Page 1680 - war-and-peace

him. Rostopchin grew confused and became silent. Kutu-
zov slightly shook his head and not taking his penetrating
gaze from Rostopchin’s face muttered softly:
‘No! I shall not give up Moscow without a battle!’
Whether Kutuzov was thinking of something entire-
ly different when he spoke those words, or uttered them
purposely, knowing them to be meaningless, at any rate
Rostopchin made no reply and hastily left him. And strange
to say, the Governor of Moscow, the proud Count Rostop-
chin, took up a Cossack whip and went to the bridge where
he began with shouts to drive on the carts that blocked the
way.

1680 War and Peace