“Yes, sir.”

“The land belongs to all in common.  Every one has an equal right to it.  But there is good land, and there is poor land.  And the question is, how to divide the land equally.  The answer to this is, that those who own the better land should pay to those who own the poorer the value of the better land.  But as it is difficult to determine how much anyone should pay, and to whom, and as society needs money for common utilities, let every land owner pay to society the full value of his land—­less, if it is poorer; more, if it is better.  And those who do not wish to own land will have their taxes paid by the land owners.”

“That’s correct,” said the oven-builder.  “Let the owner of the better land pay more.”

“What a head that Jhorga had on him!” said the portly old peasant with the curls.

“If only the payments were reasonable,” said the tall peasant, evidently understanding what it was leading to.

“The payments should be such that it would be neither too cheap nor too dear.  If too dear, it would be unprofitable; if too cheap, people would begin to deal in land.  This is the arrangement I would like you to make.”

Voices of approval showed that the peasants understood him perfectly.

“What a head!” repeated the broad-shouldered peasant with the curls, meaning “Jhorga.”

“And what if I should choose to take land?” said the clerk, smiling.

“If there is an unoccupied section, take and cultivate it,” said Nekhludoff.

“What do you want land for?  You are not hungering without land,” said the old man with the smiling eyes.

Here the conference ended.

Nekhludoff repeated his offer, telling the peasants to consult the wish of the community, before giving their answer.

The peasants said that they would do so, took leave of Nekhludoff and departed in a state of excitement.  For a long time their loud voices were heard, and finally died away about midnight.

* * * * *

The peasants did not work the following day, but discussed their master’s proposition.  The community was divided into two factions.  One declared the proposition profitable and safe; the other saw in the proposition a plot which it feared the more because it could not understand it.  On the third day, however, the proposition was accepted, the fears of the peasants having been allayed by an old woman who explained the master’s action by the suggestion that he began to think of saving his soul.  This explanation was confirmed by the large amount of money Nekhludoff had distributed while he remained in Panov.  These money gifts were called forth by the fact that here, for the first time, he learned to what poverty the peasants had been reduced and though he knew that it was unwise, he could not help distributing such money as he had, which was considerable.

As soon as it became known that the master was distributing money, large crowds of people from the entire surrounding country came to him asking to be helped.  He had no means of determining the respective needs of the individuals, and yet he could not help giving these evidently poor people money.  Again, to distribute money indiscriminately was absurd.  His only way out of the difficulty was to depart, which he hastened to do.