第428章

第428章shortlyaftertheattemptedmigrationtothewarmrivers,inwhichhehadtakenpartwiththerest,dronwasmadevillageelderandoverseerofbogutcharovo,andhadfilledthosepositionsirreproachablyfortwenty-threeyears.thepeasantsweremoreafraidofhimthanoftheirmaster.theoldprinceandtheyoungoneandthestewardrespectedhim,andcalledhiminjoketheminister.dronhadneveroncebeendrunkorillsincehehadbeenappointedelder;hehadneveraftersleeplessnightsorseverelabourshowntheslightestsignsoffatigue;andthoughhecouldnotreadorwrite,heneverforgotanaccountofthepoundsofflourinthehugeon-loadshesold,andofthemoneypaidforthem,normissedasheafofwheatonanacreofthebogutcharovofields.

thispeasantdronitwasforwhomalpatitchsentoncomingfromtheplunderedestateatbleakhills.heorderedhimtogetreadytwelvehorsesfortheprincess’scarriages,andeighteenconveyancesforthemovewhichwastobemadefrombogutcharovo.thoughthepeasantspaidrentinsteadofworkingasserfs,alpatitchexpectedtomeetnodifficultyontheirpartincarryingoutthisorder,sincethereweretwohundredandthirtyefficientfamiliesinbogutcharovo,andthepeasantswerewell-to-do.butdron,onreceivingtheorder,droppedhiseyesandmadenoreply.alpatitchmentionedthenamesofpeasantsfromwhomhetoldhimtotakethecarts.

dronrepliedthatthehorsesbelongingtothosepeasantswereawayonhire.alpatitchmentionedthenamesofotherpeasants.theytoo,accordingtodron,hadnohorsesavailable：somewereemployedingovernmenttransport,othershadgonelame,andothershaddiedthroughtheshortnessofforage.indron’sopinion,therewasnohopeofgettinghorsesenoughfortheprincess’scarriages,nottospeakofthetransportofage.

alpatitchlookedintentlyatdronandscowled.dronwasamodelvillageelder,butalpatitchhadnotbeentwentyyearsmanagingtheprince’sestatesfornothing,andhetoowasamodelsteward.hepossessedinthehighestdegreethefacultyofdiviningtheneedsandinstinctsofthepeasants,withwhomhehadtodeal,andwasconsequentlyanexcellentsteward.glancingatdron,hesawatoncethathisanswerswerenottheexpressionofhisownideas,buttheexpressionofthegeneraldriftofopinioninthebogutcharovovillage,bywhichtheelderhadalreadybeencarriedaway.atthesametime,heknewthatdron,whohadsavedmoneyandwasdetestedbythevillage,mustbehesitatingbetweentwocamps—themaster’sandthepeasants’.hedetectedthehesitationinhiseyes,andsofrowninghecameclosertodron.

“now,dronushka,”hesaid,“youlistentome！don’tyoutalknonsensetome.hisexcellency,princeandreynikolaevitch,himselfgavemeorderstomovethefolkaway,andnotleavethemwiththeenemy,andthetsarhasissuedadecreethatitistobeso.anyonethatstaysisatraitortothetsar.doyouhear？”

“ihear,”answereddron,notraisinghiseyes.

alpatitchwasnotsatisfiedwithhisreply.

“ay,dron,there’llbetrouble！”saidalpatitch,shakinghishead.

“it’sforyoutocommand！”saiddrondejectedly.

“ay,dron,dropit！”repeatedalpatitch,takinghishandoutofthebosomofhiscoat,andpointingwithasolemngesturetothegroundunderdron’sfeet.“icanseerightthroughyou;andmorethanthat,icanseethreeyardsintotheearthunderyou,”hesaid,lookingatthegroundunderdron’sfeet.

dronwasdisconcerted;helookedfurtivelyatalpatitch,anddroppedhiseyesagain.

“youdropthisnonsense,andtellthefolkstopackuptoleavetheirhomesandgotomoscow,andtogetreadycartsto-morrowmorningfortheprincess’sage;anddon’tyougotothemeeting.doyouhear？”

allatoncedronthrewhimselfathisfeet.

“yakovalpatitch,dischargeme！takethekeysfromme;dischargeme,forchrist’ssake！”

“stopthat！”saidalpatitchsternly.“icanseethroughyouthreeyardsintotheearth,”herepeated,knowingthathisskillinbeekeeping,hisknowledgeoftherightdaytosowtheoats,andhisessinpleasingtheoldprincefortwentyyearshadlongagogainedhimthereputationofawizard,andthatthepowerofseeingforthreeyardsunderamanisascribedtowizards.

drongotup,andwouldhavesaidsomething,butalpatitchinterruptedhim.

“what’sthisyou’veallgotinyourhead？eh？…whatareyouthinkingabout？eh？”

“whatamitodowiththepeople？”saiddron.“they’reallinaferment.idotellthem…”

“oh,idaresayyoudo,”saidalpatitch.“aretheydrinking？”heaskedbriefly.

“they’reallinaferment,yakovalpatitch;theyhavegotholdofanotherbarrel.”

“thenyoulistentome.i’llgotothepolice-captainandyoutellthemso,andtellthemtodropallthisandgetthecartsready.”

“certainly,”answereddron.

yakovalpatitchdidnotinsistfurther.hehadmuchexperienceinmanagingthepeasants,andknewthatthechiefmeansforsecuringobediencewasnottoshowtheslightestsuspicionthattheycoulddoanythingbutobey.havingwrungfromdronasubmissive“certainly,”yakovalpatitchrestedcontentwithit,thoughhehadmorethandoubts—hehadaconviction—thatthecartswouldnotbeprovidedwithouttheinterventionofthemilitaryauthorities.

andasafactwheneveningcame,thecartshadnotbeenprovided.therehadbeenagainavillagemeetingatthetavern,andatthemeetingithadbeenresolvedtodrivethehorsesoutintotheforestandnottoprovidetheconveyances.withoutsayingawordofallthistotheprincess,alpatitchorderedhisownagetobeunloadedfromtheonsthathadcomefrombleakhillsandthehorsestobetakenfromthemfortheprincess’scarriage,whileherodeoffhimselftothepoliceauthorities.