Chapter 15

           

           Moscow’slastdayhadcome.Itwasaclearbrightautumnday,aSunday.Thechurchbellseverywherewereringingforservice,justasusualonSundays.Nobodyseemedyettorealizewhatawaitedthecity.

           OnlytwothingsindicatedthesocialconditionofMoscow—therabble,thatisthepoorpeople,andthepriceofcommodities.Anenormouscrowdoffactoryhands,houseserfs,andpeasants,withwhomsomeofficials,seminarists,andgentryweremingled,hadgoneearlythatmorningtotheThreeHills.HavingwaitedthereforRostopchínwhodidnotturnup,theybecameconvincedthatMoscowwouldbesurrendered,andthendispersedallaboutthetowntothepublichousesandcookshops.Pricestoothatdayindicatedthestateofaffairs.Thepriceofweapons,ofgold,ofcartsandhorses,keptrising,butthevalueofpapermoneyandcityarticleskeptfalling,sothatbymiddaytherewereinstancesofcartersremovingvaluablegoods,suchascloth,andreceivinginpaymentahalfofwhattheycarted,whilepeasanthorseswerefetchingfivehundredrubleseach,andfurniture,mirrors,andbronzeswerebeinggivenawayfornothing.

           IntheRostóvs’staidold-fashionedhousethedissolutionofformerconditionsoflifewasbutlittlenoticeable.Astotheserfstheonlyindicationwasthatthreeoutoftheirhugeretinuedisappearedduringthenight,butnothingwasstolen;andastothevalueoftheirpossessions,thethirtypeasantcartsthathadcomeinfromtheirestatesandwhichmanypeopleenviedprovedtobeextremelyvaluableandtheywereofferedenormoussumsofmoneyforthem.

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