d hitherto
been so simple and so short. He seemed desirous of stifling thought by
repletion. He would then pass whole hours, half reclined, as if torpid,
and awaiting, with a novel in his hand, the catastrophe of his terrible
history. On beholding this obstinate and inflexible character struggling
with impossibility, his officers would then observe to one another, that
having arrived at the summit of his glory, he no doubt foresaw that from
his first retrograde step would date its decline; that for this reason
he continued immoveable, clinging to and lingering a few moments longer
on this elevation.

Kutusoff, meanwhile, was gaining that time which we were losing. His
letters to Alexander described "his army as being in the midst of
abundance; his recruits arriving from all quarters and being trained;
his wounded recovering in the bosom of their families; the peasants,
some in arms, some on the look out from the tops of steeples, while
others were stealing into our habitations and even into the Kremlin.
Rostopchin received from them a daily report of what was passing at
Moscow, as before its capture. If they undertook to be our guides, it
was for the purpose of delivering us into his hands. His partizans were
every day bringing in some hundreds of prisoners. Every thing concurred
to destroy the enemy's army and to strengthen his own; to serve him and
to betray us; in a word, the campaign, which was over for us, was but
just about to begin for them."

Kutusoff neglected no advantage. He made his camp ring with the news of
the victory of Salamanca. "The French," said he, "are expelled from
Madrid. The hand of the Most High presses heavily upon Napoleon. Moscow
will be his prison, his grave, and that of all his grand army. We shall
soon take France in Russia!" It was in such language that the Russian
general addressed his troops and his Emperor; and nevertheless he still
kept up appearances with Murat. At once bold and crafty, he contrived
slowly to prepare a sudden and impetuous warfare, and to cover his plans
for our destruction with demonstrations of kindness and honeyed words.

At length, after several days of illusion, the charm was dispelled. A
Cossack completely dissolved it. This barbarian fired at Murat, at the
moment when that prince came as usual to show himself at the advanced
posts. Murat was exasperated; he declared to Miloradowitch that an
armistice which was incessantly violated was at an end; and that
t