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Updated: June 24, 2025
Balashev was only two horses' length from the equestrian with the bracelets, plumes, necklaces, and gold embroidery, who was galloping toward him with a theatrically solemn countenance, when Julner, the French colonel, whispered respectfully: "The King of Naples!" It was, in fact, Murat, now called "King of Naples."
And, as if to make the Russian general still more conscious of his dependence on brute force, Davout sent an adjutant to call the officer on duty. Davout took the packet and read the inscription. "You are perfectly at liberty to treat me with respect or not," protested Balashev, "but permit me to observe that I have the honor to be adjutant general to His Majesty...."
Balashev recovered himself and began to speak. He said that the Emperor Alexander did not consider Kurakin's demand for his passports a sufficient cause for war; that Kurakin had acted on his own initiative and without his sovereign's assent, that the Emperor Alexander did not desire war, and had no relations with England.
Balashev involuntarily flushed with pleasure at the aptitude of this reply, but hardly had he uttered the word Poltava before Caulaincourt began speaking of the badness of the road from Petersburg to Moscow and of his Petersburg reminiscences. After dinner they went to drink coffee in Napoleon's study, which four days previously had been that of the Emperor Alexander.
He referred to the fact that the Emperor Napoleon had resented the demand that he should withdraw his troops from Prussia, especially when that demand became generally known and the dignity of France was thereby offended. * "Royalty has its obligations." Balashev replied that there was "nothing offensive in the demand, because..." but Murat interrupted him.
After four days of solitude, ennui, and consciousness of his impotence and insignificance particularly acute by contrast with the sphere of power in which he had so lately moved and after several marches with the marshal's baggage and the French army, which occupied the whole district, Balashev was brought to Vilna now occupied by the French through the very gate by which he had left it four days previously.
Balashev, feeling it incumbent on him to reply, said that from the Russian side things did not appear in so gloomy a light. Napoleon was silent, still looking derisively at him and evidently not listening to him. Balashev said that in Russia the best results were expected from the war.
The whole purport of his remarks now was evidently to exalt himself and insult Alexander just what he had least desired at the commencement of the interview. "I hear you have made peace with Turkey?" Balashev bowed his head affirmatively. "Peace has been concluded..." he began. But Napoleon did not let him speak.
Balashev bowed his head with an air indicating that he would like to make his bow and leave, and only listened because he could not help hearing what was said to him. Napoleon did not notice this expression; he treated Balashev not as an envoy from his enemy, but as a man now fully devoted to him and who must rejoice at his former master's humiliation.
But the Emperor and Balashev passed out into the illuminated garden without noticing Arakcheev who, holding his sword and glancing wrathfully around, followed some twenty paces behind them. All the time Boris was going through the figures of the mazurka, he was worried by the question of what news Balashev had brought and how he could find it out before others.
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