She was silent for a moment.
“If the man could be found, he might be cured.”
“What nonsense you are talking, Arina! How can one bewitch?”
“Father, they can bewitch so as to make one a no-man for all his life! There are many evil people in the world! Out of malice they take out a handful of earth in one’s track — or something else — and one is a no-man for ever. It is easy to sin! I have been thinking of going to see old man Dundiik, who lives at Vorobevka: he knows all kinds of incantations, and he knows herbs, and he takes away the evil eye, and draws the dropsy out of the spine. Maybe he will help! “said the woman. “Maybe he will cure him!”
“Now that is wretchedness and ignorance! “thought the young master, sorrowfully bending his head, and walking with long strides down the village. “What shall I do with him? It is impossible to leave him in this state, on my account, and as an example for others, and for his own sake,” he said to himself, counting out the causes on his fingers. “I cannot see him in this condition, but how am I to take him out of it? He destroys all my best plans for the estate. If such peasants are left in it, my dreams will never be fulfilled,” he thought, experiencing mortification and anger against the peasant for destroying his plans. “Shall I send him as a settler to Siberia, as Yakov says, when he does not want to be well off, or into the army? That’s it. I shall at least be rid of him, and shall thus save a good peasant,” he reflected.
He thought of it with delight; at the same time a certain indistinct consciousness told him that he was thinking with one side of his reason only, and something was wrong. He stopped. “Wait, what am I thinking about? “he said to himself; “yes, into the army, to Siberia. Tor what? He is a good man, better than many others, and how do I know — Give him his liberty? “he reflected, considering the question not with one side of his reason only, as before, “It is unjust, and impossible.” Suddenly a thought came to him that gave him great pleasure; he smiled, with the expression of a man who has solved a difficult problem. “I will take him to the manor,” he said to himself. “I will watch over him myself, and with gentleness and persuasion, and proper selection of occupations, accustom him to work, and reform him.”
XIII
“I WILL DO so,” Nekhlyiidov said to himself with cheerful self-satisfaction, and, recalling that he had to visit yet the rich peasant, Dutlov, he directed his steps to a tall and spacious building, with two chimneys, which stood in the middle of the village. As he was getting near it, he met, near the neighbouring hut, a tall, slatternly woman, of some forty years of age, who came out to see him.
“A pleasant holiday, sir,” the woman said, without the least timidity, stopping near him, smiling pleasantly, and bowing.
“Good morning, nurse,” he answered. “How are you getting on? I am going to see your neighbour.”
“Yes, your Grace, that is good. But why do you not deign to call on us? My old man would be ever so happy to see you.”
“Well, I will come in, to talk with you, nurse. Is this your hut?”
“Yes, sir.”
And the nurse ran ahead. Nekhlyudov walked after her into the vestibule, sat down on a pail, took out a cigarette, and lighted it.
“It is hot there; let us stay here and talk,” he answered to the nurse’s invitation to walk into the hut.
The nurse was still in her prime, and a fine-looking woman. In her features, and especially in her large black eyes, there was a great resemblance to the master’s face. She put her hands under her apron, and, boldly looking at the master aud continually shaking her head, began to speak with him :
“What is the reason, sir, you are honouring Dutlov with a visit?”
“I want him to rent from me thirty desyatinas ^ of land, and start a farm of his own, and also to buy some tim-ber with me. He has money, — why should it he idle? What do you think about that, nurse?”
“Well! Of course, sir, the Dutlovs are powerful people. I suppose he is the first peasant in the whole estate,” answered the nurse, nodding her head. “Last year he added a new structure out of his own timber, — he did not trouble the master. Of horses, there will be some six sets of three, outside of colts and yearlings; and of stock, there are so many cows and sheep that when they drive them home from the field, and the women go out to drive them into the yard, there is a terrible crush at the gate; and of bees, there must be two hundred hives, and maybe more. He is a powerful peasant, he must have money, too.”
“Do you think he has much money? “the master asked.
“People say, of course, out of malice, that the man has a great deal; naturally, he would not tell, nor would he let his sons know, but he must have. Why should he not put his money out for a forest? Unless he should be afraid to let out the rumour about having money. Some five years ago he invested a little money in bottom meadows with Shkalik the porter; but I think Shkalik cheated him, so that the old man was out of three hundred roubles; since then he has given it up. And why should he not be well fixed, your Grace,” continued the nurse, “he is liviug on three parcels of land, the family is large, all workers, and the old man himself — there is nothing to be said against him — is a fine manager. He has luck in everything, so that the people are all wondering; he has luck with the grain, with the horses, the cattle, the bees, and his children. He has married them all off. He found wives for them among his own, and now he has married Ilyushka to a free girl, — he has himself paid for her emancipation. And she has turned out to be a fine woman.”
“Do they live peaceably? “asked the master.
“As long as there is a real head in the house, there wHl be peace. Though with the Dutlovs it is as elsewhere with women : the daughters-in-law quarrel behind the oven, yet the sons live peacefully together under the old man.”
The nurse grew silent for a moment.
“Now the old man wants to make his eldest son, Karp, the master of the house. He says he is getting too old and that his business is with the bees. Well, Karp is a good man, an accurate man, but he will not be such a manager as the old man, by a good deal. He has not his intellect.”
“Maybe Karp will be willing to take up land and forests, what do you think? “said the master, wishing to find out from his nurse what she knew about her neighbours.
“I doubt it, sir,” continued the nurse; “the old man has not disclosed his money to his son. As long as the old man is alive, and the money is in his house, his mind will direct affairs; besides, they are more interested in teaming.”
“And the old man will not consent?”
“He will be afraid.”
“What will he be afraid of?”
“How can a manorial peasant declare his money, sir? There might be an unlucky hour, and all his money would be lost! There, he went into partnership with the porter, and he made a mistake. How could he sue him? And thus the money was all lost; and with the proprietor it would be lost without appeal.”
“Yes, on this account— “said Nekhlyudov, blushing. “Good-bye, nurse.”
“Good-bye, your Grace. I thank you humbly.”
1 A desyatina is equal to 2,400 square fathoms.
XIV
“HAD I NOT better go home? “thought Nekhlyudov, walking up to Dutlov’s gate, and feeling an indefinable melancholy and moral fatigue.
Just then the new plank gate opened before him with a creak, and a fine-looking, ruddy, light-complexioned lad, of about eighteen years of age, in driver’s attire, appeared in the gateway, leading behind him a set of three stout-legged, sweaty, shaggy horses; boldly shaking his flaxen hair, he bowed to the master.
“Is your father at home, Пуа? “asked Nekhlyudov.
“He is with the bees, back of
