Part Two: Chapter 16

by Leo Tolstoy

　　On the way home Levin asked all details of Kitty's illness andthe Shtcherbatskys' plans, and though he would have been ashamedto admit it, he was pleased at what he heard. He was pleasedthat there was still hope, and still more pleased that she shouldbe suffering who had made him suffer so much. But when StepanArkadyevitch began to speak of the causes of Kitty's illness, andmentioned Vronsky's name, Levin cut him short.

　　"I have no right whatever to know family matters, and, to tellthe truth, no interest in them either."

　　Stepan Arkadyevitch smiled hardly perceptibly, catching theinstantaneous change he knew so well in Levin's face, which hadbecome as gloomy as it had been bright a minute before.

　　"Have you quite settled about the forest with Ryabinin?" askedLevin.

　　"Yes, it's settled. The price is magnificent; thirty-eightthousand. Eight straight away, and the rest in six years. I'vebeen bothering about it for ever so long. No one would givemore."

　　"Then you've as good as given away your forest for nothing," saidLevin gloomily.

　　"How do you mean for nothing?" said Stepan Arkadyevitch with agood-humored smile, knowing that nothing would be right inLevin's eyes now.

　　"Because the forest is worth at least a hundred and fifty roublesthe acre," answered Levin.

　　"Oh, these farmers!" said Stepan Arkadyevitch playfully. "Yourtone of contempt for us poor townsfolk!... But when it comes tobusiness, we do it better than anyone. I assure you I havereckoned it all out," he said, "and the forest is fetching a verygood price--so much so that I'm afraid of this fellow's cryingoff, in fact. You know it's not 'timber,'" said StepanArkadyevitch, hoping by this distinction to convince Levincompletely of the unfairness of his doubts. "And it won't run tomore than twenty-five yards of fagots per acre, and he's givingme at the rate of seventy roubles the acre."

　　Levin smiled contemptuously. "I know," he thought, "that fashionnot only in him, but in all city people, who, after being twicein ten years in the country, pick up two or three phrases and usethem in season and out of season, firmly persuaded that they knowall about it. 'Timber, run to so many yards the acre.' He saysthose words without understanding them himself."

　　"I wouldn't attempt to teach you what you write about in youroffice," said he, "and if need arose, I should come to you to askabout it. But you're so positive you know all the lore of theforest. It's difficult. Have you counted the trees?"

　　"How count the trees?" said Stepan Arkadyevitch, laughing, stilltrying to draw his friend out of his ill-temper. "Count thesands of the sea, number the stars. Some higher power might doit."

　　"Oh, well, the higher power of Ryabinin can. Not a singlemerchant ever buys a forest without counting the trees, unlessthey get it given them for nothing, as you're doing now. I knowyour forest. I go there every year shooting, and your forest'sworth a hundred and fifty roubles and acre paid down, while he'sgiving you sixty by installments. So that in fact you're makinghim a present of thirty thousand."

　　"Come, don't let your imagination run away with you," said StepanArkadyevitch piteously. "Why was it none would give it, then?"

　　"Why, because he has an understanding with the merchants; he'sbought them off. I've had to do with all of them; I know them.They're not merchants, you know: they're speculators. Hewouldn't look at a bargain that gave him ten, fifteen per centprofit, but holds back to buy a rouble's worth for twentykopecks."

　　"Well, enough of it! You're out of temper."

　　"Not the least," said Levin gloomily, as they drove up to thehouse.

　　At the steps there stood a trap tightly covered with iron andleather, with a sleek horse tightly harnessed with broadcollar-straps. In the trap sat the chubby, tightly belted clerkwho served Ryabinin as coachman. Ryabinin himself was already inthe house, and met the friends in the hall. Ryabinin was a tall,thinnish, middle-aged man, with mustache and a projectingclean-shaven chin, and prominent muddy-looking eyes. He wasdressed in a long-skirted blue coat, with buttons below the waistat the back, and wore high boots wrinkled over the ankles andstraight over the calf, with big galoshes drawn over them. Herubbed his face with his handkerchief, and wrapping round him hiscoat, which sat extremely well as it was, he greeted them with asmile, holding out his hand to Stepan Arkadyevitch, as though hewanted to catch something.

　　"So here you are," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, giving him his hand."That's capital."

