,BOOK #i1 ,*APT] #g 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,AFT] ALL ?AT ,NAPOLEON HAD SAID TO HIM--?OSE BUR/S ( ANG] & 
 ! LA/ DRYLY SPOK5 WORDS3 0,I WILL DETA9 Y\ NO LONG]1 ,G5]AL2 Y\ 
 %ALL RECEIVE MY LETT]10 ,BALA%EV FELT CONV9C$ ?AT ,NAPOLEON W\LD NOT 
 WI% TO SEE HIM1 & W\LD EV5 AVOID ANO!R MEET+ ) HIM--AN 
 9SULT$ 5VOY--ESPECIALLY AS HE HAD WITNESS$ HIS UNSEEMLY ANG]4 
 ,BUT1 TO HIS SURPRISE1 ,BALA%EV RECEIV$1 ?R\< ,DUROC1 AN 9VITATION TO 
 D9E ) ! ,EMP]OR ?AT DAY4 

,BESSI]ES1 ,CAULA9C\RT1 & ,B]?I] W]E PRES5T AT ?AT D9N]4 

,NAPOLEON MET ,BALA%EV *E]FULLY & AMIABLY4 ,HE NOT ONLY %[$ NO SIGN 
 ( CON/RA9T OR SELF-REPROA* ON ACC\NT ( HIS \TBUR/ ?AT MORN+1 
 BUT1 ON ! CONTR>Y1 TRI$ TO REASSURE ,BALA%EV4 ,IT WAS EVID5T ?AT HE 
 HAD LONG BE5 CONV9C$ ?AT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE = HIM TO MAKE A MI/AKE1 
 & ?AT 9 HIS P]CEPTION :ATEV] HE DID WAS RI<T1 NOT BECAUSE IT 
 H>MONIZ$ ) ANY IDEA ( RI<T & WRONG1 BUT BECAUSE HE DID IT4 

,! ,EMP]OR WAS 9 V]Y GOOD SPIRITS AFT] HIS RIDE ?R\< ,VILNA1 :]E 
 CR[DS ( PEOPLE HAD RAPTUR\SLY GREET$ & FOLL[$ HIM4 ,FROM ALL ! 
 W9D[S ( ! /REETS ?R\< :I* HE RODE1 RUGS1 FLAGS1 & HIS 
 MONOGRAM W]E DISPLAY$1 & ! ,POLI% LADIES1 WELCOM+ HIM1 WAV$ !IR 
 H&K]*IEFS TO HIM4 

,AT D9N]1 HAV+ PLAC$ ,BALA%EV BESIDE HIM1 ,NAPOLEON NOT ONLY TREAT$ 
 HIM AMIABLY BUT BEHAV$ AS IF ,BALA%EV W]E ONE ( HIS [N C\RTI]S1 ONE 
 ( ?OSE :O SYMPA?IZ$ ) HIS PLANS & \<T TO REJOICE AT HIS 
 SUCCESS4 ,9 ! C\RSE ( CONV]SATION HE M5TION$ ,MOSC[ & QUE/ION$ 
 ,BALA%EV AB\T ! ,RUSSIAN CAPITAL1 NOT M]ELY AS AN 9T]E/$ TRAVEL] 
 ASKS AB\T A NEW CITY HE 9T5DS TO VISIT1 BUT AS IF CONV9C$ ?AT 
 ,BALA%EV1 AS A ,RUSSIAN1 MU/ BE FLATT]$ BY HIS CURIOSITY4 

0,H[ MANY 9HABITANTS >E !RE 9 ,MOSC[8 ,H[ MANY H\SES8 ,IS IT TRUE 
 ?AT ,MOSC[ IS CALL$ ',HOLY ,MOSC['8 ,H[ MANY *UR*ES >E !RE 9 
 ,MOSC[80 HE ASK$4 

,& RECEIV+ ! REPLY ?AT !RE W]E MORE ?AN TWO HUNDR$ *UR*ES1 HE 
 REM>K$3 

0,:Y SU* A QUANTITY ( *UR*ES80 

0,! ,RUSSIANS >E V]Y DEV\T10 REPLI$ ,BALA%EV4 

0,BUT A L>GE NUMB] ( MONA/]IES & *UR*ES IS ALWAYS A SIGN ( ! 
 BACKW>DNESS ( A PEOPLE10 SAID ,NAPOLEON1 TURN+ TO ,CAULA9C\RT = 
 APPRECIATION ( ?IS REM>K4 

