Theroomwasabigone,withatilestove,andapartitiondividingitintotwo。Undertheiconsstoodatablepaintedinpatterns,abenchandtwochairs。Neartheentrancewasadresserfullofcrockery。Theshutterswereclosed,therewerefewflies,anditwassocleanthatLevinwasanxiousthatLaska,whohadbeenrunningalongtheroadandbathinginpuddles,shouldnotmuddythefloor,andorderedhertoaplaceinthecornerbythedoor。Afterlookingroundtheroom,Levinwentoutinthebackyard。
Thecomelyyounghousewifeinclogs,swingingtheemptypailsontheyoke,ranonbeforehimtothewellforwater。
`Looksharp,mygirl!’theoldmanshoutedafterher,good-humoredly,andhewalkeduptoLevin。`Well,sir,areyougoingtoNikolaiIvanovichSviiazhsky?Hecomestoustoo,’hebeganchatting,leaninghiselbowsontherailingofthesteps。Inthemiddleoftheoldman’saccountofhisacquaintancewithSviiazhsky,thegatescreakedagain,andlaborerscameintotheyardfromthefields,withwoodenplowsandharrows。Thehorsesharnessedtotheplowsandharrowsweresleekandfat。Thelaborerswereobviouslyofthehousehold:twowereyoungmenincotton-printshirtsandcaps,thetwootherswerehiredlaborersinhomespunshirts,oneanoldman,theotherayoungfellow。
Movingofffromthesteps,theoldmanwentuptothehorsesandbeganunharnessingthem。
`Whathavetheybeenplowing?’askedLevin。
`Plowingupthepotatoes。Werentabitoflandtoo。Fedot,don’tletoutthegelding,buttakeittothetrough,andwe’llputanotherinharness。’
`Oh,father,abouttheplowsharesIordered-hashebroughtthemalong?’askedthebig,robustfellow,obviouslytheoldman’sson。
`There……inthesledge,’answeredtheoldman,rollingupthereinshehadtakenoff,andflingingthemontheground。`Youcanputthemright,whiletheyhavedinner。’
Thecomelyyounghousewifecameintotheouterroomwiththefullpailsdraggingathershoulders。Morewomencameonthescenefromsomewhere,youngandhandsome,middle-aged,oldandugly,withchildrenandwithoutchildren。
Thesamovarwasbeginningtosing;thelaborersandthefamily,havingdisposedofthehorses,cameintodinner。Levin,gettinghisprovisionsoutofhiscarriage,invitedtheoldmantotaketeawithhim。
`Well,Ihavehadsometodayalready,’saidtheoldman,obviouslyacceptingtheinvitationwithpleasure。`Well,beitso,forcompany。’
OvertheirteaLevinheardallabouttheoldman’sfarming。Tenyearsbeforetheoldmanhadrentedahundredandtwentydessiatinasfromtheladywhoownedthem,andayearagohehadboughtthemandrentedanotherthreehundredfromaneighboringlandowner。Asmallpartoftheland-
theworstpart-heletoutforrent,whilesomefortydessiatinasofarablelandhecultivatedhimself,withhisfamilyandtwohiredlaborers。Theoldmancomplainedthatthingsweregoingbadly。ButLevinsawthathesimplydidsofromafeelingofpropriety,andthathisfarmwasinaflourishingcondition。Ifithadbeenunsuccessfulhewouldnothaveboughtlandatahundredandfiveroublesthedessiatina,hewouldnothavemarriedoffhisthreesonsandanephew,hewouldnothaverebuilttwiceafterfires,andeachtimeonalargerscale。Inspiteoftheoldman’scomplaints,itwasevidentthathewasproud,andjustlyproud,ofhisprosperity,proudofhissons,hisnephew,hissons’wives,hishorses,andhiscows,andespeciallyofthefactthathewaskeepingallthisfarminggoing。
Fromhisconversationwiththeoldman,Levinrealizedhewasnotaversetonewmethodseither。Hehadplantedagreatmanypotatoes,andhispotatoes,asLevinhadseendrivingpast,werealreadypastfloweringandbeginningtoripen,whereasLevin’swereonlyjustcomingintoflower。Heplowedthegroundforhispotatoeswithamodernplowborrowedfromaneighboringlandowner。Hesowedwheat。Thetriflingfactthat,thinningouthisrye,theoldmanusedtheryehethinnedoutforhishorses,struckLevinespecially。
HowmanytimeshadLevinseenthissplendidfodderwasted,andtriedtogetitsaved;butalwaysithadturnedouttobeimpossible。Thispeasanthaddoneso,andhecouldnotsayenoughinpraiseofitasfoodforthebeasts。
`Whathavethewenchestodo?Theycarryitoutinbundlestotheroadside,andthecartbringsitaway。’
`Well,welandownerscan’tmanagewellwithourlaborers,’saidLevin,handinghimaglassoftea。
`Thanks,’saidtheoldman,andhetooktheglass,butrefusedsugar,pointingtoabithehadleft。`There’snogettingalongwiththem,’
saidhe。`They’resimplewaste。LookatSviiazhsky,forinstance。Weknowwhattheland’slike-first-rate;yetthere’snotmuchofacroptoboastof。It’snotlookedafterenough-that’sallitis!’
`Butyouworkyourlandwithhiredlaborers?’
`We’reallpeasantstogether。Wegointoeverythingourselves。
Ifaman’snouse,hecango,andwecanmanagebyourselves。’
`FatherFinogenwantssometar,’saidtheyoungwomanintheclogs,comingin。
`Yes,yes,that’showitis,sir!’saidtheoldman,gettingup,and,crossinghimselflingeringly,hethankedLevinandwentout。
WhenLevinwentinthekitchentocallhiscoachmanhesawthewholefamilyofmenatdinner。Thewomenwerestandingupwaitingonthem。
Theyoung,robustsonwastellingsomethingfunny,withhismouthfullofbuckwheatporridge,andtheywerealllaughing-thewomanintheclogs,whowaspouringcabbagesoupintoabowl,laughingmostmerrilyofall。
Veryprobablythecomelyfaceoftheyoungwomanintheclogshadagooddealtodowiththeimpressionofwell-beingthispeasanthouseholdmadeuponLevin,buttheimpressionwassostrongthatLevincouldnevergetridofit。Andallthewayfromtheoldpeasant’stoSviiazhsky’shekeptrecallingthispeasantfarmasthoughthereweresomethinginthisimpressiondemandinghisspecialattention。
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TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart3,Chapter26[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter26Sviiazhskywasthemarshalofhisdistrict。HewasfiveyearsolderthanLevin,andhadlongbeenmarried。Hissister-in-law,ayounggirlLevinlikedverymuch,livedinhishouse;andLevinknewthatSviiazhskyandhiswifewouldhavegreatlylikedtomarrythegirltohim。Heknewthiswithcertainty,asso-calledeligibleyoungmenalwaysknowit,thoughhecouldneverhavebroughthimselftospeakofittoanyone;andhealsoknewthat,althoughhewantedtogetmarried,andalthoughbyeverytokenthisveryattractivegirlwouldmakeanexcellentwife,hecouldnomorehavemarriedher,evenifhehadnotbeeninlovewithKittyShcherbatskaia,thanhecouldhaveflownuptothesky。AndthisknowledgepoisonedthepleasurehehadhopedtofindinthevisittoSviiazhsky。
OngettingSviiazhsky’sletterwiththeinvitationforshooting,Levinhadimmediatelythoughtofthis;but,inspiteofit,hehadmadeuphismindthatSviiazhsky’shavingsuchviewsforhimwassimplyhisowngroundlesssupposition,andsohewouldgo,notwithstanding。Besides,atthebottomofhisheart,hehadadesiretotryhimself,toputhimselftothetestinregardtothisgirl。TheSviiazhskys’homelifewasexceedinglypleasant,andSviiazhskyhimself,thebesttypeofZemstvomanthatLevinknew,wasveryinterestingtohim。
