Page:Anna Karenina.djvu/130

 we are undertaking. This work belongs to a productive labor association." ....

Konstantin scarcely listened: he was looking at his brother's sick, consumptive face, and he grew more and more sorry for him, and he could not compel himself to listen to what his brother was saying about the labor association. He saw that the labor association was only an anchor of safety to keep him from absolute self-abasement. Nikolaï went on to say:—

"You know that capital is crushing the laborer: with us the laboring classes, the muzhiks, bear the whole weight of toil; and no matter how they exert themselves, they can never get above their cattle-like condition. All the profits created by their productive labor, by which they could better their lot and procure for themselves leisure, and therefore instruction, all their superfluous profits are swallowed up by the capitalists. And society is so constituted that, the harder they work, the more the proprietors and the merchants fatten at their expense, while they remain beasts of burden still. And this order of things must be changed," said he, in conclusion, and looked questioningly at his brother.

"Yes, of course," replied Konstantin, looking at the pink spots which burned in his brother's hollow cheeks.

"And now we are organizing an artel of locksmiths where all will be in common,—work, profits, and even the tools."

"Where will this artel be situated?" asked Konstantin.

"In the village of Vozdremo, government of Kazan."

"Yes; but why in a village? In the villages, it seems to me, there is plenty of work: why associated locksmiths in a village?"

"Because the muzhiks are serfs, just as much as they ever were, and you and Sergeï Ivanuitch don't like it because we want to free them from this slavery," replied Nikolaï, vexed by his brother's question.

While he spoke, Konstantin was looking about the melancholy, dirty room; he sighed, and his sigh seemed to make Nikolaï still more angry.