Hewasascarefulofthesowingandreapingofthepeasants' hayandcornasofhisown, andfewlandownershadtheircropssownandharvestedsoearlyandsowell, orgotsogoodareturn, asdidNicholas.
Hedislikedhavinganythingtodowiththedomesticserfs—the "drones" ashecalledthem—, especiallyifonehadtobepunished, healwaysfeltundecidedandconsultedeverybodyinthehouse; .
Hedidnotallowhimselfeithertobehardonorpunishaman, ortomakethingseasyfororrewardanyone, , butthestandardwasquitefirmanddefiniteinhisownmind.
Often, speakingwithvexationofsomefailureorirregularity, hewouldsay: "WhatcanonedowithourRussianpeasants?" andimaginedthathecouldnotbearthem.
Yetheloved "ourRussianpeasants" andtheirwayoflifewithhiswholesoul, andforthatveryreasonhadunderstoodandassimilatedtheonewayandmanneroffarmingwhichproducedgoodresults.
CountessMarywasjealousofthispassionofherhusband'sandregrettedthatshecouldnotshareit; butshecouldnotunderstandthejoysandvexationshederivedfromthatworld, , aftergettingupatdaybreakandspendingthewholemorninginthefieldsoronthethreshingfloor, -to-dopeasantMatthewErmishin, whowithhisfamilyhadcartedcornallnight; orofthefactthathis (Nicholas') , whenwarmsteadyrainbegantofallonthedryandthirstyshootsoftheyoungoats, orwhywhenthewindcarriedawayathreateningcloudduringthehayharvesthewouldreturnfromthebarn, flushed, sunburned, andperspiring, withasmellofwormwoodandgentianinhishairand, gleefullyrubbinghishands, wouldsay: "Well, onemoredayandmygrainandthepeasants' willallbeundercover."
Stilllessdidsheunderstandwhyhe, kindheartedandalwaysreadytoanticipateherwishes, shouldbecomealmostdesperatewhenshebroughthimapetitionfromsomepeasantmenorwomenwhohadappealedtohertobeexcusedsomework; whyhe, thatkindNicholas, shouldobstinatelyrefuseher, , whichhelovedpassionatelyandwhichhadlawsshehadnotfathomed.
Sometimeswhen, tryingtounderstandhim, shespokeofthegoodworkhewasdoingforhisserfs, hewouldbevexedandreply: "Notintheleast; itneverenteredmyheadandIwouldn'tdothatfortheirgood! That'sallpoetryandoldwives' talk—allthatdoinggoodtoone'sneighbor! , that', orderandstrictnessareessential....That'sallaboutit!" saidhe, clenchinghisvigorousfist."Andfairness, ofcourse," headded, "forifthepeasantisnakedandhungryandhasonlyonemiserablehorse, hecandonogoodeitherforhimselforforme."
AndallNicholasdidwasfruitful—probablyjustbecauseherefusedtoallowhimselftothinkthathewasdoinggoodtoothersforvirtue'; serfsfromneighboringestatescametobeghimtobuythem, andlongafterhisdeaththememoryofhisadministrationwasdevoutlypreservedamongtheserfs."Hewasamaster...thepeasants' —inaword, hewasarealmaster!"
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