第507章

第507章fromthe28thtothe31st,moscowwasallbustleandmovement.everydaythousandsofwoundedfromthefieldofborodinowerebroughtinatthedorogomilovgateandconveyedacrossmoscow,andthousandsofvehicles,fullofresidentsandtheirbelongings,weredrivingoutatthegatesontheoppositesideofthecity.inspiteofrastoptchin’splacards—eitherarisingindependentlyofthem,orperhapsinconsequenceofthem—thestrangestandmostcontradictoryrumourswerecirculatingaboutthetown.somesaidthateveryonewasforbiddentoleavethecity;othersassertedthatalltheholypictureshadbeentakenfromthechurches,andeveryonewastobedrivenoutofmoscowbyforce.somesaidtherehadbeenanotherbattleafterborodino,inwhichthefrenchhadbeenutterlydefeated;othersdeclaredthatthewholerussianarmyhadbeenannihilated.sometalkedofthemoscowmilitia,whichwastoadvance,precededbypriests,tothreehills;otherswhisperedthatfatheraugustinhadbeenforbiddentoleave,thattraitorshadbeencaught,thatthepeasantswereinrevolt,andwereplunderingthosewholeftthetown,andsoon.butallthiswasonlytalk：inrealityeventhoughthecouncilatfili,atwhichitwasdecidedtoabandonmoscow,hadnotyettakenplace,all—thosewhowereleavingandthosewhowerestaying—feltthatmoscowwouldbesurrendered,thoughtheydidnotsaysofreely,andfeltthattheymustmakeallhastetoescape,andtosavetheirproperty.therewasafeelingthattheremustcomeageneralcrashandchange,yettillthe1stofseptembereverythingwentonunchanged.likeacriminalbeingledtothegallows,whoknowsinaminutehemustdie,andyetstaresabout,andputsstraightthecapawryonhishead,moscowinstinctivelywentonwiththedailyroutineoflife,thoughawarethatthehourofruinwasapproaching,whenallthecustomaryconditionsoflifewouldbeatanend.

duringthethreedaysprecedingtheoccupationofmoscow,thewholerostovfamilywasbusilyengagedinvariouspracticalways.theheadofthefamily,countilyaandreitch,wascontinuallydrivingaboutthetown,pickingupalltherumoursthatwereincirculation,andwhileathome,gavesuperficialandhastydirectionsforthepreparationsfordeparture.

thecountesssuperintendedthesortingoutofthingstobepacked;shewasoutofhumourwitheveryone,andwasincontinualpursuitofpetya,whowasascontinuallyescapingfromher,andexcitingherjealousybyspendingallhistimewithnatasha.sonyawastheonlypersonwhoreallyundertookthepracticalbusinessofgettingthingspacked.butsonyahadbeenparticularlysilentandmelancholyoflate.shehadbeenpresentwhennikolay’slettermentioningprincessmaryahadelicitedthemostdelighteddeductionsfromthecountess,whosawinnikolay’smeetingwithprincessmaryathedirectinterventionofprovidence.

“iwasneverreallyhappy,”saidthecountess,“whenbolkonskywasengagedtonatasha,butihadalwayslongedfornikolaytomarrytheprincess,andihavealwayshadapresentimentaboutit.andwhatagoodthingitwouldbe！”

sonyafeltthatthiswastrue;thattheonlypossibilityofretrievingtherostovs’positionwasbynikolay’smarriagetoanheiress,andthattheprincesswouldbeanexcellentmatchforhim.butthisreflectionwasverybitterforher.inspite,orperhapsinconsequence,ofhersadness,sheundertookthedifficulttaskofseeingafterthesortingandpackingofthehouseholdgoods,andforwholedaystogethershewasbusilyemployed.thecountandcountessreferredtoherwhentheyhadanyorderstogive.petyaandnatasha,onthecontrary,didnothingtohelptheirparents,butweregenerallyineveryone’sway,andwereonlyahindrance.andalldaylongthehouseresoundedwiththeirflyingfootstepsandshoutsandshrieksofcauselessmirth.theylaughedandweregay,notintheleastbecausetherewasreasonforlaughter.buttheyweregayandgladatheart,andsoeverythingthathappenedwasreasonenoughforgaietyandlaughterinthem.petyawasinhighspiritsbecausehehadlefthomeaboy,andcomeback（soeveryonetoldhim）afineyoungman,becausehewasathome,becausehehadleftbyelytserkov,wherethereseemednohopeofbeingsoononactiveservice,andcometomoscowwheretherewouldbefightinginafewdays,andaboveall,becausenatasha,whoseleadhealwaysfollowed,wasinhighspirits.natashawasgay,becauseshehadtoolongbeensad,andnownothingremindedherofthecauseofhersadness,andshewasquitestrongagain.shewasgaytoo,becausesheneededsomeonetoadoreher（theadorationofotherswaslikethegreaseonthewheels,withoutwhichhermechanismneverworkedquitesmoothly）,andpetyadidadoreher.andaboveall,theywerebothgay,becausetherewaswarattheverygatesofmoscow,becausetherewouldbefightingatthebarriers,becausearmswerebeinggivenout,andeverybodywasrushingabout,andaltogethersomethingextraordinarywashappening,whichisalwaysinspiriting,especiallyfortheyoung.