,BALA%EV RESPECTFULLY V5TUR$ TO DISAGREE ) ! ,FR5* ,EMP]OR4 

0,EV]Y C\NTRY HAS ITS [N *>ACT]10 SAID HE4 

0,BUT NO:]E 9 ,EUROPE IS !RE ANY?+ LIKE ?AT10 SAID ,NAPOLEON4 

0,I BEG Y\R ,MAJE/Y'S P>DON10 RETURN$ ,BALA%EV1 0BESIDES ,RUSSIA !RE IS 
 ,SPA91 :]E !RE >E ALSO MANY *UR*ES & MONA/]IES40 

,?IS REPLY ( ,BALA%EV'S1 :I* H9T$ AT ! REC5T DEFEATS ( ! ,FR5* 
 9 ,SPA91 WAS MU* APPRECIAT$ :5 HE RELAT$ IT AT ,ALEX&]'S C\RT1 
 BUT IT WAS NOT MU* APPRECIAT$ AT ,NAPOLEON'S D9N]1 :]E IT PASS$ 
 UNNOTIC$4 

,! UN9T]E/$ & P]PLEX$ FACES ( ! M>%ALS %[$ ?AT !Y W]E 
 PUZZL$ AS TO :AT ,BALA%EV'S TONE SUGGE/$4 0,IF !RE IS A PO9T WE 
 DON'T SEE IT1 OR IT IS NOT AT ALL WITTY10 !IR EXPRESSIONS SEEM$ TO SAY4 
 ,SO LITTLE WAS HIS REJO9D] APPRECIAT$ ?AT ,NAPOLEON DID NOT NOTICE IT AT 
 ALL & NAIVELY ASK$ ,BALA%EV ?R\< :AT T[NS ! DIRECT ROAD FROM 
 !RE TO ,MOSC[ PASS$4 ,BALA%EV1 :O WAS ON ! AL]T ALL ?R\< ! 
 D9N]1 REPLI$ ?AT JU/ AS 0ALL ROADS LEAD TO ,ROME10 SO ALL ROADS LEAD 
 TO ,MOSC[3 !RE W]E MANY ROADS1 & 0AMONG !M ! ROAD ?R\< 
 ,POLTAVA1 :I* ,*>LES ,X,I,I *OSE40 ,BALA%EV 9VOLUNT>ILY FLU%$ ) 
 PLEASURE AT ! APTITUDE ( ?IS REPLY1 BUT H>DLY HAD HE UTT]$ ! WORD 
 ,POLTAVA BE=E ,CAULA9C\RT BEGAN SPEAK+ ( ! BADNESS ( ! ROAD FROM 
 ,PET]SBURG TO ,MOSC[ & ( HIS ,PET]SBURG REM9ISC5CES4 

,AFT] D9N] !Y W5T TO DR9K C(FEE 9 ,NAPOLEON'S /UDY1 :I* F\R 
 DAYS PREVI\SLY HAD BE5 ?AT ( ! ,EMP]OR ,ALEX&]4 ,NAPOLEON SAT D[N1 
 TOY+ ) HIS ,SEVRES C(FEE CUP1 & MOTION$ ,BALA%EV TO A *AIR BESIDE 
 HIM4 

,NAPOLEON WAS 9 ?AT WELL-KN[N AFT]-D9N] MOOD :I*1 MORE ?AN ANY 
 REASON$ CAUSE1 MAKES A MAN CONT5T$ ) HIMSELF & DISPOS$ TO 
 CONSID] EV]YONE HIS FRI5D4 ,IT SEEM$ TO HIM ?AT HE WAS SURR\ND$ BY 
 M5 :O ADOR$ HIM3 & HE FELT CONV9C$ ?AT1 AFT] HIS D9N]1 ,BALA%EV 
 TOO WAS HIS FRI5D & WOR%IP]4 ,NAPOLEON TURN$ TO HIM ) A PLEASANT1 
 ?\< SLI<TLY IRONIC1 SMILE4 

0,!Y TELL ME ?IS IS ! ROOM ! ,EMP]OR ,ALEX&] OCCUPI$8 ,/RANGE1 
 ISN'T IT1 ,G5]AL80 HE SAID1 EVID5TLY NOT D\BT+ ?AT ?IS REM>K W\LD 
 BE AGREEABLE TO HIS HE>] S9CE IT W5T TO PROVE HIS1 ,NAPOLEON'S1 
 SUP]IORITY TO ,ALEX&]4 

