Pagina 150 van 3800

"You are mistaken," said Boris deliberately, with a bold and

slightly sarcastic smile. "I am Boris, son of Princess Anna

Mikhaylovna Drubetskaya. Rostov, the father, is Ilya, and his son

is Nicholas. I never knew any Madame Jacquot."

Pierre shook his head and arms as if attacked by mosquitoes or

bees.

"Oh dear, what am I thinking about? I've mixed everything up. One

has so many relatives in Moscow! So you are Boris? Of course.

Well, now we know where we are. And what do you think of the

Boulogne expedition? The English will come off badly, you know,

if Napoleon gets across the Channel. I think the expedition is

quite feasible. If only Villeneuve doesn't make a mess of

things!"

Boris knew nothing about the Boulogne expedition; he did not read

the papers and it was the first time he had heard Villeneuve's

name.