Sviiazhskywasoneofthosepeople,alwaysasourceofwondertoLevin,whoseconvictions,verylogicalthoughneveroriginal,goonewaybythemselves,whiletheirlife,exceedinglydefiniteandfirminitscourse,goesitswayquiteapartandalmostalwaysindirectcontradictiontotheirconvictions。Sviiazhskywasanextremelyadvancedman。Hedespisedthenobility,andbelievedthemassofthenobilitytobesecretlyinfavorofserfdom,andonlyconcealingtheirviewsoutofcowardice。HeregardedRussiaasaruinedcountry,ratherafterthestyleofTurkey,andthegovernmentofRussiaassobadthatheneverpermittedhimselftocriticizeitsdoingsseriously,andyethewasafunctionaryofthatgovernment,andamodelmarshalofnobility,andwhenhedroveabouthealwaysworehiscapwiththecockadeandredband。Heconsideredhumanlifeonlytolerableabroad,andwentabroadtostayateveryopportunity,andatthesametimehecarriedonacomplexandimprovedsystemofagricultureinRussia,andwithextremeinterestfollowedeverythingandkneweverythingthatwasbeingdoneinRussia。HeconsideredtheRussianpeasantasoccupyingastageofdevelopmentintermediatebetweentheapeandtheman,andatthesametimeinthedaysofZemstvoelectionnoonewasreadiertoshakehandswiththepeasantsandlistentotheiropinion。HebelievedneitherinGodnorthedevil,butwasmuchconcernedaboutthequestionoftheimprovementoftheclergyandthemaintenanceoftheirrevenues,andtookspecialtroubletokeepupthechurchinhisvillage。
Onthewomanquestionhewasonthesideoftheextremeadvocatesofcompletelibertyforwomen,andespeciallytheirrighttolabor。Buthelivedwithhiswifeonsuchtermsthattheiraffectionate,childlesshomelifewastheadmirationofeveryone,andarrangedhiswife’slifesothatshedidnothingandcoulddonothingbutshareherhusband’spreoccupationsinspendingtheirtimeashappilyandasagreeablyaspossible。
IfithadnotbeenacharacteristicofLevintoputthemostfavorableinterpretationonpeople,Sviiazhsky’scharacterwouldhavepresentednodoubtordifficultytohim:hewouldhavesaidtohimself,`afooloraknave,’andeverythingwouldhaveseemedclear。Buthecouldnotsayafool,becauseSviiazhskywasunmistakablyclever,and,moreover,ahighlycultivatedman,whowasexceptionallymodestoverhisculture。Therewasnotasubjectheknewnothingof。Buthedidnotdisplayhisknowledgeexceptwhenhewascompelledtodoso。StilllesscouldLevinsaythathewasaknave,asSviiazhskywasunmistakablyanhonest,goodhearted,sensibleman,whoworkedgood-humoredly,keenly,andperseveringlyathiswork,whichwasheldinhighhonorbyeveryoneabouthim,andcertainlyhehadneverconsciouslydone,andwasindeedincapableofdoing,anythingbase。
Levintriedtounderstandhim,andcouldnotunderstandhim,andlookedathimandhislifeasatalivingenigma。
Levinandhewereveryfriendly,andsoLevinusedtoventuretosoundSviiazhsky,totrytogetattheveryfoundationofhisviewoflife;butitwasalwaysinvain。EverytimeLevintriedtopenetratebeyondtheouterchambersofSviiazhsky’smind,whichwerehospitablyopentoall,henoticedthatSviiazhskywasslightlydisconcerted;faintsignsofalarmwerevisibleinhiseyes,asthoughhewereafraidLevinwouldunderstandhim,andhewouldgivehimakindly,good-humoredrebuff。
Justnow,sincehisdisenchantmentwithfarming,LevinwasparticularlygladtostaywithSviiazhsky。Apartfromthefactthatthesightofthishappyandaffectionatecouple,sopleasedwiththemselvesandeveryoneelse,andtheirwell-orderedhome,hadalwaysacheeringeffectonLevin,hefeltalonging,nowthathewassodissatisfiedwithhisownlife,togetatthatsecretinSviiazhskywhichgavehimsuchclarity,definiteness,andgoodcourageinlife。Moreover,LevinknewthatatSviiazhsky’shewouldmeetthelandownersoftheneighborhood,anditwasparticularlyinterestingforhimjustnowtohearandtakepartinthoseruralconversationsconcerningcrops,laborers’wages,andsoon,which,Levinwasaware,areconventionallyregardedassomethingverylow,butwhichseemedtohimjustnowtoconstitutetheonesubjectofimportance。`Itwasnot,perhaps,ofimportanceinthedaysofserfdom,anditmaynotbeofimportanceinEngland。Inbothcasestheconditionsofagriculturearefirmlyestablished;
butamongusnow,wheneverythinghasbeenturnedtopsy-turvy,andisonlyjusttakingshape,thequestionwhatformtheseconditionswilltakeistheonequestionofimportanceinRussia,’thoughtLevin。
TheshootingturnedouttobepoorerthanLevinexpected。Themarshwasdryandtherewerenosnipeatall。Hewalkedaboutthewholedayandonlybroughtbackthreebirds,buttomakeupforthathebroughtback,ashealwaysdidfromshooting,anexcellentappetite,excellentspirits,andthatkeen,intellectualmoodwhichwithhimalwaysaccompaniedviolentphysicalexertion。Andwhileoutshooting,whenheseemedtobethinkingofnothingatall,theoldmanandhisfamilywouldtimeandagaincometomind,andtheimpressionofthemseemedtoclaimnotmerelyhisattention,butthesolutionofsomequestionconnectedwiththem。
Intheevening,attea,twolandownerswhohadcomeaboutsomebusinessconnectedwithawardshipwereoftheparty,andtheinterestingconversationLevinhadbeenlookingforwardtosprangup。
Levinwassittingbesidehishostessattheteatable,andwasobligedtokeepupaconversationwithherandhersister,whowassittingoppositehim。MadameSviiazhskywasaround-faced,fair-haired,rathershortwoman,allsmilesanddimples。Levintriedthroughhertogetatasolutionoftheweightyenigmaherhusbandpresentedtohismind;buthehadnotcompletefreedomofideas,becausehewasinanagonyofembarrassment。
Thisagonyofembarrassmentwasduetothefactthatthesister-in-lawwassittingoppositetohim,inadress,speciallyputon,ashefancied,forhisbenefit,cutparticularlyopen,intheshapeofatrapeze,atherwhitebosom。Thisquadrangularopening,inspiteofthebosom’sbeingverywhite,orjustbecauseitwasverywhite,deprivedLevinofthefulluseofhisfaculties。Heimagined,probablymistakenly,thatthislow-neckedbodicehadbeenmadeonhisaccount,andfeltthathehadnorighttolookatit,andtriednottolookatit;buthefeltthathewastoblamefortheveryfactofthelow-neckedbodicehavingbeenmade。ItseemedtoLevinthathehadimposeduponsomeone,thatheoughttoexplainsomething,butthattoexplainitwasimpossible,andforthatreasonhewascontinuallyblushing,wasillateaseandawkward。Hisawkwardnessinfectedtheprettysister-in-lawtoo。Buttheirhostessappearednottoobservethis,andkeptpurposelydrawingherintotheconversation。
`Yousay,’shesaid,pursuingthesubjectthathadbeenstarted,`thatmyhusbandcannotbeinterestedinwhat’sRussian。It’squitethecontrary;heisincheerfulspiritsabroad,butneverinsuchasheishere。Herehefeelsinhisproperplace。Hehassomuchtodo,andhehasthefacultyofinterestinghimselfineverything。Oh,you’venotbeentoseeourschool,haveyou?’
`I’veseenit……Thelittlehousecoveredwithivy,isn’tit?’
