The Count was absent on business at the time of their flight, and as he wasreturning, he observed a fire, which appeared in the direction of his house. With no small agitation he rode towards it as fast as his horse could carryhim ; and when he got near, he learnt that the French were in possession ofthe place, that a part of the village was burnt down, and his wife and children were in safety a few versts off, waiting in hopes of his arrival before they should be compelled to go farther. His first care was to remove them to a greater distance from this scene of horror and alarm ; ajid as, for a length of time, it was impossible to return to the house after the havoc committed there, they went to the Countess's relatives in Livonia, where they remained several months.
The magnificent riding-house built by the Count in the English style, had been converted into an hospital, their excellent dining-room into a picquet post, and in the drawing-room the bulletin was written and dated. TheFrenchhad made the dunghill their burying-ground, though dead bodies were also found in the stables and other places. Ofthe large and valuable collection ofpaintings here, a few of which there was only time to remove, some were found scattered in all parts ofthe surrounding woods, torn from their frames, and otherwise spoiled or injured. A pack offox-hounds,whichtheCount hadfrom England, were at this period lost, and dispersed over the country.
We spent four days here very delightfully, and left Besankovitch, regretting much that it was not near enough to the end of our journey, to calculate upon the probability of soon, if ever, meeting our kind and hospitable entertainers there again.
Between Besankovitch and Moghiloff, we were obliged to separate for want of horses, and the road being heavy, and not snow enough to sledge well, we travelled very slowly. , i ^ The breaking of the britchka between Kekannoff and Staria Selo, occasioned us an unpleasant detention, and a visit to the interior of a Russian kabac, or ale-house, which, however, all things considered, we were fortunate to be in the vicinity of, since we found a Vulcan and his forge in these dominions of Pluto.
The driver of the second carriage finding that the work necessary to be done would occasion considerable delay, insisted upon going on to the station immediately, or else he must take his horses off, and return home. It was therefore found necessary to send this carriage forward, and after the difficult arrangement of separating our now small partyhad been agreed on, Mr. H. with two of the children, proceeded in it to the station ; the Russian servant being left to expedite and superintend the repairs ofthe britchka.
I was then ushered into the kabac, to await with as much patience as I could, a work that threatened a delay of at least an hour or two.
The outer door of this dwelling opened into a covered passage, into which three other doors opened and communicated, one with the house, the opposite one with astore orlumber-room, and one with the yard and out-offices. A cow was tied up in one corner of this place, who seemed well accustomed to her station. The door of the house opened into a low, smoky, and darklooking room, where seated on benches around a large table, a party ofmen sat drinking, smoaking, and singing. The song ceased at my entrance, and they regarded me with much astonishment. I looked round in vain for a female, and took my seat on a bench as distant as I could from this carousing party. I talked to the children, and endeavoured to appear unconcerned, though the rude gaze of these savages annoyed me extremely. Presently a man having fetters on his legs, came in ; he saluted and joined the party at the table, whose cordial reception of this felon did not heighten my estimation of the group : with much wonder in his countenance, he sent a scrutinizing look at the strangers, and soon got up and walked out, to learn from the servants what he could not ascertain from his companions. Ivan had been attentively occupied in watching the carriage, that nothing might be stolen from it during the time these peasants were at work : a precaution invariably necessary, even if there was nothing but rope or iron that could be taken away ; but at length seeing my eldest boy a looker-on by his side, he left him as a guard, while he hastened to relieve me from this purgatory, and see if he could procure me any thing that was eatable. He soon found an interior room, where the woman of the house was cooking sour soup, &c. on a low hearth.
The blaze ofthe fire wasacceptable, and theroom, though little bigger than a closet, and smelling of garlic so as scarcely to be endured, was still to be preferred to the one I had left, because it did not look so much like a den of savages.