The chief income from his sister's estate came from the meadows inundated in the spring. In former years the muzhiks rented these hayfields at the rate of twenty rubles a desyatin.[1] But when Levin undertook the management of this estate, and examined the haycrops, he came to the conclusion that the rent was too low, and he raised it to the rate of twenty-five rubles a desyatin. The muzhiks refused to pay this, and, as Levin suspected, drove away other lessees. Then Levin himself went there, and arranged to have the meadows mowed partly by day laborers, partly on shares. His muzhiks were greatly discontented with this new plan, and did their best to thwart it; but it was attended with success, and even the very first year the yield from the meadows was nearly doubled. The opposition of the peasantry continued through the second and third summers, and the haymaking was conducted on the same conditions.
But this year they had mowed the meadows on thirds, and now the starosta had come to announce that the work was done, and that he, fearing it was going to rain, had summoned the bookkeeper and made the division in his presence, and turned over the eighteen hayricks which were the proprietor's share.
By the unsatisfactory answer to his question, how much hay had been secured from the largest meadow, by the starosta's haste in making the division without orders, by the man's whole manner, Levin was induced to think there was something crooked in the division of the hay, and he concluded that it would be wise to go and look into it.
Levin reached the estate just at dinner-time; and, leaving his horse at the house of his old friend, the husband of his brother's former nurse, he went to find the old man at the apiary, hoping to obtain from him some light on the question of the hay-crop.
The loquacious, beautiful-looking old man, whose name was Parmenuitch, was delighted to see Levin, showed him all about his husbandry, and told him all
- ↑ About six dollars an acre.