`Yes;that’sNastia’swork,’shesaid,indicatinghersister。
`Youteachinityourself?’askedLevin,tryingtolookabovetheopenneck,butfeelingthatnomatterwherehelookedinthatdirectionheshouldseeit。
`Yes;Iusedtoteachinitmyself,anddoteachstill,butwehaveafirst-rateschoolmistressnow。Andwe’vestartedgymnasticexercises。’
`No,thankyou,Iwon’thaveanymoretea,’saidLevin,andconsciousofdoingarudething,butincapableofcontinuingtheconversation,hegotup,blushing。`Ihearaveryinterestingconversation,’headded,andwalkedtotheotherendofthetable,whereSviiazhskywassittingwiththetwogentlemenoftheneighborhood。Sviiazhskywassittingsideways,withoneelbowonthetable,andacupinonehand,whilewiththeotherhandhegathereduphisbeard,heldittohisnoseandletitdropagain,asthoughheweresmellingit。Hisbrilliantblackeyeswerelookingdirectlyattheexcitedcountrygentlemanwithgraymustaches,andapparentlyhederivedamusementfromhisremarks。Thegentlemanwascomplainingofthepeasants。ItwasevidenttoLevinthatSviiazhskyknewtheanswertothisgentleman’scomplaints,whichwouldatoncedemolishhiswholecontention,butthatinhispositionhecouldnotgiveutterancetothisanswer,andlistened,notwithoutpleasure,tothelandowner’scomictalk。
Thegentlemanwiththegraymustacheswasobviouslyaninveterateadherentofserfdomandadevotedagriculturist,whohadlivedallhislifeinthecountry。Levinsawproofsofthisinhisdress,inhisold-fashionedthreadbarecoat,obviouslynothiseverydayattire,inhisshrewd,deep-seteyes,inhiscoherentRussian,intheimperioustonethathadbecomehabitualfromlonguse,andintheresolutegesturesofhislarge,beautifulsunburnedhands,withasingleoldweddingringonhisfourthfinger。
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TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart3,Chapter27[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter27`IfI’donlythehearttothrowupwhat’sbeensetgoing……suchalotoftroublewasted……I’dturnmybackonthewholebusiness,sellout,goofflikeNikolaiIvanovich……tohearLaBelleHé;lè;ne,’
saidthelandowner,apleasantsmilelightinguphisshrewdoldface。
`But,yousee,youdon’tthrowitup,’saidNikolaiIvanovichSviiazhsky,`sotheremustbesomethinggained。’
`TheonlygainisthatIliveinmyownhouse,neitherboughtnorhired。Besides,onekeepshopingthepeoplewilllearnsense。Though,insteadofthat,believeitornot,thereissuchdrunkenness,suchimmorality!……
Theykeepmakingpartitionoftheirbitsofland;thereisn’tahorseoracow。Thepeasant’sdyingofhunger,butjustgoandtakehimonasalaborer-he’lldohisbesttodoyouamischief,andthenbringyouupbeforethejusticeofthepeace。’
`Butthen,youmakecomplaintstothejusticetoo,’saidSviiazhsky。
`Ilodgecomplaints?NotforanythingintheworldThere’ssomuchtalkspringsupthatoneissorryevertohavecomplained。Attheworks,forinstance,theypocketedtheadvancemoneyandmadeoff。Whatdidthejusticedo?Why,acquittedthem。Nothingkeepstheminorderbuttheirowncommunalcourtandtheirvillageelder。He’llflogtheminthegoodoldstyle!Butforthatthere’dbenothingforitbuttogiveitallupandrunaway。’
ObviouslythelandownerwaschaffingSviiazhsky,who,farfromresentingit,wasapparentlyamusedbyit。
`But,yousee,wemanageourlandwithoutsuchextrememeasures,’
saidhe,smiling:`Levin,andI,andthisgentleman。’
Heindicatedtheotherlandowner。
`Yes,thething’sdoneatMikhailPetrovich’s,butaskhimhowit’sdone。Doyoucallthatarationalsystem?’saidthelandowner,obviouslyratherproudoftheword`rational’。
`Mysystem’sverysimple,’saidMikhailPetrovich,`thankGod。
Allmymanagementrestsongettingthemoneyreadyfortheautumntaxes……
Thepeasantscometome,``Father,master,helpus!’Well,thepeasantsareallone’sneighbors;onefeelsforthem。Sooneadvancesthemathird,butonesays:``Remember,lads,Ihavehelpedyou,andyoumusthelpmewhenIneedit-whetherit’sthesowingoftheoats,orthehaycutting,ortheharvest’;andwell,oneagrees,somuchforeachtaxpayer-thoughtherearedishonestonesamongthemtoo,it’strue。’
Levin,whohadlongbeenfamiliarwiththesepatriarchalmethods,exchangedglanceswithSviiazhskyandinterruptedMikhailPetrovich,turningagaintothegentlemanwiththegraymustaches。
`Well,whatdoyouthink?’heasked。`Whatsystemisonetoadoptnowadays?’
`Why,managelikeMikhailPetrovich,orletthelandforhalfthecroporforrenttothepeasants;onecandothat-onlythat’sjusthowthegeneralprosperityofthecountryisbeingruined。Wherethelandwithserflaborandgoodmanagementgaveayieldofninetoone,onthemetayagesystemityieldsthreetoone。Russiahasbeenruinedbytheemancipation!’
SviiazhskylookedwithsmilingeyesatLevin,andevenmadeafaintgestureofironytohim;butLevindidnotthinkthelandowner’swordsabsurd;heunderstoodthembetterthanhedidSviiazhsky。AgreatdealmoreofwhatthelandownersaidtoshowinwhatwayRussiawasruinedbytheemancipationstruckhimindeedasverytrue,newtohim,andquiteincontestable。Thelandownerunmistakablyspokehisownindividualthought-athingthatrarelyhappens-andathoughttowhichhehadbeenbroughtnotbyadesireoffindingsomeexerciseforanidlebrain,butathoughtwhichhadgrownupoutoftheconditionsofhislife,whichhehadbroodedoverinthesolitudeofhisvillage,andhadconsideredineveryaspect。
`Thepointis,don’tyousee,thatprogressofeverysortisonlymadebytheuseofauthority,’hesaid,evidentlywishingtoshowhewasnotwithoutculture。`TakethereformsofPeter,ofCatherine,ofAlexander。
TakeEuropeanhistory。Andprogressinagriculturemorethananythingelse-thepotato,forinstance,thatwasintroducedamongusbyforce。Thewoodenplow,too,wasn’talwaysused。Itwasintroducedinthedaysofappanagedprinces,perhaps,butitwasprobablybroughtinbyforce。Now,inourownday,welandownersintheserftimesusedvariousimprovementsinourhusbandry:dryingmachinesandthreshingmachines,andcartingmanure,andallthemodernimplements-allthesewebroughtintousebyourauthority,andthepeasantsopposeditatfirst,andendedbyimitatingus。Now,bytheabolitionofserfdom,wehavebeendeprivedofourauthority;andsoourhusbandry,whereithadbeenraisedtoahighlevel,isboundtosinktothemostsavage,primitivecondition。That’showIseeit。’
`Butwhyso?Ifit’srational,you’llbeabletokeepupthesamesystemwithhiredlabor,’saidSviiazhsky。
`We’venopoweroverthem。WithwhomamIgoingtoworkthesystem,allowmetoask?’
`Thereitis-thelaborforce-thechiefelementinagriculture,’
thoughtLevin。
`Withlaborers。’
`Thelaborerswon’tworkwell,andwon’tworkwithgoodimplements。
Ourlaborercandonothingbutgetdrunk,likeaswine,andthenruineverythingyougivehim。Hespoilsthehorsesbywateringunseasonably,hecutsgoodharness,bartersthetiresofthewheelsfordrink,dropsbitsofironintothethreshingmachine,soastobreakit。Heloathesthesightofanythingthat’snotafterhisfashion。Andthat’showthewholelevelofhusbandryhasfallen。Landsgoneoutofcultivation,overgrownwithweeds,ordividedamongthepeasants,andwheremillionsofchetvertswereraisedyougetahundredthousand;thewealthofthecountryhasdecreased。Ifthesamethinghadbeendone,butwithconsiderationfor……’
Andheproceededtounfoldhisownschemeofemancipationbymeansofwhichthesedrawbacksmighthavebeenavoided。
ThisdidnotinterestLevin,but,whenhehadfinished,Levinwentbacktohisfirstposition,and,addressingSviiazhsky,andtryingtodrawhimintoexpressinghisseriousopinion,said:
`It’sperfectlytruethatthestandardofcultureisfalling,andthatwithourpresentrelationstothepeasantsthereisnopossibilityoffarmingonarationalsystemtoyieldaprofit,’saidhe。
`Idon’tbelieveit,’Sviiazhskyrepliedquiteseriously;`allIseeisthatwedon’tknowhowtocultivatetheland,andthatoursystemofagricultureintheserfdayswasbynomeanstoohigh,buttoolow。
Wehavenomachines,nogoodstock,noefficientsupervision;wedon’tevenknowhowtokeepaccounts。Askanylandowner;hewon’tbeabletotellyouwhichcrop’sprofitable,andwhichisn’t。’
`Italianbookkeeping,’saidthelandownerironically。`Youmaykeepyourbooksasyoulike,butiftheyspoileverythingforyou,therewon’tbeanyprofit。’
`Whydotheyspoilthings?Apoorthreshingmachine,oryourRussianpresser,theywillbreak,butmysteampresstheydon’tbreak。AwretchedRussiannagthey’llruin,butkeepgoodpercheronsortheRussianwagonhorses-theywon’truinthem。Andsoitisallround。Wemustraiseourfarmingtoahigherlevel。’
`Oh,ifoneonlyhadthemeanstodoit,NikolaiIvanovich!It’sallverywellforyou;butforme,withasontokeepattheuniversity,ladstobeeducatedatthehighschool-howamIgoingtobuythesepercherons?’
