Page 434 sur 2288

Absorbed in such dreams, carefully keeping his horse by the

hedges, so as not to trample his young crops, he rode up to the

laborers who had been sent to sow clover. A cart with the seed in

it was standing, not at the edge, but in the middle of the crop,

and the winter corn had been torn up by the wheels and trampled

by the horse. Both the laborers were sitting in the hedge,

probably smoking a pipe together. The earth in the cart, with

which the seed was mixed, was not crushed to powder, but crusted

together or adhering in clods. Seeing the master, the laborer,

Vassily, went towards the cart, while Mishka set to work sowing.

This was not as it should be, but with the laborers Levin seldom

lost his temper. When Vassily came up, Levin told him to lead the

horse to the hedge.

"It's all right, sir, it'll spring up again," responded Vassily.

"Please don't argue," said Levin, "but do as you're told."