rule—not to put yourself in a position to be attacked, but yourself to attack. Believe me in war the energy of young men often shows the way better than all the experience of old Cunctators.”
“But in what position are we going to attack him? I have been at the outposts today and it is impossible to say where his chief forces are situated,” said Prince Andréy.
He wished to explain to Dolgorúkov a plan of attack he had himself formed.
“Oh, that is all the same,” Dolgorúkov said quickly, and getting up he spread a map on the table. “All eventualities have been foreseen. If he is standing before Brünn …”
And Prince Dolgorúkov rapidly but indistinctly explained Weyrother’s plan of a flanking movement.
Prince Andréy began to reply and to state his own plan, which might have been as good as Weyrother’s, but for the disadvantage that Weyrother’s had already been approved. As soon as Prince Andréy began to demonstrate the defects of the latter and the merits of his own plan, Prince Dolgorúkov ceased to listen to him and gazed absentmindedly not at the map, but at Prince Andréy’s face.
“There will be a council of war at Kutúzov’s tonight, though; you can say all this there,” remarked Dolgorúkov.
“I will do so,” said Prince Andréy, moving away from the map.
“Whatever are you bothering about, gentlemen?” said Bilíbin, who, till then, had listened with an amused smile to their conversation and now was evidently ready with a joke. > “Whether tomorrow brings victory or defeat, the glory of our Russian arms is secure. Except your Kutúzov, there is not a single Russian in command of a column! The commanders are: Herr General Wimpfen,