Page:Complete Works of Count Tolstoy - 18.djvu/227

. Without the land we shall have to give up living.

. In rivality, without the land our domicility must weaken and ruin will originate.

(bowing). Father! The land is small: there is no place to drive out a cow, nay, not even a chick. Father, have pity on us! Accept the money, father!

(in the meanwhile looks through the document). I understand. I should like to do you a kindness. Wait. I will give you an answer in half an hour— Fédor, tell them not to receive anybody.

. Very well. (Leonid Fédorovich exit.)

. What a business! He says: "Hand us the whole amount!" Where shall we take it from?

. If he had not given us hope last year. For we have, in rivality, been relaying on what he told us last year.

. O Lord! I had already unrolled the money. (Wraps up the money.) What are we going to do now?

. What is the matter with you?

. Our business, honourable man, depends, for example, like this: he had preposed to us last year to depone the payments. The Commune met in opinion and inpowered us; and now, for example, he preposes to give him the whole sum in totality. But the business comes out impossibly.

. How much money is it?

. The whole sum in entrance is four thousand roubles, so to speak.