01-the forged coupon-第9章

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ways　the　case；　whatever　there　was　to　do；　she　was
expected　to　do　it；　and　was；　moreover；　continually
scolded　by　all　the　three　people　in　the　house；　her
brother…in…law　used　even　to　beat　her　when　he　was
drunk。　　She　bore　it　all　patiently；　and　as　is　also
always　the　case；　the　more　work　she　had　to　face；
the　quicker　she　managed　to　get　through　it。　　She
helped　the　poor；　sacrificing　her　own　wants；　she
gave　them　her　clothes；　and　was　a　ministering
angel　to　the　sick。

Once　the　lame；　crippled　village　tailor　was　work…
ing　in　Maria　Semenovna's　house。　　He　had　to
mend　her　old　father's　coat；　and　to　mend　and　re…
pair　Maria　Semenovna's　fur…jacket　for　her　to　wear
in　winter　when　she　went　to　market。

The　lame　tailor　was　a　clever　man；　and　a　keen
observer：　　he　had　seen　many　different　people　ow…
ing　to　his　profession；　and　was　fond　of　reflection；
condemned　as　he　was　to　a　sedentary　life。

Having　worked　a　week　at　Maria　Semenovna's；
he　wondered　greatly　about　her　life。　　One　day　she
came　to　the　kitchen；　where　he　was　sitting　with　his
work；　to　wash　a　towel；　and　began　to　ask　him　how
he　was　getting　on。　　He　told　her　of　the　wrong　he
had　suffered　from　his　brother；　and　how　he　now
lived　on　his　own　allotment　of　land；　separated　from
that　of　his　brother。

〃I　thought　I　should　have　been　better　off　that
way；〃　he　said。　　〃But　I　am　now　just　as　poor　as
before。〃

〃It　is　much　better　never　to　change；　but　to　take
life　as　it　comes；〃　said　Maria　Semenovna。　　〃Take
life　as　it　comes；〃　she　repeated。

〃Why；　I　wonder　at　you；　Maria　Semenovna；〃
said　the　lame　tailor。　　〃You　alone　do　the　work；
and　you　are　so　good　to　everybody。　　But　they
don't　repay　you　in　kind；　I　see。〃

Maria　Semenovna　did　not　utter　a　word　in　an…
swer。

〃I　dare　say　you　have　found　out　in　books　that
we　are　rewarded　in　heaven　for　the　good　we　do
here。〃

〃We　don't　know　that。　　But　we　must　try　to　do
the　best　we　can。〃

〃Is　it　said　so　in　books？〃

〃In　books　as　well；〃　she　said；　and　read　to　him
the　Sermon　on　the　Mount。　　The　tailor　was　much
impressed。　　When　he　had　been　paid　for　his　job
and　gone　home；　he　did　not　cease　to　think　about
Maria　Semenovna；　both　what　she　had　said　and
what　she　had　read　to　him。



XVII

PETER　NIKOLAEVICH　SVENTIZKY'S　views　of　the
peasantry　had　now　changed　for　the　worse；　and　the
peasants　had　an　equally　bad　opinion　of　him。　　In
the　course　of　a　single　year　they　felled　twenty…seven
oaks　in　his　forest；　and　burnt　a　barn　which　had　not
been　insured。　　Peter　Nikolaevich　came　to　the　con…
clusion　that　there　was　no　getting　on　with　the
people　around　him。

At　that　very　time　the　landowner；　Liventsov；
was　trying　to　find　a　manager　for　his　estate；　and
the　Marshal　of　the　Nobility　recommended　Peter
Nikolaevich　as　the　ablest　man　in　the　district　in
the　management　of　land。　　The　estate　owned　by
Liventsov　was　an　extremely　large　one；　but　there
was　no　revenue　to　be　got　out　of　it；　as　the　peasants
appropriated　all　its　wealth　to　their　own　profit。　
Peter　Nikolaevich　undertook　to　bring　everything
into　order；　rented　out　his　own　land　to　somebody
else；　and　settled　with　his　wife　on　the　Liventsov
estate；　in　a　distant　province　on　the　river　Volga。

Peter　Nikolaevich　was　always　fond　of　order；
and　wanted　things　to　be　regulated　by　law；　and
now　he　felt　less　able　of　allowing　those　raw　and
rude　peasants　to　take　possession；　quite　illegally
too；　of　property　that　did　not　belong　to　them。　　He
was　glad　of　the　opportunity　of　giving　them　a　good
lesson；　and　set　seriously　to　work　at　once。　　One
peasant　was　sent　to　prison　for　stealing　wood；　to
another　he　gave　a　thrashing　for　not　having　made
way　for　him　on　the　road　with　his　cart；　and　for　not
having　lifted　his　cap　to　salute　him。　　As　to　the
pasture　ground　which　was　a　subject　of　dispute；
and　was　considered　by　the　peasants　as　their　prop…
erty；　Peter　Nikolaevich　informed　the　peasants
that　any　of　their　cattle　grazing　on　it　would　be
driven　away　by　him。