,BALA%EV MADE NO REPLY & B[$ HIS HEAD 9 SIL5CE4 

0,YES4 ,F\R DAYS AGO 9 ?IS ROOM1 ,W9TZ+]ODE & ,/E9 W]E 
 DELIB]AT+10 CONT9U$ ,NAPOLEON ) ! SAME D]ISIVE & 
 SELF-CONFID5T SMILE4 0,:AT ,I CAN'T UND]/&10 HE W5T ON1 0IS ?AT ! 
 ,EMP]OR ,ALEX&] HAS SURR\ND$ HIMSELF ) MY P]SONAL 5EMIES4 ,?AT ,I 
 DO NOT444 UND]/&4 ,HAS HE NOT ?\<T ?AT ,I MAY DO ! SAME80 & HE 
 TURN$ 9QUIR+LY TO ,BALA%EV1 & EVID5TLY ?IS ?\<T TURN$ HIM BACK 
 ON TO ! TRACK ( HIS MORN+'S ANG]1 :I* WAS /ILL FRE% 9 HIM4 

0,& LET HIM KN[ ?AT ,I WILL DO SO60 SAID ,NAPOLEON1 RIS+ & PU%+ 
 HIS CUP AWAY ) HIS H&4 0,I'LL DRIVE ALL HIS ,WURTTEMB]G1 ,BAD51 & 
 ,WEIM> RELATIONS \T ( ,G]MANY4444 ,YES4 ,I'LL DRIVE !M \T4 ,LET HIM 
 PREP>E AN ASYLUM = !M 9 ,RUSSIA60 

,BALA%EV B[$ HIS HEAD ) AN AIR 9DICAT+ ?AT HE W\LD LIKE TO MAKE 
 HIS B[ & LEAVE1 & ONLY LI/5$ BECAUSE HE C\LD NOT HELP HE>+ 
 :AT WAS SAID TO HIM4 ,NAPOLEON DID NOT NOTICE ?IS EXPRESSION2 HE TREAT$ 
 ,BALA%EV NOT AS AN 5VOY FROM HIS 5EMY1 BUT AS A MAN N[ FULLY DEVOT$ TO 
 HIM & :O MU/ REJOICE AT HIS =M] MA/]'S HUMILIATION4 

0,& :Y HAS ! ,EMP]OR ,ALEX&] TAK5 COMM& ( ! >MIES8 ,:AT IS 
 ! GOOD ( ?AT8 ,W> IS MY PR(ESSION1 BUT HIS BUS9ESS IS TO REIGN & 
 NOT TO COMM& >MIES6 ,:Y HAS HE TAK5 ON HIMSELF SU* A RESPONSIBILITY80 

,AGA9 ,NAPOLEON BR\<T \T HIS SNUFFBOX1 PAC$ SEV]AL TIMES UP & D[N 
 ! ROOM 9 SIL5CE1 & !N1 SUDD5LY & UNEXPECT$LY1 W5T UP TO 
 ,BALA%EV & ) A SLI<T SMILE1 AS CONFID5TLY1 QUICKLY1 & SIMPLY AS 
 IF HE W]E DO+ SOME?+ NOT M]ELY IMPORTANT BUT PLEAS+ TO ,BALA%EV1 
 HE RAIS$ HIS H& TO ! =TY-YE>-OLD ,RUSSIAN G5]AL'S FACE &1 
 TAK+ HIM BY ! E>1 PULL$ IT G5TLY1 SMIL+ ) HIS LIPS ONLY4 

,TO HAVE ONE'S E> PULL$ BY ! ,EMP]OR WAS CONSID]$ ! GREATE/ HONOR 
 & M>K ( FAVOR AT ! ,FR5* C\RT4 

0,WELL1 ADOR] & C\RTI] ( ! ,EMP]OR ,ALEX&]1 :Y DON'T Y\ SAY 
 ANY?+80 SAID HE1 AS IF IT WAS RIDICUL\S1 9 HIS PRES5CE1 TO BE ! 
 ADOR] & C\RTI] ( ANYONE BUT HIMSELF1 ,NAPOLEON4 0,>E ! HORSES READY 
 = ! G5]AL80 HE ADD$1 ) A SLI<T 9CL9ATION ( HIS HEAD 9 REPLY 
 TO ,BALA%EV'S B[4 0,LET HIM HAVE M9E1 HE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO60 

,! LETT] TAK5 BY ,BALA%EV WAS ! LA/ ,NAPOLEON S5T TO ,ALEX&]4 
 ,EV]Y DETAIL ( ! 9T]VIEW WAS COMMUNICAT$ TO ! ,RUSSIAN MON>*1 & 
 ! W> BEGAN4444 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,BOOK #i1 ,*APT] #g -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a#a1 #bag 3 ,BOOK #i1 ,*APT] #g -- ,ADD$4 

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