their appearance behind the cabins. “They are all water-meadows. I could raise flax, and make five thousand roubles out of that alone. I could plant beets, and get four thousand out of them. And look yonder; on the slope a forest formerly arose: there is nothing now. He has planted no grain—I know that. And look at those valleys. I would raise such a forest there that the crows could not fly to the top of it. The idea of flinging away such treasures of land! And if there was nothing to plough with, he might have cultivated the vegetable garden with a spade: he might have undertaken that garden himself. Take the spade in your own hand; make your wife, your children, your servants do it too; if you must die beasts, at all events die over your work. You will then at least die in the fulfilment of your duty; and if not, you can eat yourself for dinner like a pig!” So saying, Kostanzhoglo spat, and his splenetic temper darkened his brow with a gloomy cloud.

When they advanced farther, and stood upon the crest of a declivity overgrown with cytisus, and looked down upon the gleaming bends of the river, first at the distant valley, where a portion of General Betrishtcheff’s house peeped forth from the encircling forest, and then at the wooded hill beyond, veiled in the blue mist of distance, Tchitchikoff suddenly said, “If some nice groves were planted here, the village would transcend everything in the world in beauty.”

“So you are a lover of fine prospects!” said Kostanzhoglo, with a quick, stern glance at him. “Look here! if you take to running after views, you will be left with no bread. Look out for your fields, and not for beauty. Beauty will come of itself. Let it serve you for an example, that the best and handsomest cities are those where each man has built according to his own convenience and taste. Those which have been built by rule are nothing but a collection of barracks. Away with beauty! Look to practical results!”

“It’s a pity that it is necessary to wait so long; I should so like to see everything in the proper condition.”

“Patience! Work for a few years: plant, sow, till the soil, without a moment’s rest. It is hard, very hard; but later on, when the earth has been well turned over, it will begin to assist you of itself, just as though it were a machine. Yes, my dear fellow, over and above your seventy hands or so, seven hundred invisible ones will begin to toil. Everything will be increased tenfold. I never move a finger now—everything runs by itself. Yes, Nature loves patience; that is the law which God himself has prescribed to her.”

“When I listen to you, I am conscious of a great access of force. My courage rises,” said Tchitchikoff.

“That’s a nice way to plough land!” exclaimed Kostanzhoglo, with a keen feeling of indignation, pointing to the slope. “I can’t stay here any longer; it’s death to me to gaze upon such disorder and desolation! You can come to an understanding with him now, without my assistance. Get this treasure out of that fool’s hands as speedily as possible. He is only dishonouring the gifts of God.” So saying, Kostanzhoglo, who was already clouded by the bilious disposition of his perturbed spirit, took leave of Tchitchikoff, and, having overtaken their host, began to say farewell to him.

“I beseech you, Konstantin Feodorovitch,” said the astonished host; “you have only just arrived, and yet you are going already!”

“I can’t stay. I have an imperative engagement at home,” replied Kostanzhoglo. Whereupon he hastily took leave, seated himself in his carriage, and drove off.

It seemed as though Khlobuyoff understood the cause of his departure.

“Konstantin Feodorovitch cannot stand it,” said he; “it is not pleasant for such a manager as he is to look at this disorder. Believe me, Pavel Ivanovitch, I did not even plant grain this year. As sure as I am an honest man, I had no seed, not to mention the fact that there were no means of ploughing. They say that your brother is a capital manager, Platon Mikhailovitch; but Konstantin Feodorovitch—well, he’s a Napoleon in his own line. In truth, I often think, why are so much brains put into one head? Why couldn’t I at least have one little bit in my own stupid noddle? Look to yourselves, gentlemen; walk cautiously over the bridge lest you tumble into the pool. I ordered the planks to be repaired last spring. What I