Chapter 9
All of the previous owners of Bogucharovo have been less hands-on than Andrew, so the peasants are far more used to being independent. Old Nikolai finds them boorish and that trait has increased with Andrew introducing hospitals and schools and reducing the quitrent they have to pay. They have heard a different set of rumours from those in St Petersburg and Moscow, namely that the Cossacks are destroying deserted villages but the French are not. The French have even bribed another peasant - with counterfeit roubles - to tell them that the French will treat the peasants well. The peasants are generally managed by Dron, the village elder. When Alpatych tells Dron that Mary needs to leave, Dron refuses to comply, claiming that no horses are available. Alpatych knows that Dron is expressing the will of the peasants, but also knows that Dron wants to pleases the masters, and tries to use this to persuade him. Dron begs to be fired instead. Finally, Alpatych takes his own belongings out of the carts that have just arrived from Bald Hills and uses those horses for Mary's carriage while he goes to the police.
Chapter 10
We go back in time a bit for this one, to Mary's room with a pre-Dron Alpatych asking for orders about their departure. Mary insists she isn't going and asks to be left alone. She is pretty sure she is going to hell for not loving her father enough. Amelie comes to comfort her and then starts crying. Mary remembers everything that's happened between them in the past few months, but the guilt stops her from holding it against Amelie. Amelie then insists that they should all stay at Borucharovo, because she thinks it will be safer than being caught on the road. Apparently the French General Rameau has spread leaflets about, explaining how he will protect the people who stay at home, and Amelie wants to appeal to this protection. Mary asks how Amelie received it, and Amelie replies that it's probably because she has an obviously French name. Mary is horrified at the thought of being at the mercy of the French and heads to Andrew's study, demanding that Amelie be kept away from her and asking for Alpatych or Dron to come speak to her about leaving immediately. Apart from anything else, she's pretty sure the French would disinter her father to steal his medals, which is a horrifying image. They'd probably find him rolling. Mary feels that she must represent her father and brother's feelings and take their actions, in their absence. She does her best, calling for as much help as she can, from Alpatych (gone to the police), the architect Michael Ivanovich (refuses to commit to any opinions or answers), the valet Tikhon (yes man), and Dron. Dron tells her that there are no horses, as they have been taken by the army or died, and that the peasants are starving to death. Mary is shocked at the idea that there can be rich people and poor people and that the rich might let the poor starve, and she also knows there's such a thing as "landlord's corn", that is, grain kept for the master and not consumed by the peasants. She asks Dron about this, and is told it's all still there, and Mary demands that it be shared among the peasants. Again, he begs to be fired rather than follow orders and Mary can't understand why (me either).
Chapter 11
An hour later, Dunyasha, Mary's childhood nurse, comes to tell her that all the peasants are assembled at the barn, by Mary's order, and waiting to speak to her. Mary is surprised to hear this because she gave no such order - she only asked Dron to give them grain. Dunyasha insists that this is a trick and she must not give them the grain. She prays that they can get away with Alpatych when he returns. Apparently, the peasants think Mary has ordered them to leave Bogucharovo and are refusing to go. Mary calls for Dron, insisting that he has relayed her orders wrong, and repeating that she only said to give them the grain. He says she can just order them to go away, but she decides to go and speak to them directly to sort this mess out. She now thinks that the peasants think she's bribing them to stay in a dangerous place while she runs to Moscow, and has decided to offer them monthly rations and housing in Moscow, as she is sure Andrew would do. She says all this to the peasants. They say they are very grateful, but it won't do for them to take the landlord's grain. Mary asks why and no one can answer. They insist that they won't "give up everything" and that they don't agree to take the grain. I am as confused as Mary. Is this some weird honour before reason thing, where they'd rather starve to death than do something not befitting to their class or something? They end by insisting that they'd rather be ruined by the French than follow Mary into slavery, whatever the fuck that means.
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