Chapter 3

           

           NinedaysaftertheabandonmentofMoscow,amessengerfromKutúzovreachedPetersburgwiththeofficialannouncementofthatevent.ThismessengerwasMichaud,aFrenchmanwhodidnotknowRussian,butwhowasquoiqueétranger,russedecœuretd’âme,*ashesaidofhimself.

           *Thoughaforeigner,Russianinheartandsoul.

           TheEmperoratoncereceivedthismessengerinhisstudyatthepalaceonStoneIsland.Michaud,whohadneverseenMoscowbeforethecampaignandwhodidnotknowRussian,yetfeltdeeplymoved(ashewrote)whenheappearedbeforenotretrèsgracieuxsouverain*withthenewsoftheburningofMoscow,dontlesflammeséclairaientsaroute.*(2)

           *Ourmostgracioussovereign.

           *(2)Whoseflamesilluminedhisroute.

           ThoughthesourceofM.Michaud’schagrinmusthavebeendifferentfromthatwhichcausedRussianstogrieve,hehadsuchasadfacewhenshownintotheEmperor’sstudythatthelatteratonceasked:

           “Haveyoubroughtmesadnews,Colonel?”

           “Verysad,sire,”repliedMichaud,loweringhiseyeswithasigh.“TheabandonmentofMoscow.”

           “Havetheysurrenderedmyancientcapitalwithoutabattle?”askedtheEmperorquickly,hisfacesuddenlyflushing.

           MichaudrespectfullydeliveredthemessageKutúzovhadentrustedtohim,whichwasthatithadbeenimpossibletofightbeforeMoscow,andthatastheonlyremainingchoicewasbetweenlosingthearmyaswellasMoscow,orlosingMoscowalone,thefieldmarshalhadtochoosethelatter.

           TheEmperorlistenedinsilence,notlookingatMichaud.

           “Hastheenemyenteredthecity?”heasked.

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