The　spring　came　and　the　peasants；　just　as　they
had　done　in　previous　years；　drove　their　cattle　on
to　the　meadows　belonging　to　the　landowner。　
Peter　Nikolaevich　called　some　of　the　men　work…
ing　on　the　estate　and　ordered　them　to　drive　the
cattle　into　his　yard。　　The　peasants　were　working
in　the　fields；　and；　disregarding　the　screaming　of
the　women；　Peter　Nikolaevich's　men　succeeded　in
driving　in　the　cattle。　　When　they　came　home　the
peasants　went　in　a　crowd　to　the　cattle…yard　on　the
estate；　and　asked　for　their　cattle。　　Peter　Nikolae…
vich　came　out　to　talk　to　them　with　a　gun　slung　on
his　shoulder；　he　had　just　returned　from　a　ride　of
inspection。　　He　told　them　that　he　would　not　let
them　have　their　cattle　unless　they　paid　a　fine　of
fifty　kopeks　for　each　of　the　horned　cattle；　and
twenty　kopeks　for　each　sheep。　　The　peasants
loudly　declared　that　the　pasture　ground　was　their
property；　because　their　fathers　and　grandfathers
had　used　it；　and　protested　that　he　had　no　right
whatever　to　lay　hand　on　their　cattle。

〃Give　back　our　cattle；　or　you　will　regret　it；〃
said　an　old　man　coming　up　to　Peter　Nikolaevich。

〃How　shall　I　regret　it？〃　cried　Peter　Niko…
laevich；　turning　pale；　and　coming　close　to　the　old
man。

〃Give　them　back；　you　villain；　and　don't　pro…
voke　us。〃

〃What？〃　cried　Peter　Nikolaevich；　and　slapped
the　old　man　in　the　face。

〃You　dare　to　strike　me？　Come　along；　you
fellows；　let　us　take　back　our　cattle　by　force。〃

The　crowd　drew　close　to　him。　　Peter　Niko…
laevich　tried　to　push　his　way；　through　them；　but
the　peasants　resisted　him。　　Again　he　tried　force。

His　gun；　accidentally　discharged　in　the　melee；
killed　one　of　the　peasants。　　Instantly　the　fight
began。　　Peter　Nikolaevich　was　trodden　down；
and　five　minutes　later　his　mutilated　body　was
dragged　into　the　ravine。

The　murderers　were　tried　by　martial　law；　and
two　of　them　sentenced　to　the　gallows。



XVIII

IN　the　village　where　the　lame　tailor　lived；　in　the
Zemliansk　district　of　the　Voronesh　province；　five
rich　peasants　hired　from　the　landowner　a　hundred
and　five　acres　of　rich　arable　land；　black　as　tar；　and
let　it　out　on　lease　to　the　rest　of　the　peasants　at
fifteen　to　eighteen　roubles　an　acre。　　Not　one　acre
was　given　under　twelve　roubles。　　They　got　a　very
profitable　return；　and　the　five　acres　which　were
left　to　each　of　their　company　practically　cost　them
nothing。　　One　of　the　five　peasants　died；　and　the
lame　tailor　received　an　offer　to　take　his　place。

When　they　began　to　divide　the　land；　the　tailor
gave　up　drinking　vodka；　and；　being　consulted　as
to　how　much　land　was　to　be　divided；　and　to　whom
it　should　be　given；　he　proposed　to　give　allotments
to　all　on　equal　terms；　not　taking　from　the　tenants
more　than　was　due　for　each　piece　of　land　out　of
the　sum　paid　to　the　landowner。

〃Why　so？〃

〃We　are　no　heathens；　I　should　think；〃　he　said。
〃It　is　all　very　well　for　the　masters　to　be　unfair；
but　we　are　true　Christians。　　We　must　do　as　God
bids。　　Such　is　the　law　of　Christ。〃

〃Where　have　you　got　that　law　from？

〃It　is　in　the　Book；　in　the　Gospels。　just　come
to　me　on　Sunday。　　I　will　read　you　a　few　passages；
and　we　will　have　a　talk　afterwards。〃

They　did　not　all　come　to　him　on　Sunday；　but
three　came；　and　he　began　reading　to　them。

He　read　five　chapters　of　St。　Matthew's　Gospel；
and　they　talked。　　One　man　only；　Ivan　Chouev；
accepted　the　lesson　and　carried　it　out　completely；
following　the　rule　of　Christ　in　everything　from
that　day。　　His　family　did　the　same。　　Out　of　the
arable　land　he　took　only　what　was　his　due；　and
refused　to　take　more。

The　lame　tailor　and　Ivan　had　people　calling　on
them；　and　some　of　these　people　began　to　grasp
the　meaning　of　the　Gospels；　and　in　consequence
gave　up　smoking；　drinking；　swearing；　and　using
bad　language　and　tried　to　help　one　another。　
They　also　ceased　to　go　to　church；　and　took　their
ikons　to　the　village　priest；　saying　they　did　not
want　them　any　more。　　The　priest　was　frightened；
and　reported　what　had　occurred　to　the　bishop。　
The　bishop　was　at　a　loss　what　to　do。　　At　last
he　resolved　to　send　the　archimandrite　Missael　to
the　village；　the　one　who　had　formerly　been　Mitia
Smokovnikov's　teacher　of　religion。



XIX

ASKING　Father　Missael　on　his　arrival　to　take　a
seat；　the　bishop　told　him　what　had　happened　in
his　diocese。

〃It　all　comes　from　weaknes