Page:The Novels of Ivan Turgenev (volume VI).djvu/155

Rh his voice was hoarse. The men standing round him were silent; they were half scared, half amused. Nezhdanov looked at Markelov, and Ostrodumov's words re-echoed again in his head: 'What's the good? It makes no difference, it will all have to be transformed afterwards! ' One labourer who had been in fault somehow began entreating Markelov to let him off the fine for his mistake Markelov at first flew into a rage, and shouted furiously at him, but afterwards he forgave him. 'It makes no difference it will all have to be changed later on' Nezhdanov asked him for horses and a conveyance to return home; Markelov seemed surprised at his wish, but answered that everything should be ready directly.

He went back to the house with Nezhdanov. He was staggering as he walked, from exhaustion.

'What's the matter with you?' asked Nezhdanov.

'I am worn out!' said Markelov savagely. 'However you talk to these people, they can't understand anything, and they won't carry out instructions. They positively don't understand Russian. The word "part" they know well enough but "participation." What is participation? They can't