`Well,that’swhatthebanksarefor。’
`TogetwhateverIhaveleftsoldbyauction?No,thankyou。’
`Idon’tagreethatit’snecessaryorpossibletoraisethelevelofagriculturestillhigher,’saidLevin。`Idevotemyselftoit,andI
havemeans,butIcandonothing。Astothebanks,Idon’tknowtowhomthey’reanygood。Formypart,anyway,whateverI’vespentmoneyoninthewayofhusbandryhasbeenaloss:stock-aloss,machinery-aloss。’
`That’strueenough,’thegentlemanwiththegraymustacheschimedin,evenlaughingwithsatisfaction。
`AndI’mnottheonlyone,’pursuedLevin。`Imixwithalltheneighboringlandowners,whoarecultivatingtheirlandonarationalsystem;
theyall,withrareexceptions,aredoingsoataloss。Come,tellushowdoesyourlanddo-doesitpay?’saidLevin,andatonceinSviiazhsky’seyeshedetectedthatfleetingexpressionofalarmwhichhehadnoticedwheneverhehadtriedtopenetratebeyondtheouterchambersofSviiazhsky’smind。
Moreover,thisquestiononLevin’spartwasnotquiteingoodfaith。MadameSviiazhskyhadjusttoldhimatteathattheyhadthatsummerinvitedaGermanexpertaccountantfromMoscow,whoforaconsiderationoffivehundredroubleshadinvestigatedthemanagementoftheirproperty,andfoundthatitwascostingthemalossofthreethousandoddroubles。
Shedidnotremembertheprecisesum,butitappearedthattheGermanhadworkeditouttothefractionofakopeck。
ThelandownersmiledatthementionoftheprofitsofSviiazhsky’sfarming,obviouslyawarehowmuchgainhisneighborandmarshalwaslikelytobemaking。
`Possiblyitdoesnotpay,’answeredSviiazhsky。`ThatmerelyprovesthateitherI’mabadmanager,orthatI’vesunkmycapitalfortheincreaseofmyrents。’
`Oh,rent!’Levincriedwithhorror。`RenttheremaybeinEurope,wherelandhasbeenimprovedbythelaborputintoit;butwithusallthelandisdeterioratingfromthelaborputintoit-inotherwords,they’reworkingitout;sothere’snoquestionofrent。’
`How-norent?It’salaw。’
`Thenwe’reoutsidethelaw;rentexplainsnothingforus,butsimplymuddlesus。No,tellmehowtherecanbeatheoryofrent?……’
`Willyouhavesomecurdedmilk?Masha,passussomecurdedmilkorraspberries。’Heturnedtohiswife。`Theraspberriesarelastingextraordinarilylatethisyear。’
AndinthehappiestframeofmindSviiazhskygotupandwalkedoff,apparentlysupposingtheconversationtohaveendedattheverypointwhentoLevinitseemedthatitwasonlyjustbeginning。
Havinglosthisantagonist,Levincontinuedtheconversationwiththelandowner,tryingtoprovetohimthatallthedifficultyarisesfromthefactthatwedon’tfindoutthepeculiaritiesandhabitsofourlaborer;
butthelandowner,likeallmenwhothinkindependentlyandinisolation,wasslowintakinginanyotherperson’sthought,andparticularlypartialtohisown。HestucktoitthattheRussianpeasantisaswineandlikesswinishness,andthattogethimoutofhisswinishnessonemusthaveauthority,andthereisnone;onemusthavethestick,andwehavebecomesoliberalthatwehaveallofasuddenreplacedthestick,thatservedusforathousandyears,withlawyersandmodelprisons,wheretheworthless,stinkingpeasantisfedongoodsoupandhasafixedallowanceofcubicfeetofair。
`Whatmakesyouthink,’saidLevin,tryingtogetbacktothequestion,`thatit’simpossibletofindsomerelationtothelaborerinwhichthelaborwouldbecomeproductive?’
`ThatnevercouldbesowiththeRussianpeople;we’venoauthority,’
answeredthelandowner。
`Howcannewconditionsbefound?’saidSviiazhsky。Havingeatensomecurdedmilkandlightedacigarette,hecamebacktothediscussion。
`Allpossiblerelationstothelaborforcehavebeendefinedandstudied,’
hesaid。`Therelicofbarbarism,theprimitivecommunewithaguaranteeforall,willdisappearofitself;serfdomhasbeenabolished-thereremainsnothingbutfreelabor,anditsformsarefixedandreadymade,andmustbeadopted。Permanenthands,daylaborers,farmers-youcan’tgetoutofthoseforms。’
`ButEuropeisdissatisfiedwiththeseforms。’
`Dissatisfied,andseekingnewones。Andwillfindthem,inallprobability。’
`That’sjustwhatImeant,’answeredLevin。`Whyshouldn’tweseekthemforourselves?’
`Becauseitwouldbejustlikeinventingafreshthemeansforconstructingrailways。Theyareready,invented。’
`Butiftheydon’tsuitus,ifthey’restupid?’saidLevin。
AndagainhedetectedtheexpressionofalarmintheeyesofSviiazhsky。
`Oh,yes;we’llburytheworldunderourcaps!We’vefoundthesecretEuropewasseekingfor!I’veheardallthat;but,excuseme,doyouknowallthat’sbeendoneinEuropeonthequestionoftheorganizationoflabor?’
`No,verylittle。’
`ThatquestionisnowabsorbingthebestmindsinEurope。TheSchulze-Delitschmovement……Andthen,allthisenormousliteratureofthelaborquestion,themostliberalLassallemovement……TheMulhausenexperiment?That’safactbynow,asyou’reprobablyaware。’
`Ihavesomeideaofit,butveryvague。’
`No,youonlysaythat;nodoubtyouknowallaboutitaswellasIdo。I’mnoprofessorofsociology,ofcourse,butitinterestedme,andreally,ifitinterestsyou,yououghttostudyit。’
`Butwhatconclusionhavetheycometo?’
