THE LAND SETTLEMENT.
It was morning before Nekhludoff could fall asleep, and therefore he woke up late. At noon seven men, chosen from among the peasants at the foreman's invitation, came into the orchard, where the foreman had arranged a table and benches by digging posts into the ground, and fixing boards on the top, under the apple trees. It took some time before the peasants could be persuaded to put on their caps and to sit down on the benches. Especially firm was the ex-soldier, who to-day had bark shoes on. He stood erect, holding his cap as they do at funerals, according to military regulation. When one of them, a respectable-looking, broad-shouldered old man, with a curly, grizzly beard like that of Michael Angelo's "Moses," and grey hair that curled round the brown, bald forehead, put on his big cap, and, wrapping his coat round him, got in behind the table and sat down, the rest followed his example. When all had taken their places Nekhludoff sat down opposite them, and leaning on the table over the paper on which he had drawn up his project, he began explaining it.
Whether it was that there were fewer present, or that he was occupied with the business in hand and not with himself, anyhow, this time Nekhludoff felt no confusion. He involuntarily addressed the broad-shouldered old man with white ringlets in his grizzly beard, expecting approbation or objections from him. But Nekhludoff's conjecture was wrong. The respectable-looking old patriarch, though he nodded his handsome head approvingly or shook it, and frowned when the others raised an objection, evidently understood with great difficulty, and only when the others repeated what Nekhludoff had said in their own words. A little, almost beardless old fellow, blind in one eye, who sat by the side of the patriarch, and had a patched nankeen coat and old boots on, and, as Nekhludoff found out later, was an oven-builder, understood much better. This man moved his brows quickly, attending to Nekhludoff's words with an effort, and at once repeated them in his own way. An old, thick-set man with a white beard and intelligent eyes understood as quickly, and took every opportunity to put in an ironical joke, clearly wishing to show off. The ex-soldier seemed also to understand matters, but got mixed, being used to senseless soldiers' talk. A tall man with a small beard, a long nose, and a bass voice, who wore clean, home-made clothes and new bark-plaited shoes, seemed to be the one most seriously interested. This man spoke only when there was need of it. The two other old men, the same toothless one who had shouted a distinct refusal at the meeting the day before to every proposal of Nekhludoff's, and a tall, white lame old man with a kind face, his thin legs tightly wrapped round with strips of linen, said little, though they listened attentively. First of all Nekhludoff explained his views in regard to personal property in land. "The land, according to my idea, can neither he bought nor sold, because if it could be, he who has got the money could buy it all, and exact anything he liked for the use of the land from those who have none."
"That's true," said the long-nosed man, in a deep bass.
"Just so," said the ex-soldier.
"A woman gathers a little grass for her cow; she's caught and imprisoned," said the white-bearded old man.
"Our own land is five versts away, and as to renting any it's impossible; the price is raised so high that it won't pay," added the cross, toothless old man. "They twist us into ropes, worse than during serfdom."
"I think as you do, and I count it a sin to possess land, so I wish to give it away," said Nekhludoff.
"Well, that's a good thing," said the old man, with curls like Angelo's "Moses," evidently thinking that Nekhludoff meant to let the land.
"I have come here because I no longer wish to possess any land, and now we must consider the best way of dividing it."
"Just give it to the peasants, that's all," said the cross, toothless old man.
Nekhludoff was abashed for a moment, feeling a suspicion of his not being honest in these words, but he instantly recovered, and made use of the remark, in order to express what was in his mind, in reply.
"I should be glad to give it them," he said, "but to whom, and how? To which of the peasants? Why, to your commune, and not to that of Deminsk." (That was the name of a neighbouring village with very little land.) All were silent. Then the ex-soldier said, "Just so."
"Now, then, tell me how would you divide the land among the peasants if you had to do it?" said Nekhludoff.
"We should divide it up equally, so much for every man," said the oven-builder, quickly raising and lowering his brows.
"How else? Of course, so much per man," said the good natured lame man with the white strips of linen round his legs.
Every one confirmed this statement, considering it satisfactory.
"So much per man? Then are the servants attached to the house also to have a share?" Nekhludoff asked.
"Oh, no," said the ex-soldier, trying to appear bold and merry. But the tall, reasonable man would not agree with him.
"If one is to divide, all must share alike," he said, in his deep bass, after a little consideration.
"It can't be done," said Nekhludoff, who had already prepared his reply. "If all are to share alike, then those who do not work themselves--do not plough--will sell their shares to the rich. The rich will again get at the land. Those who live by working the land will multiply, and land will again be scarce. Then the rich will again get those who need land into their power."
"Just so," quickly said the ex-soldier.
"Forbid to sell the land; let only him who ploughs it have it," angrily interrupted the oven-builder.
To this Nekhludoff replied that it was impossible to know who was ploughing for himself and who for another.
The tall, reasonable man proposed that an arrangement be made so that they should all plough communally, and those who ploughed should get the produce and those who did not should get nothing.
