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By Root 4013 0

Petersburg into anxiety and worry; one more piece of terrible news was added: Countess Elena Bezukhov had died suddenly of that terrible illness, the name of which it had been so pleasant to articulate. Officially, in large gatherings, everyone said that Countess Bezukhov had died of a terrible attack of angine pectorale, but in intimate circles details were recounted of how le médecin intime de la Reine d’Espagne had prescribed Hélène small doses of some medicine to produce a certain effect; but Hélène, tormented by the old count’s suspicions and by the fact that her husband, to whom she had written (that wretched, depraved Pierre), would not answer her, had suddenly taken a huge dose of the prescribed medicine and had died in agony before aid could be given. The story went that Prince Vassily and the old count were about to set upon the Italian; but the Italian showed them such notes from the unfortunate deceased woman that they let him go at once.

General conversation concentrated itself around three grievous events: the sovereign’s uncertainty, the loss of Kutaisov, and the death of Hélène.

On the third day after Kutuzov’s report, a landowner arrived in Petersburg from Moscow, and the news spread throughout the city about the surrender of Moscow to the French.5 This was terrible! Imagine the sovereign’s position! Kutuzov was a traitor, and Prince Vassily, during the visites de condoléances*646 paid to him on the occasion of his daughter’s death, said of the formerly praised Kutuzov (it was forgivable for him, in his sorrow, to forget what he had said before) that nothing else could have been expected from a blind and depraved old man.

“I’m only surprised that the destiny of Russia could have been entrusted to such a man.”

As long as this news remained unofficial, it could still be doubted, but the next day the following report came from Count Rastopchin:

Prince Kutuzov’s adjutant has brought me a letter in which he requests police officers from me to lead the army to the Ryazan road. He says that he is abandoning Moscow with regret. Sovereign! Kutuzov’s action decides the fate of the capital and of your empire. Russia will shudder on learning that the city in which Russia’s greatness is centered, where the remains of your ancestors lie, is given up to the enemy. I will follow the army. I have evacuated everything, all that is left for me is to weep over the fate of my fatherland!

Having received this report, the sovereign sent Prince Volkonsky to Kutuzov with the following rescript:

Prince Mikhail Ilarionovich! I have had no reports from you since August 29. Meanwhile I received on September 1, through Yaroslavl, from the Moscow commander in chief, the grievous news that you and the army have decided to abandon Moscow. You can imagine the effect that this news has made on me, and your silence redoubles my astonishment. I am sending this by my adjutant general, Prince Volkonsky, in order to learn from you the situation of the army and the reasons that prompted you to such a grievous resolution.

III

Nine days after Moscow was abandoned, a messenger sent by Kutuzov reached Petersburg with an official announcement that Moscow had been abandoned. This messenger was the Frenchman Michaud, who did not know Russian, but quoique étranger, Russe de coeur et d’âme,*647 as he said of himself.

The sovereign received the messenger at once in his office in the palace on Kamenny Island. Michaud, who had never seen Moscow before the campaign and who did not know Russian, all the same felt deeply moved when he appeared before notre très gracieux souverain (as he wrote) with news of the Moscow fire, dont les flammes éclairaient sa route.†648

Though the source of Mr. Michaud’s chagrin was bound to be different from that which caused the grief of Russian people, Michaud, when he was led to the sovereign’s office, had such a mournful face that the sovereign asked him at once:

“M’apportez-vous de tristes nouvelles, colonel?”*649

“Bien tristes, Sire,” replied Michaud, lowering his eyes with a sigh, “l’abandon de Moscou.