`Excuseme……’
Thetwoneighborshadrisen,andSviiazhsky,oncemorecheckingLevininhisinconvenienthabitofpeepingintowhatwasbeyondtheouterchambersofhismind,wenttoseehisguestsout。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]
TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart3,Chapter28[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter28Levinwasinsufferablyboredthateveningwiththeladies;hewasstirredashehadneverbeenbeforebytheideathatthedissatisfactionhewasfeelingwithhissystemofmanaginghislandwasnotanexceptionalcase,butthegeneralconditionofthingsinRussia;thattheevolvingofsomerelationofthelaborerstothesoilwhichtheywouldwork,aswiththepeasanthehadmethalfwaytotheSviiazhskys’,wasnotadream,butaproblemwhichmustbesolved。Anditseemedtohimthattheproblemcouldbesolved,andthatheoughttotrytosolveit。
Aftersayinggoodnighttotheladies,andpromisingtostaythewholeofthenextday,soastomakeanexpeditiononhorsebackwiththemtoseeaninterestinggapinthecrownforest,Levinwent,beforegoingtobed,intohishost’sstudytogetthebooksonthelaborquestionthatSviiazhskyhadofferedhim。Sviiazhsky’sstudywasahugeroom,bybookcasesandwithtwotablesinit-oneamassivewritingtable,standinginthemiddleoftheroom,andtheotheraroundtable,coveredwithrecentnumbersofreviewsandjournalsindifferentlanguages,rangedliketheraysofastarroundalamp。Onthewritingtablewasastandofdrawersmarkedwithgoldlabels,andfullofpapersofvarioussorts。
Sviiazhskytookoutthebooks,andsatdowninarockingchair。
`Whatareyoulookingatthere?’hesaidtoLevin,whowasstandingattheroundtablelookingthroughthereviews。`Oh,yes,there’saveryinterestingarticlehere,’saidSviiazhsky,pointingtothereviewLevinwasholdinginhishand。`Itappears,’hewenton,witheagerinterest,`thatFriedrichwasnot,afterall,thepersonchieflyresponsibleforthepartitionofPoland。Itisproved……’
And,withhischaracteristicclearness,hesummedupthosenew,veryimportant,andinterestingrevelations。AlthoughLevinwasengrossedatthemomentbyhisideasabouttheproblemoftheland,hewondered,asheheardSviiazhsky:`Whatisthereinsideofhim?Andwhy,whyisheinterestedinthepartitionofPoland?’WhenSviiazhskyhadfinished,Levincouldnothelpasking:`Well,andwhatthen?’Buttherewasnothingtofollow。Itwassimplyinterestingthatsuchandsuchhadbeen`proved。’
ButSviiazhskydidnotexplain,andsawnoneedofexplaining,whyitwasinterestingtohim。
`Yes,butIwasverymuchinterestedbyyourirritableneighbor,’
saidLevin,sighing。`He’sacleverfellow,andsaidalotthatwastrue。’
`Oh,getalongwithyou!Aninveteratesupporterofserfdomatheart,likeallofthem!’saidSviiazhsky。
`Whosemarshalyouare。’
`Yes,onlyImarshalthemintheotherdirection,’saidSviiazhsky,laughing。
`I’lltellyouwhatinterestsmeverymuch,’saidLevin。`He’srightthatoursystem,thatistosay,ofrationalfarming,doesn’tanswer;
thattheonlythingthatanswersisthemoneylendersystem,likethatmeek-lookinggentleman’s,orelsetheverysimplest。Whosefaultisit?’
`Ourown,ofcourse。Besides,it’snottruethatitdoesn’tanswer。
ItanswerswithVassilchikov。’
`Afactory……’
`ButIreallydon’tknowwhatitisyouaresurprisedat。Thepeopleareatsuchalowstageofmaterialandmoraldevelopment,thatobviouslythey’reboundtoopposeeverythingthat’snecessarytothem。
InEurope,arationalsystemanswersbecausethepeopleareeducated;itfollowsthatwemusteducatethepeople-that’sall。’
`Buthowarewetoeducatethepeople?’
`Toeducatethepeoplethreethingsareneeded:schools,andschools,andschools。’
`Butyousaidyourselfthepeopleareatsuchalowstageofmaterialdevelopment:whathelpareschoolsforthat?’
`Doyouknow,youremindmeofthestoryoftheadvicegiventothesickman-Youshouldtrypurgativemedicine。Takenit:worse。Tryleeches。Triedthem:worse。Well,then,there’snothingleftbuttopraytoGod。Triedit:worse。That’sjusthowitiswithus。Isaypoliticaleconomy;yousay-worse。Isaysocialism-worse。Education-worse。’
`Buthowdoschoolshelpmatters?’
`Theygivethepeasantfreshwants。’
`Well,that’sathingI’veneverunderstood,’Levinrepliedwithheat。`Inwhatwayareschoolsgoingtohelpthepeopletoimprovetheirmaterialposition?Yousayschools,education,willgivethemfreshwants。
Somuchtheworse,sincetheywon’tbecapableofsatisfyingthem。Andinwhatwayaknowledgeofadditionandsubtractionandthecatechismisgoingtoimprovetheirmaterialcondition,Inevercouldmakeout。ThedaybeforeyesterdayImetapeasantwomanintheeveningwithalittlebaby,andaskedherwhereshewasgoing。Shesaidshewasgoingtothewisewoman;herboyhadscreamingfits,soshewastakinghimtobedoctored。
Iasked,``Why,howdoesthewisewomancurescreamingfits?’``Sheputsthechildonthehenroostandrepeatssomecharm……’’
`Well,you’resayingityourself!What’swantedtopreventhertakingherchildtothehenroosttocureitofscreamingfitsisjust……’
Sviiazhskysaid,smilinggood-humoredly。
`Oh,no!’saidLevinwithannoyance;`thatmethodofdoctoringImerelymeantasasimilefordoctoringthepeoplewithschools。Thepeoplearepoorandignorant-thatweseeassurelyasthepeasantwomanseesthebabyhasfitsbecauseitscreams。Butinwhatwaythistroubleofpovertyandignoranceistobecuredbyschoolsisasincomprehensibleashowthehenroostaffectsthescreaming。Whathastobecurediswhatmakeshimpoor。’
`Well,inthat,atleast,you’reinagreementwithSpencer,whomyoudislikesomuch。Hesays,too,thateducationmaybetheconsequenceofgreaterprosperityandcomfort,ofmorefrequentwashing,ashesays,butnotofbeingabletoreadandwrite……’
`Well,then,I’mveryglad-orthecontrary,verysorry-thatI’minagreementwithSpencer;onlyI’veknownitalongwhile。Schoolscandonogood;whatwilldogoodisaneconomicorganizationinwhichthepeoplewillbecomericher,willhavemoreleisure-andthentherewillbeschools。’
`Still,alloverEuropenowschoolsareobligatory。’
`AndhowfardoyouagreewithSpenceryourselfaboutit?’askedLevin。
ButtherewasagleamofalarminSviiazhsky’seyes,andhesaidsmiling:
`No;thatscreamingstoryispositivelycapital!Didyoureallyhearityourself?’
