e two famous decrees were being prepared that
so agitated society--abolishing court ranks and introducing
examinations to qualify for the grades of Collegiate Assessor and State
Councilor--and not merely these but a whole state constitution,
intended to change the existing order of government in Russia: legal,
administrative, and financial, from the Council of State down to the
district tribunals. Now those vague liberal dreams with which the
Emperor Alexander had ascended the throne, and which he had tried to put
into effect with the aid of his associates, Czartoryski, Novosiltsev,
Kochubey, and Strogonov--whom he himself in jest had called his Comite
de salut public--were taking shape and being realized.

Now all these men were replaced by Speranski on the civil side, and
Arakcheev on the military. Soon after his arrival Prince Andrew, as a
gentleman of the chamber, presented himself at court and at a levee. The
Emperor, though he met him twice, did not favor him with a single word.
It had always seemed to Prince Andrew before that he was antipathetic
to the Emperor and that the latter disliked his face and personality
generally, and in the cold, repellent glance the Emperor gave him, he
now found further confirmation of this surmise. The courtiers explained
the Emperor's neglect of him by His Majesty's displeasure at Bolkonski's
not having served since 1805.

"I know myself that one cannot help one's sympathies and antipathies,"
thought Prince Andrew, "so it will not do to present my proposal for
the reform of the army regulations to the Emperor personally, but the
project will speak for itself."

He mentioned what he had written to an old field marshal, a friend of
his father's. The field marshal made an appointment to see him, received
him graciously, and promised to inform the Emperor. A few days later
Prince Andrew received notice that he was to go to see the Minister of
War, Count Arakcheev.

On the appointed day Prince Andrew entered Count Arakcheev's waiting
room at nine in the morning.

He did not know Arakcheev personally, had never seen him, and all he had
heard of him inspired him with but little respect for the man.

"He is Minister of War, a man trusted by the Emperor, and I need not
concern myself about his personal qualities: he has been commissioned
to consider my project, so he alone can get it adopted," thought Prince
Andrew as he waited among a number of important and unimportant people
in