resurrection(复活)-第54章

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unpleasant　feeling；　and；　when　he　asked　himself　what　it　was　caused
by；　he　remembered　what　the　driver　had　told　him　about　the　way　the
German　was　managing　Kousminski。　When　he　got　to　his　estate　and　set
to　work　this　unpleasant　feeling　vanished。

Looking　over　the　books　in　the　office；　and　a　talk　with　the
foreman；　who　naively　pointed　out　the　advantages　to　be　derived
from　the　facts　that　the　peasants　had　very　little　land　of　their
own　and　that　it　lay　in　the　midst　of　the　landlord's　fields；　made
Nekhludoff　more　than　ever　determined　to　leave　off　farming　and　to
let　his　land　to　the　peasants。

From　the　office　books　and　his　talk　with　the　foreman；　Nekhludoff
found　that　two…thirds　of　the　best　of　the　cultivated　land　was
still　being　tilled　with　improved　machinery　by　labourers　receiving
fixed　wages；　while　the　other　third　was　tilled　by　the　peasants　at
the　rate　of　five　roubles　per　desiatin　＇about　two　and
three…quarter　acres＇。　So　that　the　peasants　had　to　plough　each
desiatin　three　times；　harrow　it　three　times；　sow　and　mow　the
corn；　make　it　into　sheaves；　and　deliver　it　on　the　threshing
ground　for　five　roubles；　while　the　same　amount　of　work　done　by
wage　labour　came　to　at　least　10　roubles。　Everything　the　peasants
got　from　the　office　they　paid　for　in　labour　at　a　very　high　price。
They　paid　in　labour　for　the　use　of　the　meadows；　for　wood；　for
potato…stalks；　and　were　nearly　all　of　them　in　debt　to　the　office。
Thus；　for　the　land　that　lay　beyond　the　cultivated　fields；　which
the　peasants　hired；　four　times　the　price　that　its　value　would
bring　in　if　invested　at　five　per　cent　was　taken　from　the
peasants。

Nekhludoff　had　known　all　this　before；　but　he　now　saw　it　in　a　new
light；　and　wondered　how　he　and　others　in　his　position　could　help
seeing　how　abnormal　such　conditions　are。　The　steward's　arguments
that　if　the　land　were　let　to　the　peasants　the　agricultural
implements　would　fetch　next　to　nothing；　as　it　would　be　impossible
to　get　even　a　quarter　of　their　value　for　them；　and　that　the
peasants　would　spoil　the　land；　and　how　great　a　loser　Nekhludoff
would　be；　only　strengthened　Nekhludoff　in　the　opinion　that　he　was
doing　a　good　action　in　letting　the　land　to　the　peasants　and　thus
depriving　himself　of　a　large　part　of　his　income。　He　decided　to
settle　this　business　now；　at　once；　while　he　was　there。　The
reaping　and　selling　of　the　corn　he　left　for　the　steward　to　manage
in　due　season；　and　also　the　selling　of　the　agricultural
implements　and　useless　buildings。　But　he　asked　his　steward　to
call　the　peasants　of　the　three　neighbouring　villages　that　lay　in
the　midst　of　his　estate　（Kousminski）　to　a　meeting；　at　which　he
would　tell　them　of　his　intentions　and　arrange　about　the　price　at
which　they　were　to　rent　the　land。

With　the　pleasant　sense　of　the　firmness　he　had　shown　in　the　face
of　the　steward's　arguments；　and　his　readiness　to　make　a
sacrifice；　Nekhludoff　left　the　office；　thinking　over　the　business
before　him；　and　strolled　round　the　house；　through　the　neglected
flower…gardenthis　year　the　flowers　were　planted　in　front　of　the
steward's　houseover　the　tennis　ground；　now　overgrown　with
dandelions；　and　along　the　lime…tree　walk；　where　he　used　to　smoke
his　cigar；　and　where　he　had　flirted　with　the　pretty　Kirimova；　his
mother's　visitor。　Having　briefly　prepared　in　his　mind　the　speech
he　was　going　to　make　to　the　peasants；　he　again　went　in　to　the
steward；　and；　after　tea；　having　once　more　arranged　his　thoughts；
he　went　into　the　room　prepared　for　him　in　the　big　house；　which
used　to　be　a　spare　bedroom。

In　this　clean　little　room；　with　pictures　of　Venice　on　the　walls；
and　a　mirror　between　the　two　windows；　there　stood　a　clean　bed
with　a　spring　mattress；　and　by　the　side　of　it　a　small　table；　with
a　decanter　of　water；　matches；　and　an　extinguisher。　On　a　table　by
the　looking…glass　lay　his　open　portmanteau；　with　his
dressing…case　and　some　books　in　it；　a　Russian　book；　The
Investigation　of　the　Laws　of　Criminality；　and　a　German　and　an
English　book　on　the　same　subject；　which　he　meant　to　read　while
travelling　in　the　country。　But　it　was　too　late　to　begin　to…day；
and　he　began　preparing　to　go　to　bed。