To this communistic project Nekhludoff had also an answer ready. He said that for such an arrangement it would be necessary that all should have ploughs, and that all the horses should be alike, so that none should be left behind, and that ploughs and horses and all the implements would have to be communal property, and that in order to get that, all the people would have to agree.
"Our people could not be made to agree in a lifetime," said the cross old man.
"We should have regular fights," said the white-bearded old man with the laughing eyes. "So that the thing is not as simple as it looks," said Nekhludoff, "and this is a thing not only we but many have been considering. There is an American, Henry George. This is what he has thought out, and I agree with him."
"Why, you are the master, and you give it as you like. What's it to you? The power is yours," said the cross old man.
This confused Nekhludoff, but he was pleased to see that not he alone was dissatisfied with this interruption.
"You wait a bit, Uncle Simon; let him tell us about it," said the reasonable man, in his imposing bass.
This emboldened Nekhludoff, and he began to explain Henry George's single-tax system "The earth is no man's; it is God's," he began.
"Just so; that it is," several voices replied.
"The land is common to all. All have the same right to it, but there is good land and bad land, and every one would like to take the good land. How is one to do in order to get it justly divided? In this way: he that will use the good land must pay those who have got no land the value of the land he uses," Nekhludoff went on, answering his own question. "As it would be difficult to say who should pay whom, and money is needed for communal use, it should be arranged that he who uses the good land should pay the amount of the value of his land to the commune for its needs. Then every one would share equally. If you want to use land pay for it--more for the good, less for the bad land. If you do not wish to use land, don't pay anything, and those who use the land will pay the taxes and the communal expenses for you."
"Well, he had a head, this George," said the oven-builder, moving his brows. "He who has good land must pay more."
"If only the payment is according to our strength," said the tall man with the bass voice, evidently foreseeing how the matter would end.
"The payment should be not too high and not too low. If it is too high it will not get paid, and there will be a loss; and if it is too low it will be bought and sold. There would be a trading in land. This is what I wished to arrange among you here."
"That is just, that is right; yes, that would do," said the peasants.
"He has a head, this George," said the broad-shouldered old man with the curls. "See what he has invented."
"Well, then, how would it be if I wished to take some land?" asked the smiling foreman.
"If there is an allotment to spare, take it and work it," said Nekhludoff.
"What do you want it for? You have sufficient as it is," said the old man with the laughing eyes.
With this the conference ended.
Nekhludoff repeated his offer, and advised the men to talk it over with the rest of the commune and to return with the answer.
The peasants said they would talk it over and bring an answer, and left in a state of excitement. Their loud talk was audible as they went along the road, and up to late in the night the sound of voices came along the river from the village.
The next day the peasants did not go to work, but spent it in considering the landlord's offer. The commune was divided into two parties--one which regarded the offer as a profitable one to themselves and saw no danger in agreeing with it, and another which suspected and feared the offer it did not understand. On the third day, however, all agreed, and some were sent to Nekhludoff to accept his offer. They were influenced in their decision by the explanation some of the old men gave of the landlord's conduct, which did away with all fear of deceit. They thought the gentleman had begun to consider his soul, and was acting as he did for its salvation. The alms which Nekhludoff had given away while in Panovo made his explanation seem likely. The fact that Nekhludoff had never before been face to face with such great poverty and so bare a life as the peasants had come to in this place, and was so appalled by it, made him give away money in charity, though he knew that this was not reasonable. He could not help giving the money, of which he now had a great deal, having received a large sum for the forest he had sold the year before, and also the hand money for the implements and stock in Kousminski. As soon as it was known that the master was giving money in charity, crowds of people, chiefly women, began to come to ask him for help. He did not in the least know how to deal with them, how to decide, how much, and whom to give to. He felt that to refuse to give money, of which he had a great deal, to poor people was impossible, yet to give casually to those who asked was not wise. The last day he spent in Panovo, Nekhludoff looked over the things left in his aunts' house, and in the bottom drawer of the mahogany wardrobe, with the brass lions' heads with rings through them, he found many letters, and amongst them a photograph of a group, consisting of his aunts, Sophia Ivanovna and Mary Ivanovna, a student, and Katusha. Of all the things in the house he took only the letters and the photograph. The rest he left to the miller who, at the smiling foreman's recommendation, had bought the house and all it contained, to be taken down and carried away, at one-tenth of the real value.
Recalling the feeling of regret at the loss of his property which he had felt in Kousminski, Nekhludoff was surprised how he could have felt this regret. Now he felt nothing but unceasing joy at the deliverance, and a sensation of newness something like that which a traveller must experience when discovering new countries.
聂赫留朵夫直到下半夜才睡着,因此第二天醒得很迟.
