A Russian Proprietor

r horses. Are they

Yakof Ilyitch told me not to send the horses out to pasture. 'The prince,' says he, 'is coming to l

e from the loft, and flung it into the stove. His lips were still drawn in w

ng at the filthy straw under the pent roof. A long-legged colt two months old, o

ding with closed eyes and thoughtfully pendent head. It

are all yo

here's the little colt," replied Yukhvanka, pointing

one do you pro

jacket in the direction of the somnolent geldin

his eyes, and lazil

plump," said Nekhliudof. "Bring him up, and

. He's peculiar. You have to judge both by tooth and limb, 'slency," replied

! Bring him he

ied angrily, "Well, what are you up to?" that he moved toward the shed, seized the halter, and be

d to see this, and perhaps, also, h

he halter,

mpossible for you,

ears, threw him to the ground with such force, that the gelding, who, as it seems, was

oked at Yukhvanka, who was still smiling, the thought most maddening at his time of life

the creature's mouth, and looked at his teeth: they were sound, the crowns full, so far

that the harrow was lying out of its place, sei

ildish annoyance in his face, and almost with tears of ve

old, twenty years old at

peasant will lie, there's no need for him to," said Nekhl

sant. Yukhvanka also said nothing, and had the appearance of a man who wa

h an effort, so as to speak in his ordinary voice. "You are sent out into the field on purpose to drive the horses

wn. He straightened himself up, and, while he sucked in his lips

are no worse off than o

t will y

, starting up the gelding, and driving him away. "Even i

you need

and besides, we peasants hav

families have corn enough; but you have no fam

e haven't a bit. I will buy a

ent think of sel

any thing," he replied, turning his head to one side, sucking in his lips, and sudd

g a feeling of righteous indignation against the peasant. "I ca

I should not think of disobeying you. But it comes not from any fault of mine. Of course, I may not pl

t you sit at home smoking your pipe, and don't work; because you don't give a crust of bread to your mother, wh

vanka in a constrained tone, showing beyond peradventure that the complaint about h

ing again! I m

nture to lie to

lk back and forth in the yard. Yukhvanka, standing in one p

good peasant, then turn over a new leaf, cease your evil courses, stop lying, don't get drunk any more, honor your mother. You see, I know all about you. Take hold of your work; don't steal from the crown woods, for the sake of going to the tavern

ncy," replied Yukhvanka smiling as though he compre

ning him into the path of virtue by means of moral suasion. It seemed to him hard that it should be wasted energy

tting on the threshold and groaning heavily, as it seemed to the young p

n her ear, pressing a bank-note into her hand. "But keep it for

et up. She began to pour out her thanks to the prince; her head began to wag, bu