- Eh bien, mon prince. Gênes et Lucques ne sont plus que des apanages, des estates, de la famille Buonaparte. Non, je vous préviens que si vous ne me dites pas que nous avons la guerre, si vous vous permettez encore de pallier toutes les infamies, toutes les atrocités de cet Antichrist (ma parole, j'y crois) - je ne vous connais plus , vous n'êtes plus mon ami, vous n'êtes plus my faithful slave, comme vous dites. Well, hello, hello. Je vois que je vous fais peur, sit down and talk.
This is what the famous Anna Pavlovna Sherer, the lady-in-waiting and close associate of the Empress Maria Feodorovna, spoke in July 1805, when meeting the important and official Prince Vasily, who was the first to come to her evening. Anna Pavlovna coughed for several days, she had the flu , as she said ( flu was then a new word, used only rarely). In the notes sent out in the morning with the red footman, it was written without distinction in all:
“Si vous n'avez rien de mieux a faire, Monsieur le comte (or mon prince), et si la perspective de passer la soirée chez une pauvre malade ne vous effraye pas trop, je serai charmée de vous voir chez moi entre 7 et 10 heures. Annette Scherer " [3] .
- Dieu, quelle virulente sortie! [4] - answered, not at all embarrassed by such a meeting, the prince entered, in a court, embroidered uniform, in stockings, shoes and stars, with a bright expression of a flat face.
He spoke that exquisite French language, which not only spoke, but also thought our grandfathers, and with those quiet, patronizing intonations that are characteristic of a significant person who has grown old in society and at court. He went up to Anna Pavlovna, kissed her hand, offering her his perfumed and radiant bald head, and calmly sat down on the sofa.
- Avant tout dites moi, comment vous allez, chère amie? [5] Calm me down, ”he said, without changing his voice and in a tone in which indifference and even mockery shone through due to decency and sympathy.
— … ? , , ? — . — , ?
— ? . , — . — .
— , . Je vous avoue que toutes ces fêtes et tous ces feux d’artifice commencent à devenir insipides[6].
— , , , — , , , , , .
— Ne me tourmentez pas. Eh bien, qu’a-t-on décidé par rapport à la dépêche de Novosilzoff? Vous savez tout[7].
— ? — , . — Qu’a-t-on décidé? On a décidé que Buonaparte a brûlé ses vaisseaux, et je crois que nous sommes en train de brûler les nôtres[8].
, . , , , .
, , , , , , . , , , , , , , .
.
— , ! , , . . . . , . , , , , . . , ?.. . . , . ? . , , . ? . , ! Prussia has already announced that Bonaparte is invincible and that the whole of Europe can do nothing against him ... And I do not believe in a single word either to Hardenberg or Gaugwitz. Cette fameuse neutralité prussienne, ce n'est qu'un piège [9] . I believe in one god and in the high destiny of our dear emperor. He will save Europe! .. - She suddenly stopped with a smile of mockery at her fervor.
“I think,” said the prince, smiling, “that if you were sent instead of our dear Vincennerode, you would have taken the consent of the Prussian king by storm. You are so eloquent. Will you give me some tea?