战争与和平(上)-第304章

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s　marauders。　When　five　weeks　later　these　same　men　set　out　from　Moscow；　they　no　longer　made　up　an　army。　They　were　a　mob　of　marauders；　each　of　whom　carried　or　dragged　along　with　him　a　mass　of　objects　he　regarded　as　precious　and　useful。　The　aim　of　each　of　these　men　on　leaving　Moscow　was　not；　as　it　had　been；　to　fight　as　a　soldier；　but　simply　to　keep　the　booty　he　had　obtained。　Like　the　ape；　who　slipping　his　hand　into　the　narrow　neck　of　a　pitcher；　and　snatching　up　a　handful　of　nuts　inside　it；　will　not　open　his　fist　for　fear　of　losing　his　prize；　even　to　his　own　ruin；　the　French　on　leaving　Moscow　were　inevitably　bound　to　come　to　ruin；　because　they　dragged　their　plunder　along　with　them；　and　it　seemed　as　impossible　to　them　to　fling　away　their　booty　as　it　seems　to　the　ape　to　let　go　of　the　nuts。　Ten　minutes　after　the　several　French　regiments　had　dispersed　about　the　various　quarters　of　Moscow；　not　a　soldier　nor　an　officer　was　left　among　them。　At　the　windows　of　the　houses　men　could　be　seen　in　military　coats　and　Hessian　boots；　laughing　and　strolling　through　the　rooms。　In　the　cellars；　in　the　storerooms　similar　men　were　busily　looking　after　the　provisions；　in　the　courtyards　they　were　unlocking　or　breaking　open　the　doors　of　sheds　and　stables；　in　the　kitchens　they　were　making　up　fires；　and　with　bare　arms　mixing；　kneading；　and　baking；　and　frightening；　or　trying　to　coax　and　amuse；　women　and　children。　Men　there　were　in　plenty　everywhere；　in　all　the　shops　and　houses；　but　the　army　was　no　more。
That　day　one　order　after　another　was　issued　by　the　French　commanders　forbidding　the　troops　to　disperse　about　the　town；　sternly　forbidding　violence　to　the　inhabitants；　and　pillaging；　and　proclaiming　that　a　general　roll…call　was　to　take　place　that　evening。　But　in　spite　of　all　such　measures　the　men；　who　had　made　up　an　army；　flowed　about　the　wealthy；　deserted　city；　so　richly　provided　with　luxuries　and　comforts。　Like　a　starved　herd；　that　keeps　together　crossing　a　barren　plain；　but　at　once　on　reaching　rich　pastures　inevitably　strays　apart　and　scatters　over　them；　the　army　was　irresistibly　lured　into　scattering　over　the　wealthy　town。
Moscow　was　without　its　inhabitants；　and　the　soldiers　were　sucked　up　in　her；　like　water　into　sand；　as　they　flowed　away　irresistibly　in　all　directions　from　the　Kremlin；　which　they　had　entered　first。　Cavalry　soldiers　who　had　entered　a　merchant’s　house　abandoned　with　all　its　belongings；　and　finding　stabling　for　their　horses　and　to　spare；　yet　went　on　to　take　the　house　next　door；　which　seemed　to　them　better。　Many　took　several　houses；　chalking　their　names　on　them；　and　quarrelled　and　even　fought　with　other　companies　for　their　possession。　Soldiers　had　no　sooner　succeeded　in　securing　quarters　than　they　ran　along　the　street　to　look　at　the　town；　and　on　hearing　that　everything　had　been　abandoned；　hurried　off　where　objects　of　value　could　be　carried　off　for　nothing。　The　officers　followed　to　check　the　soldiers；　and　were　involuntarily　lured　into　doing　the　same。　In　Carriage　Row　shops　had　been　abandoned　stocked　with　carriages；　and　the　generals　flocked　thither　to　choose　coaches　and　carriages　for　themselves。　The　few　inhabitants　who　had　stayed　on　invited　the　officers　into　their　houses；　hoping　thereby　to　secure　themselves　against　being　robbed。　Wealth　there　was　in　abundance：　there　seemed　no　end　to　it。　Everywhere　all　round　the　parts　occupied　by　the　French　there　were　unexplored　regions　unoccupied　beyond；　in　which　the　French　fancied　there　were　even　more　riches　to　be　found。　And　Moscow　absorbed　them　further　and　further　into　herself。　Just　as　when　water　flows　over　dry　land；　water　and　dry　land　alike　disappear　and　are　lost　in　mud；　so　when　the　hungry　army　entered　the　wealthy；　deserted　city；　the　army　and　the　wealth　of　the　city　both　perished；　and　fires　and　marauding　bands　sprang　up　where　they　had　been。
