joyfully festive mood reigned in the city. Everyone took the victory for an accomplished fact, and some already spoke of the capture of Napoleon himself, of his deposition and the choice of a new head for France.
Far from the action and amidst the conditions of court life, one could hardly expect events to be reflected in all their fullness and force. Involuntarily, general events group themselves around some specific occurrence. So now the main joy of the courtiers consisted as much in the fact that news of the victory arrived precisely on the sovereign’s birthday, as in the fact that we had been victorious. This was like a successful surprise. In Kutuzov’s report mention was also made of the Russian losses, and among them Tuchkov, Bagration, and Kutaisov were named. The sad side of the event, in the local Petersburg world, also involuntarily grouped itself around one event: the death of Kutaisov. Everyone knew him, the sovereign liked him, he was young and interesting. On that day people met each other with the words:
“How surprisingly it happened. During the prayer service. But what a loss Kutaisov is! Ah, what a pity!”
“What did I tell you about Kutuzov?” Prince Vassily now kept saying with the pride of a prophet. “I always said he alone was capable of defeating Napoleon.”
But the next day no news came from the army, and the general voice became anxious. The courtiers suffered over the suffering of uncertainty in which the sovereign found himself.
“What a position the sovereign is in!” said the courtiers, and they no longer extolled Kutuzov as they had the day before, but denounced him for being the cause of the sovereign’s worry. That day Prince Vassily no longer boasted of his protégé Kutuzov, but kept silent when the conversation turned to the commander in chief. Besides, towards the evening of that day it was as if everything combined to plunge the inhabitants of