Pagina 293 di 3800

And the conversation again turned on the war, on Bonaparte, and

the generals and statesmen of the day. The old prince seemed

convinced not only that all the men of the day were mere babies

who did not know the A B C of war or of politics, and that

Bonaparte was an insignificant little Frenchy, successful only

because there were no longer any Potemkins or Suvorovs left to

oppose him; but he was also convinced that there were no

political difficulties in Europe and no real war, but only a sort

of puppet show at which the men of the day were playing,

pretending to do something real. Prince Andrew gaily bore with

his father's ridicule of the new men, and drew him on and

listened to him with evident pleasure.

"The past always seems good," said he, "but did not Suvorov

himself fall into a trap Moreau set him, and from which he did

not know how to escape?"