　　"I did not venture to disregard your excellency's commands,though the road was extremely bad. I positively walked the wholeway, but I am here at my time. Konstantin Dmitrievitch, myrespects"; he turned to Levin, trying to seize his hand too. ButLevin, scowling, made as though he did not notice his hand, andtook out the snipe. "Your honors have been diverting yourselveswith the chase? What kind of bird may it be, pray?" addedRyabinin, looking contemptuously at the snipe: "a greatdelicacy, I suppose." And he shook his head disapprovingly, asthough he had grave doubts whether this game were worth thecandle.

　　"Would you like to go into my study?" Levin said in French toStepan Arkadyevitch, scowling morosely. "Go into my study; youcan talk there."

　　"Quite so, where you please," said Ryabinin with contemptuousdignity, as though wishing to make it felt that others might bein difficulties as to how to behave, but that he could never bein any difficulty about anything.

　　On entering the study Ryabinin looked about, as his habit was, asthough seeking the holy picture, but when he had found it, he didnot cross himself. He scanned the bookcases and bookshelves, andwith the same dubious air with which he had regarded the snipe,he smiled contemptuously and hook his head disapprovingly, asthough by no means willing to allow that this game were worth thecandle.

　　"Well, have you brought the money?" asked Oblonsky. "Sit down."

　　"Oh, don't trouble about the money. I've come to see you to talkit over."

　　"What is there to talk over? But do sit down."

　　"I don't mind if I do," said Ryabinin, sitting down and leaninghis elbows on the back of his chair in a position of theintensest discomfort to himself. "You must knock it down a bit,prince. It would be too bad. The money is ready conclusively tothe last farthing. As to paying the money down, there'll be nohitch there."

　　Levin, who had meanwhile been putting his gun away in thecupboard, was just going out of the door, but catching themerchant's words, he stopped.

　　"Why, you've got the forest for nothing as it is," he said. "Hecame to me too late, or I'd have fixed the price for him."

　　Ryabinin got up, and in silence, with a smile, he looked Levindown and up.

　　"Very close about money is Konstantin Dmitrievitch," he said witha smile, turning to Stepan Arkadyevitch; "there's positively nodealing with him. In was bargaining for some wheat of him, and apretty price In offered too."

　　"Why should I give you my goods for nothing? I didn't pick it upon the ground, nor steal it either."

　　"Mercy on us! nowadays there's no chance at all of stealing.With the open courts and everything done in style, nowadaysthere's no question of stealing. We are just talking things overlike gentlemen. His excellency's asking too much for the forest.I can't make both ends meet over it. I must ask for a littleconcession."

　　"But is the thing settled between you or not? If it's settled,it's useless haggling; but if it's not," said Levin, "I'll buythe forest."

　　The smile vanished at once from Ryabinin's face. A hawklike,greedy, cruel expression was left upon it. With rapid, bonyfingers he unbuttoned his coat, revealing a shirt, bronzewaistcoat buttons, and a watch chain, and quickly pulled out afat old pocketbook.

　　"Here you are, the forest is mine," he said, crossing himselfquickly, and holding out his hand. "Take the money; it's myforest. That's Ryabinin's way of doing business; he doesn'thaggle over every half-penny," he added, scowling and waving thepocketbook.

　　"I wouldn't be in a hurry if I were you," said Levin.

　　"Come, really," said Oblonsky in surprise. "I've given my word,you know."

　　Levin went out of the room, slamming the door. Ryabinin lookedtowards the door and shook his head with a smile.

　　"It's all youthfulness--positively nothing but boyishness. Why,I'm buying it, upon my honor, simply, believe me, for the gloryof it, that Ryabinin, and no one else, should have bought thecopse of Oblonsky. And as to the profits, why, I must make whatGod gives. In God's name. If you would kindly sign thetitle-deed..."

　　Within an hour the merchant, stroking his big overcoat neatlydown, and hooding up his jacket, with the agreement in hispocket, seated himself in his tightly covered trap, and drovehomewards.

　　"Ugh, these gentlefolks!" he said to the clerk. "They--they'rea nice lot!"

　　"That's so," responded the clerk, handing him the reins andbuttoning the leather apron. "But I can congratulate you on thepurchase, Mihail Ignatitch?"

　　"Well, well..."