Levinsawthathewasnottodiscovertheconnectionbetweenthisman’slifeandhisthoughts。Obviouslyhedidnotcareintheleastwhathisreasoningledhimto;allhewantedwastheprocessofreasoning。Andhedidnotlikeitwhentheprocessofreasoningbroughthimintoablindalley。Thatwastheonlythinghedisliked,andavoidedbychangingtheconversationtosomethingagreeableandamusing。
Alltheimpressionsoftheday,beginningwiththeimpressionmadebytheoldpeasant,whichserved,asitwere,asthethoroughbassofalltheconceptionsandideasoftheday,threwLevinintoviolentexcitement。
ThisdeargoodSviiazhsky,keepingastockofideassimplyforpublicpurposes,andobviouslyhavingsomeotherprincipleshiddenfromLevin,whilewiththecrowd,whosenameislegion,heguidedpublicopinionbyideashedidnotshare;thatirasciblecountrygentleman,perfectlycorrectintheconclusionsthathehadbeenworriedintobylife,butwronginhisexasperationagainstawholeclass,andthatthebestclassinRussia;hisowndissatisfactionwiththeworkhehadbeendoing,andthevaguehopeoffindingaremedyforallthis-allwasblendedinasenseofinwardturmoil,andtheanticipationofsomesolutionnearathand。
Leftaloneintheroomassignedhim,lyingonaspringmattress,thatyieldedunexpectedlyateverymovementofhisarmorhisleg,Levindidnotfallasleepforalongwhile。NotoneconversationwithSviiazhsky,thoughhehadsaidagreatdealthatwasclever,hadinterestedLevin;
buttheconclusionsoftheirasciblelandownerrequiredconsideration。
Levincouldnothelprecallingeverywordhehadsaid,andinimaginationamendinghisownreplies。
`Yes,Ioughttohavesaidtohim:Yousaythatourhusbandrydoesnotanswerbecausethepeasanthatesimprovements,andthattheymustbeforcedonhimbyauthority。Ifnosystemofhusbandryansweredatallwithouttheseimprovements,youwouldbequiteright。Buttheonlysystemthatdoesansweriswhenthelaborerisworkinginaccordancewithhishabits,justasontheoldpeasant’slandhalfwayhere。Yourandourgeneraldissatisfactionwiththesystemshowsthateitherwearetoblameorthelaborers。Wehavegoneourway-theEuropeanway-alongwhile,withoutaskingourselvesaboutthequalitiesofourlaborforce。LetustrytolookuponthelaborforcenotasanabstractforcebutastheRussianmouzhikwithhisinstincts,andletusarrangeoursystemofagricultureinaccordancewiththat。Imagine,Ioughttohavesaidtohim,thatyouhavethesamesystemastheoldpeasanthas,thatyouhavefoundmeansofmakingyourlaborerstakeaninterestinthesuccessofthework,andhavefoundthehappymeaninthewayofimprovementswhichtheywilladmit,andyouwill,withoutexhaustingthesoil,gettwiceorthreetimestheyieldyougotbefore。Divideitinhalves,givehalfastheshareoflabor,thesurplusleftyouwillbegreater,andlabor’ssharewillbegreatertoo。Andtodothisonemustlowerthestandardofhusbandryandinterestthelaborersinitssuccess。Howtodothis?-that’samatterofdetail;butundoubtedlyitcanbedone。’
ThisideathrewLevinintoagreatexcitement。Hedidnotsleephalfthenight,thinkingoverindetailtheputtingofhisideaintopractice。
Hehadnotintendedtogoawaynextday,buthenowdeterminedtogohomeearlyinthemorning。Besides,thesister-in-lawwithherlow-neckedbodicearousedinhimafeelingakintoshameandremorseforsomeutterlybaseaction。Mostimportantofall-hemustgetbackwithoutdelay:hewouldhavetomakehastetoputhisnewprojecttothepeasantsbeforethesowingofthewinterwheat,sothatthesowingmightbeundertakenonanewbasis。
Hehadmadeuphismindtorevolutionizehiswholesystem。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart3,Chapter29[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter29ThecarryingoutofLevin’splanpresentedmanydifficulties;buthestruggledon,doinghisutmost,andattainedaresultwhich,thoughnotwhathedesired,wasenoughtoenablehim,withoutself-deception,tobelievethattheattemptwasworththetrouble。Oneofthechiefdifficultieswasthattheprocessofcultivatingthelandwasinfullswing,thatitwasimpossibletostopeverythingandbeginitallagainfromthebeginning,andthemachinehadtobemendedwhileinmotion。
Whenontheeveningofhisarrivalhomeheinformedthebailiffofhisplans,thelatterwithvisiblepleasureagreedwithwhathesaid,solongashewaspointingoutthatallthathadbeendoneuptothattimewasstupidanduseless。Thebailiffsaidthathehadsaidsoalongwhileago,butnoheedhadbeenpaidhim。ButasfortheproposalmadebyLevin-totakeapartasshareholderwithhislaborersineachagriculturalundertaking-atthisthebailiffsimplyexpressedaprofounddespondency,andofferednodefiniteopinion,butbeganimmediatelytalkingoftheurgentnecessityofcarryingtheremainingsheavesofryethenextday,andofsendingthemenoutforthesecondplowing,sothatLevinfeltthatthiswasnotthetimefordiscussingit。
Onbeginningtotalktothepeasantsaboutit,andmakingapropositiontocedethemthelandonnewterms,hecameintocollisionwiththesamegreatdifficulty-thattheyweresomuchabsorbedbythecurrentworkofthedaythattheyhadnottimetoconsidertheadvantagesanddisadvantagesoftheproposedscheme。
ThesimpleheartedIvan,thecowherd,seemedtograspLevin’sproposalfully-thatheshouldwithhisfamilytakeashareoftheprofitsofthecattleyard-andhewasincompletesympathywiththeplan。ButwhenLevinhintedatthefutureadvantages,Ivan’sfaceexpressedalarmandregretthathecouldnothearallhehadtosay,andhemadehastetofindhimselfsometaskthatwouldadmitofnodelay:heeithersnatcheduptheforktopitchthehayoutofthepens,orrantogetwaterortoclearoutthemanure。
Anotherdifficultylayintheinvincibledisbeliefofthepeasantsthatalandowner’sobjectcouldbeanythingelsethanadesiretosqueezeallhecouldoutofthem。Theywerefirmlyconvincedthathisrealaimwhateverhemightsaytothemwouldalwaysbeinwhathedidnotsaytothem。Andtheythemselves,ingivingtheiropinion,saidagreatdealbutneversaidwhatwastheirrealobject。MoreoverLevinfeltthattheirasciblelandownerhadbeenrightthepeasantsmadetheirfirstandunalterableconditionofanyagreementwhatsoeverthattheyshouldnotbeforcedtoanynewmethodsoftillageofanykind,nortousenewimplements。Theyagreedthatthemodernplowplowedbetter,thatthescarifierdidtheworkmorequickly,buttheyfoundthousandsofreasonsthatmadeitoutofthequestionforthemtouseeitherofthem;andthoughhehadacceptedtheconvictionthathewouldhavetolowerthestandardofcultivation,hefeltsorrytogiveupimprovedmethods,theadvantagesofwhichweresoobvious。Butinspiteofallthesedifficultieshegothisway,andbyautumnthesystemwasworking,oratleastsoitseemedtohim。
AtfirstLevinhadthoughtofgivingupthewholefarmingofthelandjustasitwastothepeasants,thelaborers,andthebailiff,onnewconditionsofpartnership;buthewasverysoonconvincedthatthiswasimpossible,anddeterminedtodivideitup。Thecattleyard,thegarden,hayfields,andarableland,dividedintoseveralparts,hadtobemadeintoseparatelots。Thesimpleheartedcowherd,Ivan,who,Levinfancied,understoodthematterbetterthananyofthem,collectingtogetheragangofworkerstohelphim,principallyofhisownfamily,becameapartnerinthecattleyard。Adistantpartoftheestate,atractofwastelandthathadlainfallowforeightyears,waswiththehelpoftheclevercarpenter,FiodorRezunov,takenbysixfamiliesofpeasantsonnewconditionsofpartnershipandthepeasantShuraevtookthemanagementofallthevegetablegardensonthesameterms。Theremainderofthelandwasstillworkedontheoldsystem,butthesethreeitemswerethefirststeptoaneworganizationofthewhole,andtheycompletelyengrossedLevin。
Itistruethatinthecattleyardthingswentnobetterthanbefore,andIvanstrenuouslyopposedwarmhousingforthecowsandbuttermadeoffreshcream,affirmingthatcowsrequirelessfoodifkeptcold,andthatbutterismoreprofitablemadefromsourcream,andheaskedforwagesjustasundertheoldsystem,andtooknottheslightestinterestinthefactthatthemoneyhereceivedwasnotwagesbutanadvanceoutofhisfutureshareintheprofits。
ItistruethatFiodorRezunov’scompanydidnotplowoverthegroundtwicebeforesowing,ashadbeenagreed,justifyingthemselvesonthepleathatthetimewastooshort。Itistruethatthepeasantsofthesamecompany,thoughtheyhadagreedtoworkthelandonnewconditions,alwaysspokeoftheland,notasheldinpartnership,butasrentedforhalfthecrop,andmorethanoncethepeasantsandRezunovhimselfsaidtoLevin:`Ifyouwouldtakearentfortheland,itwouldsaveyoutrouble,andweshouldbemorefree。’Moreover,thesamepeasantskeptputtingoff,onvariousexcuses,thebuildingofacattleyardandthreshingbarnonthelandasagreedupon,anddelayeddoingittillthewinter。
ItistruethatShuraevwouldhavelikedtoletoutthekitchengardenshehadundertakeninsmalllotstothepeasants。Heevidentlyquitemisunderstood,andapparentlyintentionallymisunderstood,theconditionsuponwhichthelandhadbeengiventohim。
Often,too,talkingtothepeasantsandexplainingtothemalltheadvantagesoftheplan,Levinfeltthatthepeasantsheardnothingbutthesoundofhisvoice,andwerefirmlyresolved,whateverhemightsay,nottoletthemselvesbetakenin。Hefeltthisespeciallywhenhetalkedtothecleverestofthepeasants,Rezunov,anddetectedthatgleaminRezunov’seyeswhichshowedsoplainlybothironicalamusementatLevin,andthefirmconvictionthat,ifanyoneweretobetakenin,itwouldnotbehe,Rezunov。
