第442章

第442章afterthetsarhadleftmoscow，thelifeofthatcityflowedoninitsoldaccustomedchannel，andthecurrentofthatliferansomuchasusualthatitwasdifficulttorememberthedaysofpatrioticfervourandenthusiasm，andhardtobelievethatrussiaactuallywasindanger，andthatthemembersoftheenglishclubwerealsoherdevotedsons，readytomakeanysacrificeforhersake.theonethingthatrecalledthegeneralpatrioticfervourofthedaysofthetsar’spresenceinmoscowwasthecallforcontributionsofmenandmoney，andthesedemandswerepresentedatonceinalegal，officialform，sothattheyseemedinevitable.astheenemydrewnearertomoscowtheattitudetakenbyitsinhabitantsinregardtotheirpositiondidnotbecomemoreserious，but，onthecontrary，morefrivolous，asisalwaysthecasewithpeoplewhoseeagreatdangerapproaching.attheapproachofdangertherearealwaystwovoicesthatspeakwithequalforceintheheartofman：oneveryreasonablytellsthemantoconsiderthenatureofthedangerandthemeansofavoidingit；theotherevenmorereasonablysaysthatitistoopainfulandharassingtothinkofthedanger，sinceitisnotinaman’spowertoprovideforeverythingandescapefromthegeneralmarchofevents；andthatitisthereforebettertoturnasidefromthepainfulsubjecttillithascome，andtothinkofwhatispleasant.insolitudeamangenerallyyieldstothefirstvoice；insocietytothesecond.soitwasnowwiththeinhabitantsofmoscow.itwaslongsincetherehadbeensomuchgaietyinmoscowasthatyear.

rastoptchin’sposters，withaprintatthetopofagin-shop，apotman，andthemoscowartisan，karpushkatchigirin，“who，havinggoneintothemilitia，heardthatbonapartemeanttocometomoscow，wasmightilywroththereat，usedverybadlanguageaboutallthefrench，cameoutofthegin-shopandbegantoaddressthepeopleassembledundertheeagles，”wereasmuchreadanddiscussedasthelastboutsrimésofvassilylvovitchpushkin.

inthecornerroomoftheclubthemembersgatheredtogethertoreadtheseposters；andsomelikedthewaykarpushkawasmadetojeeratthefrench，sayingthat“theywouldbeblownoutwithrussiancabbage，thatrussianporridgewouldriptheirgutsopen，andcabbagesoupwouldfinishthemoff；thattheywerealldwarfs，andavillagelasscouldtossthreeofthemonherpitchforksingle-handed！”

somepeopledidnotapproveofthistone，andsaiditwasvulgarandstupid.peoplesaidthatrastoptchinhadsentallfrenchmen，andevenforeigners，outofmoscow，andthattherehadbeenspiesandagentsofnapoleonamongthem.buttheytalkedofthisprincipallyinordertorepeatthewitticismsutteredbyrastoptchinontheoccasion.theforeignershadbeenputonabarquesailingtonizhny，andrastoptchinhadsaidtothem：“keepyourselvestoyourselves，getintothebarque，andtakecareitdoesnotbecomethebarqueofcharontoyou.”peopletalkedtooofallthegovernmentofficeshavingbeenremovedfrommoscow，andaddedshinshin’sjoke，thatforthatalonemoscowoughttobegratefultonapoleon.peoplesaidthatmamonov’sregimentwascostinghimeighthundredthousand；thatbezuhovwasspendingevenmoreonhis；butthatthenoblestproofofbezuhov’spatriotismwasthathewasgoingtoputontheuniformhimselfandrideattheheadofhisregiment，withoutanychargeforseatstospectators.

“youhavenomercyonanyone，”saidjuliedrubetskoy，gatheringupapinchofscrapedlintinherslenderfingerscoveredwithrings.

juliewasintendingtoleavemoscownextday，andwasgivingafarewellsoirée.

“bezuhovestridicule，butheissogood-natured，sonice；howcanyoutakepleasureinbeingsocaustique？”

“forfeit！”saidayoungmaninavolunteer’suniform，whomjuliecalled“monchevalier，”andwastakingwithhertonizhny.

injulie’scircle，asinmanycirclesinmoscow，itwasaprinciplenowtospeaknothingbutrussian，andthosewhomadeamistakebyspeakingfrenchhadtopayaforfeitforthebenefitofthecommitteeofvoluntarysubscriptions.

“anotherforfeitforagallicism，”saidarussianwriterwhohappenedtobepresent.“‘takepleasure！’isnotrussian.”

“youhavenomercyonanyone，”juliewentontothevolunteer，payingnoattentiontotheremarkoftheauthor.