The　French　ascribed　the　burning　of　Moscow　au　patriotisme　féroce　de　Rastoptchine；　the　Russians　to　the　savagery　of　the　French。　In　reality；　explanations　of　the　fire　of　Moscow；　in　the　sense　of　the　conflagration　being　brought　home　to　the　door　of　any　one　person　or　group　of　persons；　there　have　never　been；　and　never　could　be。　Moscow　was　burned　because　she　was　placed　in　conditions　in　which　any　town　built　of　wood　was　bound　to　be　burned；　quite　apart　from　the　question　whether　there　were　or　were　not　one　hundred　and　thirty　inefficient　fire…engines　in　the　town。　Moscow　was　sure　to　be　burned；　because　her　inhabitants　had　gone　away；　as　inevitably　as　a　heap　of　straw　is　sure　to　be　burned　where　sparks　are　scattered　on　it　for　several　days　in　succession。　A　town　of　wooden　houses；　in　which　when　the　police　and　the　inhabitants　owning　the　houses　are　in　possession　of　it；　fires　are　of　daily　occurrence；　cannot　escape　being　burned　when　its　inhabitants　are　gone　and　it　is　filled　with　soldiers　smoking　pipes；　making　fires　in　Senate…house　Square　of　the　Senate…house　chairs；　and　cooking　themselves　meals　twice　a　day。　In　times　of　peace；　whenever　troops　are　quartered　on　villages　in　any　district；　the　number　of　fires　in　the　district　at　once　increases。　How　greatly　must　the　likelihood　of　fires　be　increased　in　an　abandoned　town；　built　of　wood；　and　occupied　by　foreign　soldiers！　Le　patriotisme　féroce　de　Rastoptchine　and　the　savagery　of　the　French　do　not　come　into　the　question。　Moscow　was　burned　through　the　pipes；　the　kitchen　stoves；　and　camp…fires；　through　the　recklessness　of　the　enemy’s　soldiers；　who　lived　in　the　houses　without　the　care　of　householders。　Even　if　there　were　cases　of　incendiarism　（which　is　very　doubtful；　because　no　one　had　any　reason　for　incendiarism；　and　in　any　case　such　a　crime　is　a　troublesome　and　dangerous　one）；　there　is　no　need　to　accept　incendiarism　as　the　cause；　for　the　conflagration　would　have　been　inevitable　anyway　without　it。
Soothing　as　it　was　to　the　vanity　of　the　French　to　throw　the　blame　on　the　ferocity　of　Rastoptchin；　and　to　that　of　the　Russians　to　throw　the　blame　on　the　miscreant　Bonaparte；　or　later　on　to　place　the　heroic　torch　in　the　hand　of　its　patriot　peasantry；　we　cannot　disguise　from　ourselves　that　there　could　be　no　such　direct　cause　of　the　fire；　since　Moscow　was　as　certain　to　be　burned　as　any　village；　factory；　or　house　forsaken　by　its　owners；　and　used　as　a　temporary　shelter　and　cooking…place　by　strangers。　Moscow　was　burned　by　her　inhabitants；　it　is　true；　but　not　by　the　inhabitants　who　had　lingered　on；　but　by　the　inhabitants　who　had　abandoned　her。　Moscow　did　not；　like　Berlin；　Vienna；　and　other　towns；　escape　harm　while　in　the　occupation　of　the　enemy；　simply　because　her　inhabitants　did　not　receive　the　French　with　the　keys；　and　the　bread　and　salt　of　welcome；　but　abandoned　her。


Chapter　27
THE　PROCESS　of　the　absorption　of　the　French　into　Moscow　in　a　widening　circle　in　all　directions　did　not；　till　the　evening　of　the　2nd　of　September；　reach　the　quarter　of　the　town　in　which　Pierre　was　staying。
After　the　two　last　days　spent　in　solitude　and　exceptional　conditions；　Pierre　was　in　a　condition　approaching　madness。　One　haunting　idea　had　complete　possession　of　him。　He　could　not　have　told　how　or　when　it　had　come　to　him；　but　that　idea　had　now　such　complete　possession　of　him　that　he　remembered　nothing　in　the　past；　and　understood　nothing　in　the　present；　and　everything　he　saw　and　heard　seemed　passing　in　a　dream。
Pierre　had　left　his　own　house　simply　to　escape　from　the　complicated　tangle　woven　about　him　by　the　demands　of　daily　life；　which　in　his　condition　at　that　time　he　was　incapable　of　unravelling。　He　had　gone　to　Osip　Alexyevitch’s　house　on　the　pretext　of　sorting　out　the　books　and　papers　of　the　deceased。　Simply　he　was　in　search　of　a　quiet　home　of　rest　from　the　storm　of　life；　and　his　memories　of　Osip　Alexyevitch　were　connected　in　his　soul　with　a　whole　world　of　calm；　solemn；　and　eternal　ideals；　in　every　way　the　reverse　of　the　tangled　whirl　of　agitation　into　which　he　felt　himself　being　drawn。　He　was　in　search　of　a　quiet　refuge；　and　he　certainly　found　it　in　Osip　Alexyevitch’s　study。　When；　in　the　deathlike　stillness　of　the　study；　he　sat　with　his　elbows　on　the　dusty　writing…table　of　his　deceased　friend；　there　passed　in　calm　and　significant　succession　before　his　mental　vision　the　impressions　of　the　last　few　days；　especially　of　the　battle　of　Borodino；　and　of　that　overwhelming　sense　of　his　own　pettiness　and　fal