ButinspiteofallthisLevinthoughtthesystemworked,andthatbykeepingaccountsstrictly,andinsistingonhisownway,hewouldprovetotheminthefuturetheadvantagesofthearrangement,andthenthesystemwouldgoofitself。
Thesematters,togetherwiththemanagementofthelandstillleftonhishands,andtheindoorworkoverhisbook,soengrossedLevinthewholesummerthathescarcelyeverwentoutshooting。AttheendofAugustheheardthattheOblonskyshadgoneawaytoMoscow-fromtheirservant,whobroughtbackthesidesaddle。HefeltthatinnotansweringDaryaAlexandrovna’sletterhehadbyhisrudeness,ofwhichhecouldnotthinkwithoutaflushofshame,burnedhisships,andthathewouldnevergotoseethemagain。HehadbeenjustasrudewiththeSviiazhskys,leavingthemwithoutsayinggood-by。Buthewouldnevergotoseethemagaineither。
Hedidnotcareaboutthatnow。Thebusinessofreorganizingthefarmingofhislandabsorbedhimascompletelyasthoughtherewouldneverbeanythingelseinhislife。HereadthebookslenthimbySviiazhsky,andorderingfromMoscowwhathehadnothad,hereadboththeeconomicandsocialisticbooksonthesubject,but,ashehadanticipated,foundnothingbearingontheschemehehadundertaken。Inthebooksonpoliticaleconomy-inMill,forinstance-whomhestudiedfirstwithgreatardor,hopingeveryminutetofindananswertothequestionsthatwereengrossinghim,hefoundlawsdeducedfromtheconditionoflandcultureinEurope;buthedidnotseewhytheselaws,whichdidnotapplyinRussia,mustbegeneral。
Hesawjustthesamethinginthesocialisticbooks:eithertheywerethebeautifulbutimpracticablefantasieswhichhadfascinatedhimwhenhewasastudent,ortheywereattemptsatimproving,atrectifyingtheeconomicpositioninwhichEuropewasplaced,withwhichthesystemoflandtenureinRussiahadnothingincommon。PoliticaleconomytoldhimthatthelawsbywhichthewealthofEuropehadbeendeveloped,andwasdeveloping,wereuniversalandunvarying。Socialismtoldhimthatdevelopmentalongtheselinesleadstoruin。Andneitherofthemgaveananswer,orevenahint,inreplytothequestionastowhathe,Levin,andalltheRussianpeasantsandlandowners,weretodowiththeirmillionsofhandsandmillionsofdessiatinas,tomakethemasproductiveaspossibleforthecommonweal。
Havingoncetakenthesubjectup,hereadconscientiouslyeverythingbearingonit,andintendedintheautumntogoabroadtostudylandsystemsonthespot,inorderthathemightnotonthisquestionbeconfrontedwithwhatsooftenmethimonvarioussubjects。Often,justashewasbeginningtounderstandtheideainthemindofanyonehewastalkingto,andwasbeginningtoexplainhisown,hewouldsuddenlybetold:`ButKauffmann,butJones,butDubois,butMichelli?Youhaven’treadthem:doread,they’vethrashedthatquestionoutthoroughly。’
HesawnowdistinctlythatKauffmannandMichellihadnothingtotellhim。Heknewwhathewanted。HesawthatRussiahadsplendidland,splendidlaborers,andthatincertaincases,asatthepeasant’sonthewaytoSviiazhsky’s,theproduceraisedbythelaborersandthelandisgreat-inthemajorityofcaseswhencapitalisappliedintheEuropeanwaytheproduceissmall,andthatthissimplyarisesfromthefactthatthelaborerswanttoworkandworkwellonlyintheirownpeculiarway,andthatthisantagonismisnotincidentalbutinvariable,andhasitsrootsinthenationalspirit。HethoughtthattheRussianpeoplewhosetaskitwastocolonizeandcultivatevasttractsofunoccupiedland,consciouslyadhered,tillalltheirlandwasoccupied,tothemethodssuitabletotheirpurpose,andthattheirmethodswerebynomeanssobadaswasgenerallysupposed。Andhewantedtoprovethistheoreticallyinhisbookandpracticallyonhisland。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart3,Chapter30[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter30AttheendofSeptemberthetimberhadbeencartedforbuildingthecattleyardonthelandthathadbeenallottedtotheassociationofpeasants,andthebutterfromthecowswassoldandtheprofitsdivided。InPracticethesystemworkedcapitally,or,atleast,soitseemedtoLevin。Inordertoworkoutthewholesubjecttheoreticallyandtocompletehisbook,which,inLevin’sdaydreams,wasnotmerelytoeffectarevolutioninpoliticaleconomy,buttoannihilatethatscienceentirelyandtolaythefoundationofanewscienceoftherelationofthepeopletothesoil,allthatwaslefttodowastomakeatourabroad,andtostudyonthespotallthathadbeendoneinthesamedirection,andtocollectconclusiveevidencethatallthathadbeendonetherewasnotwhatwaswanted。Levinwasonlywaitingforthedeliveryofhiswheattoreceivethemoneyforitandgoabroad。Buttherainsbeganpreventingtheharvestingofthecornandpotatoesleftinthefields,andputtingastoptoallwork,eventothedeliveryofthewheat。Themudwasimpassablealongtheroads;twomillswerecarriedawaybythespate,andtheweathergotworseandworse。
Onthe30thofSeptemberthesuncameoutinthemorning,and,hopingforfineweather,Levinbeganmakingfinalpreparationsforhisjourney。Hegaveordersforthewheattobedelivered,sentthebailifftothemerchanttogetthemoneyowinghim,andwentouthimselftogivesomefinaldirectionsontheestatebeforesettingoff。
Havingfinishedallhisbusiness,soakedthroughwiththestreamsofwaterwhichkeptrunningintohisleathercoatanddownhisneckandhisboottops,butinthekeenestandmostconfidenttemper,Levinturnedhomewardintheevening。Theweatherhadbecomeworsethanevertowardevening;thehaillashedthedrenchedmaresocruellythatshewentalongsideways,shakingherheadandears;butLevinwasallrightunderhishood,andhelookedcheerfullyabouthimatthemuddystreamsrunningunderthewheels,atthedropshangingoneverybaretwig,atthewhitenessofthepatchofunmeltedhailstonesontheplanksofthebridge,atthethicklayerofstillsucculent,fleshyleavesthatlayheapedupaboutthestrippedelmtree。Inspiteofthegloominessofnaturearoundhim,hefeltpeculiarlyeager。Thetalkshehadbeenhavingwiththepeasantsinthefarthervillagehadshownthattheywerebeginningtogetusedtotheirnewposition。Theinnkeeper,anoldman,towhoseinnhehadgonetogetdryevidentlyapprovedofLevin’splan,andofhisownaccordproposedtoenterthepartnershipforpurchasingofcattle。
`Ihaveonlytogoonstubbornlytowardmyaim,andIshallattainmyend,’thoughtLevin;`andit’ssomethingtoworkandtaketroublefor。
Thisisnotamatterofmyselfindividually,thequestionofthepublicwelfarecomesintoit。Thewholesystemofagriculture,thechiefelementintheconditionofthepeople,mustbecompletelytransformed。Insteadofpoverty-generalprosperityandcontent;insteadofhostility-harmonyandunityofinterests。Inshort,abloodlessrevolution,butarevolutionofthegreatestmagnitude,beginninginthelittlecircleofourdistrict,thentheprovince,thenRussia,andthewholeworld。Becauseajustideacannotbutbefruitful。Yes,it’sanaimworthworkingfor。AndthefactthatitisI,KostiaLevin,whowenttoaballinablacktie,andwasrefusedbytheShcherbatskygirl,andwhoisintrinsicallysuchapitiful,worthlesscreaturetohimself-thatprovesnothing;IfeelsureFranklinfeltjustasworthless,andhetoohadnofaithinhimself,thinkingofhimselfasawhole。Thatmeansnothing。Andhetoo,mostlikely,hadanAgathyaMikhailovnatowhomheconfidedhissecrets。’
MusingonsuchthoughtsLevinreachedhomeinthedarkness。
Thebailiff,whohadbeentothemerchant,hadcomebackandbroughtpartofthemoneyforthewheat。Anagreementhadbeenmadewiththeoldinnkeeper,andontheroadthebailiffhadlearnedthateverywherethecornwasstillstandinginthefields,sothathisonehundredandsixtyshocksthathadnotbeencarriedwerenothingincomparisonwiththelossesofothers。
AfterdinnerLevinwassitting,asheusuallydid,inaneasychairwithabook,andashereadhewentonthinkingofthejourneybeforehiminconnectionwithhisbook。Todayallthesignificanceofhisbookrosebeforehimwithspecialdistinctness,andwholeperiodsrangedthemselvesinhismindinillustrationofhistheories。`Imustwritethatdown,’
hethought。`Thatoughttoformabriefintroduction,whichIthoughtunnecessarybefore。’Hegotuptogotohiswritingtable,andLaska,lyingathisfeet,gotuptoo,stretchingandlookingathimasthoughtoinquirewheretogo。Buthehadnottimetowriteitdown,fortheoverseershadcomeforreceivingorders,andLevinwentoutintothehalltomeetthem。
Aftergivingorders,thatistosay,directionsaboutthelaborsofthenextday,andseeingallthepeasantswhohadbusinesswithhim,Levinwentbacktohisstudyandsatdowntowork。Laskalayunderthetable;AgathyaMikhailovnasettledherselfinherplacewithherstocking。
Afterwritingforalittlewhile,LevinsuddenlythoughtwithexceptionalvividnessofKitty,herrefusal,andtheirlastmeeting。Hegotupandbeganwalkingabouttheroom。
`What’stheuseofbeingdownhearted?’saidAgathyaMikhailovna。
`Come,whydoyoustayonathome?Yououghttogotosomewarmsprings,especiallynowthatyou’rereadyforthejourney。’
`Well,Iamgoingawaythedayaftertomorrow,AgathyaMikhailovna;
Imustfinishmywork。’
`There,there,yourwork,yousay!Asifyouhadn’tdoneenoughforthepeasants!Why,as’tis,they’resaying,``YourmasterwillbegettingsomehonorfromtheCzarforit。’Indeed,’tisastrangething:whyneedyouworryaboutthepeasants?’
