‘Only me, sir,’ replied the voice. ‘Now if you please, ma’am.’

"Yes, just fancy..."

‘Send that obstinate scoundrel down; don’t you hear me calling?’

The French found Moscow abandoned but with all the organizations of regular life, with diverse branches of commerce and craftsmanship, with luxury, and governmental and religious institutions. These forms were lifeless but still existed. There were bazaars, shops, warehouses, market stalls, granariesfor the most part still stocked with goodsand there were factories and workshops, palaces and wealthy houses filled with luxuries, hospitals, prisons, government offices, churches, and cathedrals. The longer the French remained the more these forms of town life perished, until finally all was merged into one confused, lifeless scene of plunder.