雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第74部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　which　marks　the　intersection　of　the　roadsa　pile　of　the　sixteenth　century；　and　so　robust　that　the　cannon…balls　rebounded　from　it　without　injuring　it。
　　All　about　the　plateau　the　English　had　cut　the　hedges　here　and　there；　made　embrasures　in　the　hawthorn…trees；　thrust　the　throat　of　a　cannon　between　two　branches；　embattled　the　shrubs。　There　artillery　was　ambushed　in　the　brushwood。
　　This　punic　labor；　incontestably　authorized　by　war；　which　permits　traps；　was　so　well　done；　that　Haxo；　who　had　been　despatched　by　the　Emperor　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　to　reconnoitre　the　enemy's　batteries；　had　discovered　nothing　of　it；　and　had　returned　and　reported　to　Napoleon　that　there　were　no　obstacles　except　the　two　barricades　which　barred　the　road　to　Nivelles　and　to　Genappe。
　　It　was　at　the　season　when　the　grain　is　tall；　on　the　edge　of　the　plateau　a　battalion　of　Kempt's　brigade；　the　95th；　armed　with　carabines；　was　concealed　in　the　tall　wheat。
　　Thus　assured　and　buttressed；　the　centre　of　the　Anglo…Dutch　army　was　well　posted。
　　The　peril　of　this　position　lay　in　the　forest　of　Soignes；　then　adjoining　the　field　of　battle；　and　intersected　by　the　ponds　of　Groenendael　and　Boitsfort。
　　An　army　could　not　retreat　thither　without　dissolving；　the　regiments　would　have　broken　up　immediately　there。　The　artillery　would　have　been　lost　among　the　morasses。
　　The　retreat；　according　to　many　a　man　versed　in　the　art；though　it　is　disputed　by　others；would　have　been　a　disorganized　flight。
　　To　this　centre；　Wellington　added　one　of　Chasse's　brigades　taken　from　the　right　wing；　and　one　of　Wincke's　brigades　taken　from　the　left　wing；　plus　Clinton's　division。
　　To　his　English；　to　the　regiments　of　Halkett；　to　the　brigades　of　Mitchell；　to　the　guards　of　Maitland；　he　gave　as　reinforcements　and　aids；　the　infantry　of　Brunswick；　Nassau's　contingent；　Kielmansegg's　Hanoverians；　and　Ompteda's　Germans。
　　This　placed　twenty…six　battalions　under　his　hand。　The　right　wing；　as　Charras　says；　was　thrown　back　on　the　centre。　An　enormous　battery　was　masked　by　sacks　of　earth　at　the　spot　where　there　now　stands　what　is　called　the　〃Museum　of　Waterloo。〃　Besides　this；　Wellington　had；　behind　a　rise　in　the　ground；　Somerset's　Dragoon　Guards；　fourteen　hundred　horse　strong。　It　was　the　remaining　half　of　the　justly　celebrated　English　cavalry。　Ponsonby　destroyed；　Somerset　remained。
　　The　battery；　which；　if　pleted；　would　have　been　almost　a　redoubt；　was　ranged　behind　a　very　low　garden　wall；　backed　up　with　a　coating　of　bags　of　sand　and　a　large　slope　of　earth。
　　This　work　was　not　finished；　there　had　been　no　time　to　make　a　palisade　for　it。
　　Wellington；　uneasy　but　impassive；　was　on　horseback；　and　there　remained　the　whole　day　in　the　same　attitude；　a　little　in　advance　of　the　old　mill　of　Mont…Saint…Jean；　which　is　still　in　existence；　beneath　an　elm；　which　an　Englishman；　an　enthusiastic　vandal；　purchased　later　on　for　two　hundred　francs；　cut　down；　and　carried　off。　Wellington　was　coldly　heroic。
　　The　bullets　rained　about　him。　His　aide…de…camp；　Gordon；　fell　at　his　side。
　　Lord　Hill；　pointing　to　a　shell　which　had　burst；　said　to　him：
　　〃My　lord；　what　are　your　orders　in　case　you　are　killed？〃
　　〃To　do　like　me；〃　replied　Wellington。　To　Clinton　he　said　laconically；　〃To　hold　this　spot　to　the　last　man。〃　The　day　was　evidently　turning　out　ill。