`I’mnotworryingaboutthem;I’mdoingitformyowngood。’
AgathyaMikhailovnakneweverydetailofLevin’splansforhisland。Levinoftenputhisviewsbeforeherinalltheircomplexity,andnotuncommonlyhearguedwithheranddidnotagreewithhercomments。
Butonthisoccasionsheentirelymisinterpretedwhathehadsaid。
`Ofone’ssoul’ssalvationweallknowandmustthinkbeforeallelse,’shesaidwithasigh。`ParfionDenissichnow,forallhewasnoscholar,diedadeathwhoselikemayGodgranttoeveryoneofus,’shesaid,referringtoaservantwhohaddiedrecently。`Tookthesacramentandall。’
`That’snotwhatImean,’saidhe。`ImeanthatI’mactingformyownadvantage。It’sallthebetterformeifthepeasantsdotheirworkbetter。’
`Well,whateveryoudo,ifhe’salazygood-for-naught,everything’llbeatsixesandsevens。Ifhehasaconscience,he’llwork,andifnot,there’snodoinganything。’
`Oh,come,yousayyourselfIvanhasbegunlookingafterthecattlebetter。’
`AllIsayis,’answeredAgathyaMikhailovna,evidentlynotspeakingatrandom,butinstrictsequenceofideas,`thatyououghttogetmarried-that’swhatIsay。’
AgathyaMikhailovna’sallusiontotheverysubjecthehadonlyjustbeenthinkingabouthurtandstunghim。Levinscowled,andwithoutansweringher,hesatdownagaintohiswork,repeatingtohimselfallthathehadbeenthinkingoftherealsignificanceofthatwork。OnlyatintervalshelistenedinthestillnesstotheclickofAgathyaMikhailovna’sneedles,and,recollectingwhathedidnotwanttoremember,hewouldfrownagain。
Atnineo’clocktheyheardthebellandthefaintvibrationofacarriageoverthemud。
`Well,here’svisitorscometous,andyouwon’tbedull,’saidAgathyaMikhailovna,gettingupandgoingtothedoor。ButLevinovertookher。Hisworkwasnotgoingwellnow,andhewasgladofavisitor,whoeveritmightbe。
[NextChapter][TableofContents]TOLSTOY:AnnaKareninaPart3,Chapter31[PreviousChapter][TableofContents]Chapter31Runninghalfwaydownthestaircase,Levincaughtasoundheknew,afamiliarcoughinthehall。Buthehearditindistinctlythroughthesoundofhisownfootsteps,andhopedhewasmistaken。Thenhecaughtsightofalong,bony,familiarfigure,andnowitseemedtherewasnopossibilityofmistake;
andyethestillwentonhopingthatthistallmantakingoffhisfurcloakandcoughingwasnothisbrotherNikolai。
Levinlovedhisbrother,butbeingwithhimwasalwaysatorture。
Justnow,whenLevin,undertheinfluenceofthethoughtsthathadcometohim,andAgathyaMikhailovna’shint,wasinatroubledanduncertainhumor,thismeetingwithhisbrotherwhichhehadtofaceseemedparticularlydifficult。Insteadofalively,healthyvisitor,someoutsiderwhowould,hehoped,cheerhimupinhisuncertainhumor,hehadtoseehisbrother,whoknewhimthroughandthrough,whowouldcallforthallthethoughtsnearesthisheart,wouldforcehimtoshowhimselffully。Andthathewasnotdisposedtodo。
Angrywithhimselfforsobaseafeeling,Levinranintothehall;
assoonashehadseenhisbrotherclose,thisfeelingofselfishdisappointmentvanishedinstantlyandwasreplacedbypity。TerribleashisbrotherNikolaihadbeenbeforeinhisemaciationandsickliness,nowhelookedstillmoreemaciated,stillmorewasted。Hewasaskeletoncoveredbyskin。
Hestoodinthehall,jerkinghislongthinneck,andpullingthescarfoffit,andsmiledastrangeandpitifulsmile。Whenhesawthatsmile,submissiveandhumble,Levinfeltsomethingclutchingathisthroat。
`Yousee,I’vecometoyou,’saidNikolaiinathickvoice,neverforonesecondtakinghiseyesoffhisbrother’sface。`I’vebeenmeaningtoalongwhile,butI’vebeenconstantlyunwell。NowI’meversomuchbetter,’hesaid,rubbinghisbeardwithhisbigthinhands。
`Yes,yes!’answeredLevin。Andhefeltstillmorefrightenedwhen,kissinghim,hefeltwithhislipsthedrynessofhisbrother’sskinandsawclosetohimhisbigeyes,fullofastrangelight。
Afewweeksbefore,KonstantinLevinhadwrittentohisbrotherthatthroughthesaleofthesmallpartofthepropertythathadremainedundivided,therewasasumofabouttwothousandroublestocometohimashisshare。
Nikolaisaidthathehadcomenowtotakehismoneyand,whatwasmoreimportant,tostayawhileintheoldnest,togetintouchwiththeearth,soastorenewhisstrengthliketheheroesofoldfortheworkthatlaybeforehim。Inspiteofhisexaggeratedstoop,andtheemaciationthatwassostrikingfromhisheight,hismovementswereasrapidandabruptasever。Levinledhimintohisstudy。
Hisbrotherdressedwithparticularcare-athingheneverusedtodo-combedhisscanty,lankhair,and,smiling,wentupstairs。
Hewasinthemostaffectionateandgood-humoredmood,justasLevinoftenrememberedhiminchildhood。HeevenreferredtoSergeiIvanovichwithoutrancor。WhenhesawAgathyaMikhailovna,hejokedwithherandaskedaftertheoldservants。ThenewsofthedeathofParfionDenissichmadeapainfulimpressiononhim。Alookoffearcrossedhisface,butheregainedhisserenityimmediately。
`Ofcoursehewasquiteold,’hesaid,andchangedthesubject。
`Well,I’llspendamonthortwowithyou,andthenI’mofftoMoscow。