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The previous year-which was the third year-the peasants had

maintained the same opposition to the arrangement, and the hay

had been cut on the same system. This year the peasants were

doing all the mowing for a third of the hay crop, and the village

elder had come now to announce that the hay had been cut, and

that, fearing rain, they had invited the counting-house clerk

over, had divided the crop in his presence, and had raked

together eleven stacks as the owner's share. From the vague

answers to his question how much hay had been cut on the

principal meadow, from the hurry of the village elder who had

made the division, not asking leave, from the whole tone of the

peasant, Levin perceived that there was something wrong in the

division of the hay, and made up his mind to drive over himself

to look into the matter.