An　old…fashioned　inlaid　mahogany　arm…chair　stood　in　the　corner　of
the　room；　and　this　chair；　which　Nekhludoff　remembered　standing　in
his　mother's　bedroom；　suddenly　raised　a　perfectly　unexpected
sensation　in　his　soul。　He　was　suddenly　filled　with　regret　at　the
thought　of　the　house　that　would　tumble　to　ruin；　and　the　garden
that　would　run　wild；　and　the　forest　that　would　be　cut　down；　and
all　these　farmyards；　stables；　sheds；　machines；　horses；　cows　which
he　knew　had　cost　so　much　effort；　though　not　to　himself；　to
acquire　and　to　keep。　It　had　seemed　easy　to　give　up　all　this；　but
now　it　was　hard；　not　only　to　give　this；　but　even　to　let　the　land
and　lose　half　his　income。　And　at　once　a　consideration；　which
proved　that　it　was　unreasonable　to　let　the　land　to　the　peasants；
and　thus　to　destroy　his　property；　came　to　his　service。　〃I　must
not　hold　property　in　land。　If　I　possess　no　property　in　land；　I
cannot　keep　up　the　house　and　farm。　And；　besides；　I　am　going　to
Siberia；　and　shall　not　need　either　the　house　or　the　estate；〃　said
one　voice。　〃All　this　is　so；〃　said　another　voice；　〃but　you　are　not
going　to　spend　all　your　life　in　Siberia。　You　may　marry；　and　have
children；　and　must　hand　the　estate　on　to　them　in　as　good　a
condition　as　you　received　it。　There　is　a　duty　to　the　land；　too。
To　give　up；　to　destroy　everything　is　very　easy；　to　acquire　it
very　difficult。　Above　all；　you　must　consider　your　future　life；
and　what　you　will　do　with　yourself；　and　you　must　dispose　of　your
property　accordingly。　And　are　you　really　firm　in　your　resolve？
And　then；　are　you　really　acting　according　to　your　conscience；　or
are　you　acting　in　order　to　be　admired　of　men？〃　Nekhludoff　asked
himself　all　this；　and　had　to　acknowledge　that　he　was　influenced
by　the　thought　of　what　people　would　say　about　him。　And　the　more
he　thought　about　it　the　more　questions　arose；　and　the　more
unsolvable　they　seemed。

In　hopes　of　ridding　himself　of　these　thoughts　by　failing　asleep；
and　solving　them　in　the　morning　when　his　head　would　be　fresh；　he
lay　down　on　his　clean　bed。　But　it　was　long　before　he　could　sleep。
Together　with　the　fresh　air　and　the　moonlight；　the　croaking　of
the　frogs　entered　the　room；　mingling　with　the　trills　of　a　couple
of　nightingales　in　the　park　and　one　close　to　the　window　in　a　bush
of　lilacs　in　bloom。　Listening　to　the　nightingales　and　the　frogs；
Nekhludoff　remembered　the　inspector's　daughter；　and　her　music；
and　the　inspector；　that　reminded　him　of　Maslova；　and　how　her　lips
trembled；　like　the　croaking　of　the　frogs；　when　she　said；　〃You
must　just　leave　it。〃　Then　the　German　steward　began　going　down　to
the　frogs；　and　had　to　be　held　back；　but　he　not　only　went　down　but
turned　into　Maslova；　who　began　reproaching　Nekhludoff；　saying；
〃You　are　a　prince；　and　I　am　a　convict。〃　〃No；　I　must　not　give　in；〃
thought　Nekhludoff；　waking　up；　and　again　asking　himself；　〃Is　what
I　am　doing　right？　I　do　not　know；　and　no　matter；　no　matter；　I　must
only　fall　asleep　now。〃　And　he　began　himself　to　descend　where　he
had　seen　the　inspector　and　Maslova　climbing　down　to；　and　there　it
all　ended。


CHAPTER　II。

EFFORTS　AT　LAND　RESTORATION。

The　next　day　Nekhludoff　awoke　at　nine　o'clock。　The　young　office
clerk　who　attended　on　〃the　master〃　brought　him　his　boots；　shining
as　they　had　never　shone　before；　and　some　cold；　beautifully　clear
spring　water；　and　informed　him　that　the　peasants　were　already
assembling。

Nekhludoff　jumped　out　of　bed；　and　collected　his　thoughts。　Not　a
trace　of　yesterday's　regret　at　giving　up　and　thus　destroying　his
property　remained　now。　He　remembered　this　feeling　of　regret　with
surprise；　he　was　now　looking　forward　with　joy　to　the　task　before
him；　and　could　not　help　being　proud　of　it。　He　could　see　from　the
window　the　old　tennis　ground；　overgrown　with　dandelions；　on　which
the　peasants　were　beginning　to　assemble。　The　frogs　had　not
croaked　in　vain　the　night　before；　the　day　was　dull。　There　was　no
wind；　a　soft　warm　rain　had　begun　falling　in　the　morning；　and　hung
in　drops　on　leaves；　twigs；　and　grass。　Besides　the　smell　of　the
fresh　vegetation；　the　smell　of　damp　earth；　asking　for　more