Chapter 5

           

           DavoutwastoNapoleonwhatArakchéevwastoAlexander—thoughnotacowardlikeArakchéev,hewasasprecise,ascruel,andasunabletoexpresshisdevotiontohismonarchexceptbycruelty.

           Intheorganismofstatessuchmenarenecessary,aswolvesarenecessaryintheorganismofnature,andtheyalwaysexist,alwaysappearandholdtheirown,howeverincongruoustheirpresenceandtheirproximitytotheheadofthegovernmentmaybe.ThisinevitabilityalonecanexplainhowthecruelArakchéev,whotoreoutagrenadier’smustachewithhisownhands,whoseweaknervesrenderedhimunabletofacedanger,andwhowasneitheraneducatedmannoracourtier,wasabletomaintainhispowerfulpositionwithAlexander,whoseowncharacterwaschivalrous,noble,andgentle.

           BalashëvfoundDavoutseatedonabarrelintheshedofapeasant’shut,writing—hewasauditingaccounts.Betterquarterscouldhavebeenfoundhim,butMarshalDavoutwasoneofthosemenwhopurposelyputthemselvesinmostdepressingconditionstohaveajustificationforbeinggloomy.Forthesamereasontheyarealwayshardatworkandinahurry.“HowcanIthinkofthebrightsideoflifewhen,asyousee,Iamsittingonabarrelandworkinginadirtyshed?”theexpressionofhisfaceseemedtosay.Thechiefpleasureandnecessityofsuchmen,whentheyencounteranyonewhoshowsanimation,istoflaunttheirowndreary,persistentactivity.DavoutallowedhimselfthatpleasurewhenBalashëvwasbroughtin.

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