　　Wellington　shouted　to　his　old　panions　of　Talavera；　of　Vittoria；　of　Salamanca：
　　〃Boys；　can　retreat　be　thought　of？
　　Think　of　old　England！〃
　　Towards　four　o'clock；　the　English　line　drew　back。
　　Suddenly　nothing　was　visible　on　the　crest　of　the　plateau　except　the　artillery　and　the　sharpshooters；　the　rest　had　disappeared：
　　the　regiments；　dislodged　by　the　shells　and　the　French　bullets；　retreated　into　the　bottom；　now　intersected　by　the　back　road　of　the　farm　of　Mont…Saint…Jean；　a　retrograde　movement　took　place；　the　English　front　hid　itself；　Wellington　drew　back。
　　〃The　beginning　of　retreat！〃　cried　Napoleon。


BOOK　FIRST。…WATERLOO
CHAPTER　VII　
　　NAPOLEON　IN　A　GOOD　HUMOR
　　　The　Emperor；　though　ill　and　dismoded　on　horseback　by　a　local　trouble；　had　never　been　in　a　better　humor　than　on　that　day。　His　impenetrability　had　been　smiling　ever　since　the　morning。
　　On　the　18th　of　June；　that　profound　soul　masked　by　marble　beamed　blindly。　The　man　who　had　been　gloomy　at　Austerlitz　was　gay　at　Waterloo。　The　greatest　favorites　of　destiny　make　mistakes。
　　Our　joys　are　posed　of　shadow。
　　The　supreme　smile　is　God's　alone。
　　Ridet　Caesar；　Pompeius　flebit；　said　the　legionaries　of　the　Fulminatrix　Legion。
　　Pompey　was　not　destined　to　weep　on　that　occasion；　but　it　is　certain　that　Caesar　laughed。
　　While　exploring　on　horseback　at　one　o'clock　on　the　preceding　night；　in　storm　and　rain；　in　pany　with　Bertrand；　the　munes　in　the　neighborhood　of　Rossomme；　satisfied　at　the　sight　of　the　long　line　of　the　English　camp…fires　illuminating　the　whole　horizon　from　Frischemont　to　Braine…l'Alleud；　it　had　seemed　to　him　that　fate；　to　whom　he　had　assigned　a　day　on　the　field　of　Waterloo；　was　exact　to　the　appointment；　he　stopped　his　horse；　and　remained　for　some　time　motionless；　gazing　at　the　lightning　and　listening　to　the　thunder；　and　this　fatalist　was　heard　to　cast　into　the　darkness　this　mysterious　saying；　〃We　are　in　accord。〃　Napoleon　was　mistaken。
　　They　were　no　longer　in　accord。
　　He　took　not　a　moment　for　sleep；　every　instant　of　that　night　was　marked　by　a　joy　for　him。
　　He　traversed　the　line　of　the　principal　outposts；　halting　here　and　there　to　talk　to　the　sentinels。
　　At　half…past　two；　near　the　wood　of　Hougomont；　he　heard　the　tread　of　a　column　on　the　march；　he　thought　at　the　moment　that　it　was　a　retreat　on　the　part　of　Wellington。
　　He　said：
　　〃It　is　the　rear…guard　of　the　English　getting　under　way　for　the　purpose　of　decamping。
　　I　will　take　prisoners　the　six　thousand　English　who　have　just　arrived　at　Ostend。〃　He　conversed　expansively；　he　regained　the　animation　which　he　had　shown　at　his　landing　on　the　first　of　March；　when　he　pointed　out　to　the　Grand…Marshal　the　enthusiastic　peasant　of　the　Gulf　Juan；　and　cried；　〃Well；　Bertrand；　here　is　a　reinforcement　already！〃　On　the　night　of　the　17th　to　the　18th　of　June　he　rallied　Wellington。　〃That　little　Englishman　needs　a　lesson；〃　said　Napoleon。
　　The　rain　redoubled　in　violence；　the　thunder　rolled　while　the　Emperor　was　speaking。
　　At　half…past　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he　lost　one　illusion；　officers　who　had　been　despatched　to　reconnoitre　announced　to　him　that　the　enemy　was　not　making　any　movement。
　　Nothing　was　stirring；　not　a　bivouac…fire　had　been　extinguished；　the　English　army　was　asleep。　The　silence　on　earth　was　profound；　the　only　noise　was　in　the　heavens。　At　four　o'clock；　a　peasant　was　brought　in　to　him　by　the　scouts；　this　peasant　had　served　as　guide　to　a　brigade　of　English　cavalry；　probably　Vivian's　brigade；　which　was　on　its　way　to　take　up　a　position　in　the　village　of　Ohain；　at　the　extreme　left。
