第212章

第212章shortlyafterhisreceptionintothebrotherhoodofthefreemasons,pierresetofftothekievprovince,wherewerethegreaternumberofhispeasants,withfullinstructionswrittenforhisguidanceindoinghisdutyonhisestates.

onreachingkiev,pierresentforallhisstewardstohisheadcounting-house,andexplainedtothemhisintentionsandhisdesires.hetoldthemthatstepswouldveryshortlybetakenforthecompleteliberationofhispeasantsfromserfdom,thattillthattimehispeasantswerenottobeoverburdenedwithlabour,thatthewomenwithchildrenwerenottobesentouttowork,thatassistancewastobegiventothepeasants,thatwrong-doingwastobemetwithadmonishment,andnotwithcorporalpunishment;andthatoneveryestatetheremustbefoundedhospitals,almshouses,andschools.severalofthestewards（amongthemweresomebailiffsbarelyabletoreadandwrite）listenedindismay,supposingtheupshotoftheyoungcount’sremarkstobethathewasdissatisfiedwiththeirmanagementandembezzlementofhismoney.others,afterthefirstshockofalarm,derivedamusementfrompierre’slispandthenewwordsheusedthattheyhadnotheardbefore.othersagainfoundasimplesatisfactioninhearingthesoundoftheirmaster’svoice.butsome,amongthemtheheadsteward,divinedfromthisspeechhowtodealwiththeirmasterfortheattainmentoftheirownends.

theheadstewardexpressedgreatsympathywithpierre’sprojects;butobservedthat,apartfromtheseinnovations,matterswereinabadwayandneededthoroughlygoinginto.

inspiteofcountbezuhov’senormouswealth,pierreeversincehehadinheritedit,andhadbeen,aspeoplesaid,inreceiptofanannualincomeoffivehundredthousand,hadfeltmuchlessrichthanwhenhehadbeenreceivinganallowanceoftenthousandfromhisfather.ingeneraloutlineshewasvaguelyawareofthefollowingbudget.abouteightythousandwasbeingpaidintothelandbankasinterestonmortgagesonhisestates.aboutthirtythousandwenttothemaintenanceofhisestateinthesuburbsofmoscow,hismoscowhouse,andhiscousinstheprincesses.aboutfifteenthousandweregiveninpensions,andasmuchmoretobenevolentinstitutions.onehundredandfiftythousandweresenttohiscountess,forhermaintenance.someseventythousandwerepaidawayasinterestondebts.thebuildingofanewchurchhadforthelasttwoyearsbeencostingabouttenthousand.theremainder—someonehundredthousand—wasspent—hehardlyknewhow—andalmosteveryyearhewasforcedtoborrow.moreovereveryyeartheheadstewardwrotetohimofconflagrations,orfailuresofcrops,orofthenecessityofrebuildingfactoriesorworkshops.andsothefirstdutywithwhichpierrewasconfrontedwastheoneforwhichhehadtheleastcapacityandinclination—attentiontopracticalbusiness.

everydaypierrewentintothingswiththeheadsteward.buthefeltthatwhathewasdoingdidnotadvancemattersoneinch.hefeltthatallhedidwasquiteapartfromthereality,thathiseffortshadnogriponthebusiness,andwouldnotsetitinprogress.ononesidetheheadstewardputmattersintheirworstlight,provingtopierrethenecessityofpayinghisdebts,andenteringuponnewundertakingswiththelabourofhisserfpeasants,towhichpierrewouldnotagree.ontheotherside,pierreurgedtheirenteringupontheworkofliberation,towhichtheheadstewardobjectedthenecessityoffirstpayingofftheloansfromthelandbank,andtheconsequentimpossibilityofhasteinthematter.theheadstewarddidnotsaythatthiswasutterlyimpossible;heproposedasthemeansforattainingthisobject,thesaleoftheforestsinthekostromaprovince,thesaleofthelandsonthelowervolga,andofthecrimeanestate.butalltheseoperationswereconnectedintheheadsteward’stalkwithsuchacomplexityofprocesses,theremovalofcertainprohibitoryclauses,theobtainingofcertainpermissions,andsoon,thatpierrelostthethread,andcouldonlysay：“yes,yes,dosothen.”

pierrehadnoneofthatpracticaltenacity,whichwouldhavemadeitpossibleforhimtoundertakethebusinesshimself,andsohedidnotlikeit,andonlytriedtokeepupapretenceofgoingintobusinessbeforetheheadsteward.thestewardtookeptupapretencebeforethecountofregardinghisparticipationinitasofgreatusetohismaster,andagreatinconveniencetohimself.

inkievhehadacquaintances：personsnotacquaintancesmadehastetobecomeso,andgaveawarmwelcometotheyoungmanoffortune,thelargestlandowneroftheprovince,whohadcomeintotheirmidst.thetemptationsonthesideofpierre’sbesettingweakness,theonetowhichhehadgiventhefirstplaceathisinitiationintothelodge,weresostrongthathecouldnotresistthem.againwholedays,weeks,andmonthsofhislifewerebusilyfilledupwithparties,dinners,breakfasts,andballs,givinghimaslittletimetothinkasatpetersburg.insteadofthenewlifepierrehadhopedtolead,hewaslivingjustthesameoldlifeonlyindifferentsurroundings.