AnnaPavlovna''sbirthday, 'sreport, , thattheFrenchlossesweremuchheavierthanours, , withoutleavingthechurch, thankswererenderedtotheCreatorforHishelpandforthevictory.
AnnaPavlovna'spresentimentwasjustified, , andsomeevenspokeofNapoleon'shavingbeencaptured, ofhisdeposition, andofthechoiceofanewrulerforFrance.
' pleasurewasbasedasmuchonthefactthatthenewshadarrivedontheEmperor''sreportoftheRussianlosses, amongwhichfiguredthenamesofTuchkov, Bagration, : Kutaysov', theEmperorlikedhim, :
"Whatawonderfulcoincidence! ! HowsorryIam!"
"WhatdidItellaboutKutuzov?" PrinceVasilinowsaidwithaprophet'spride."IalwayssaidhewastheonlymancapableofdefeatingNapoleon."
.
"FancytheEmperor'sposition!" saidthey, andinsteadofextollingKutuzovastheyhaddonethedaybefore, theycondemnedhimasthecauseoftheEmperor', , towardevening, asifeverythingconspiredtomakePetersburgsocietyanxiousanduneasy, , atlargegatherings, everyonesaidthatCountessBezukhovahaddiedofaterribleattackofanginapectoris, butinintimatecirclesdetailswerementionedofhowtheprivatephysicianoftheQueenofSpainhadprescribedsmalldosesofacertaindrugtoproduceacertaineffect; butHelene, torturedbythefactthattheoldcountsuspectedherandthatherhusbandtowhomshehadwritten (thatwretched, profligatePierre) hadnotreplied, hadsuddenlytakenaverylargedoseofthedrug, , butthelatterhadproducedsuchlettersfromtheunfortunatedeceasedthattheyhadimmediatelyletthematterdrop.
Talkingeneralcenteredroundthreemelancholyfacts: theEmperor'slackofnews, thelossofKutaysov, andthedeathofHelene.
OnthethirddayafterKutuzov'sreportacountrygentlemanarrivedfromMoscow, ! WhatapositionfortheEmperortobein! Kutuzovwasatraitor, andPrinceVasiliduringthevisitsofcondolencepaidtohimontheoccasionofhisdaughter'sdeathsaidofKutuzov, whomhehadformerlypraised (itwasexcusableforhiminhisgrieftoforgetwhathehadsaid), thatitwasimpossibletoexpectanythingelsefromablindanddepravedoldman.
"IonlywonderthatthefateofRussiacouldhavebeenentrustedtosuchaman."
Aslongasthisnewsremainedunofficialitwaspossibletodoubtit, butthenextdaythefollowingcommunicationwasreceivedfromCountRostopchin:
PrinceKutuzov'! Kutuzov'sactiondecidesthefateofthecapitalandofyourempire! Russiawillshuddertolearnoftheabandonmentofthecityinwhichhergreatnessiscenteredandinwhichlietheashesofyourancestors! , anditonlyremainsformetoweepoverthefateofmyfatherland.
OnreceivingthisdispatchtheEmperorsentPrinceVolkonskitoKutuzovwiththefollowingrescript:
PrinceMichaelIlarionovich! Sincethetwenty-ninthofAugustIhavereceivednocommunicationfromyou, yetonthefirstofSeptemberIreceivedfromthecommander-in-chiefofMoscow, viaYaroslavl, thesadnewsthatyou, withthearmy, , -GeneralPrinceVolkonski, tohearfromyouthesituationofthearmyandthereasonsthathaveinducedyoutotakethismelancholydecision.