　　At　five　o'clock；　two　Belgian　deserters　reported　to　him　that　they　had　just　quitted　their　regiment；　and　that　the　English　army　was　ready　for　battle。　〃So　much　the　better！〃　exclaimed　Napoleon。
　　〃I　prefer　to　overthrow　them　rather　than　to　drive　them　back。〃
　　In　the　morning　he　dismounted　in　the　mud　on　the　slope　which　forms　an　angle　with　the　Plancenoit　road；　had　a　kitchen　table　and　a　peasant's　chair　brought　to　him　from　the　farm　of　Rossomme；　seated　himself；　with　a　truss　of　straw　for　a　carpet；　and　spread　out　on　the　table　the　chart　of　the　battle…field；　saying　to　Soult　as　he　did　so；　〃A　pretty　checker…board。〃
　　In　consequence　of　the　rains　during　the　night；　the　transports　of　provisions；　embedded　in　the　soft　roads；　had　not　been　able　to　arrive　by　morning；　the　soldiers　had　had　no　sleep；　they　were　wet　and　fasting。
　　This　did　not　prevent　Napoleon　from　exclaiming　cheerfully　to　Ney；　〃We　have　ninety　chances　out　of　a　hundred。〃　At　eight　o'clock　the　Emperor's　breakfast　was　brought　to　him。　He　invited　many　generals　to　it。
　　During　breakfast；　it　was　said　that　Wellington　had　been　to　a　ball　two　nights　before；　in　Brussels；　at　the　Duchess　of　Richmond's；　and　Soult；　a　rough　man　of　war；　with　a　face　of　an　archbishop；　said；　〃The　ball　takes　place　to…day。〃　The　Emperor　jested　with　Ney；　who　said；　〃Wellington　will　not　be　so　simple　as　to　wait　for　Your　Majesty。〃
　　That　was　his　way；　however。　〃He　was　fond　of　jesting；〃　says　Fleury　de　Chaboulon。
　　〃A　merry　humor　was　at　the　foundation　of　his　character；〃　says　Gourgaud。　〃He　abounded　in　pleasantries；　which　were　more　peculiar　than　witty；〃　says　Benjamin　Constant。
　　These　gayeties　of　a　giant　are　worthy　of　insistence。
　　It　was　he　who　called　his　grenadiers　〃his　grumblers〃；　he　pinched　their　ears；　he　pulled　their　mustaches。
　　〃The　Emperor　did　nothing　but　play　pranks　on　us；〃　is　the　remark　of　one　of　them。　During　the　mysterious　trip　from　the　island　of　Elba　to　France；　on　the　27th　of　February；　on　the　open　sea；　the　French　brig　of　war；　Le　Zephyr；　having　encountered　the　brig　L'Inconstant；　on　which　Napoleon　was　concealed；　and　having　asked　the　news　of　Napoleon　from　L'Inconstant；　the　Emperor；　who　still　wore　in　his　hat　the　white　and　amaranthine　cockade　sown　with　bees；　which　he　had　adopted　at　the　isle　of　Elba；　laughingly　seized　the　speaking…trumpet；　and　answered　for　himself；　〃The　Emperor　is　well。〃
　　A　man　who　laughs　like　that　is　on　familiar　terms　with　events。
　　Napoleon　indulged　in　many　fits　of　this　laughter　during　the　breakfast　at　Waterloo。
　　After　breakfast　he　meditated　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　then　two　generals　seated　themselves　on　the　truss　of　straw；　pen　in　hand　and　their　paper　on　their　knees；　and　the　Emperor　dictated　to　them　the　order　of　battle。
　　At　nine　o'clock；　at　the　instant　when　the　French　army；　ranged　in　echelons　and　set　in　motion　in　five　columns；　had　deployed　the　divisions　in　two　lines；　the　artillery　between　the　brigades；　the　music　at　their　head；　as　they　beat　the　march；　with　rolls　on　the　drums　and　the　blasts　of　trumpets；　mighty；　vast；　joyous；　a　sea　of　casques；　of　sabres；　and　of　bayonets　on　the　horizon；　the　Emperor　was　touched；　and　twice　exclaimed；　〃Magnificent！
　　Magnificent！〃
　　Between　nine　o'clock　and　half…past　ten　the　whole　army；　incredible　as　it　may　appear；　had　taken　up　its　position　and　ranged　itself　in　six　lines；　forming；　to　repeat　the　Emperor's　expres