中午,七名被推选出来的庄稼汉应管家的邀请来到苹果园的苹果树下.管家安排了一张桌子和几条长凳,都是用木桩打进地里,再铺上木板搭成的.聂赫留朵夫和管家费了不少口舌才使农民戴上帽子,在板凳上坐下.那个退伍的士兵今天包着干净的包脚布,穿一双干净的树皮鞋,特别恭敬地把他那顶一破帽子举在胸前,仿佛送丧一般.直到那个肩膀宽阔,相貌端正的老农戴上他的大帽子,紧了紧崭新的土布长外衣,走到长凳旁坐下,其余的人才学着他的样,戴上帽子,落坐了.这个老农留着花白的鬈曲大一胡一子,活象米开朗琪罗塑造的摩西①,他那光秃的前额被太一�一晒得发黑,周围生着花白的鬈发.
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①米开朗琪罗(1475-1564)--意大利雕塑家,画家,建筑师.<摩西>是他的著名雕塑.据<圣经>记载,摩西是古代犹太人领袖.
等大家都坐好,聂赫留朵夫也在他们对面坐下来,臂肘搁在桌上,面前摆着一张纸,他就根据纸上的提纲开始说明他的方案.
不知是因为今天农民少一些呢,还是因为聂赫留朵夫不计较个人得失而关心大家的事,他今天并不感到心慌意乱.他自然而然地主要对肩膀宽阔,留花白大一胡一子的老农说话,看他赞成还是反对.但聂赫留朵夫对他估计错了.这个相貌端正的老农虽然有时也赞同地点点他那具有家长气派的端庄的头,有时听到别人的反驳就皱着眉摇摇头,其实他不太懂得聂赫留朵夫的话,往往要等别的农民用他们自己的话解释一番,他才明白.倒是坐在他旁边的一个小老头比较懂得聂赫留朵夫的话.这个小老头瞎了一只眼睛,脸上几乎没有一胡一子,身穿一件打过补丁的土黄布紧身外衣,脚上套着一双后跟磨歪的旧皮靴.聂赫留朵夫后来知道他是个砌炉匠.这个小老头迅速地动着眉一毛一,留神倾听,立刻把聂赫留朵夫的话翻译一遍.那个身材矮壮,留着雪白大一胡一子,一双机灵的眼睛炯炯有神的老头儿也很能领会他的话,并且找各种机会插几句嘴嘲弄东家,借此卖弄自己的小聪明.退伍士兵看样子也很懂事,可惜长期的士兵生活使他头脑迟钝,而士兵的一习一惯又使他讲起话来叫人摸不着头脑.对这事态度最认真的是那个声音低沉,鼻子很长,蓄有一撮山羊一胡一子的高个子.他穿着一件干净的土布衣服和一双新树皮鞋,完全懂得聂赫留朵夫的话,而且非不得已不开口.还有两个老头儿--一个就是昨天在会上坚决反对聂赫留朵夫一切建议的牙齿脱落的老头儿;另一个老头个儿很高,头发全白,相貌和善,瘸腿,两只瘦脚用雪白的包脚布裹一着,外套一双农民靴子--几乎没有开过口,虽然一直很用心地听着.
聂赫留朵夫首先说明他对土地所有制的看法.
"照我看,"他说,"土地不能买进,也不能卖出.如果可以买卖,那么有钱人就可以买进全部土地,他们就可以凭土地使用权任意夺取没有土地的人的东西.你哪怕在地上站一下,他们也要向你收钱,"他引用斯宾塞的理论补充说.
"只有一个办法,就是把他的翅膀捆起来,看他还能不能上天,"留花白大一胡一子的老头眼睛含笑说.
"这话说得不错,"长鼻子老头声音低沉地说.
"是,老爷,"退伍的士兵说.
"有个婆一娘一给她的一奶一牛割点草,就被抓起来,送去坐牢,"
相貌和善的瘸腿老头说.
"我们自己的地在五俄里外.租地又贵得要命;付了地租,本钱都捞不回来,"牙齿脱落的老头儿怒气冲冲地补充说,"人家要我们长就长,要我们短就短,比劳役制还糟."
"我同你们想的一样,"聂赫留朵夫说,"我认为占有土地是罪孽.所以我要把土地一交一出去."
"嗯,这可是好事,"留摩西式鬈曲大一胡一子的老头说,显然以为聂赫留朵夫想出租土地.
"我来就是为了这事.我不想再占有土地了.现在就是要考虑一下,土地应该怎么分."
"把地一交一给庄稼汉,不就成了吗?"牙齿脱落,怒容满面的老头说.
聂赫留朵夫觉得这句话含有怀疑他的诚意的味道,乍一听来叫人很不舒服.但他立刻镇静下来,赶紧说完自己要说的话.
"我是乐意一交一的,"他说,"可是一交一给谁?怎么一交一?一交一给哪些庄稼汉?还有,为什么要一交一给你们村社而不一交一给杰明斯科耶村社?"(这是邻近的一个村,那里份地很少.)
大家都不作声,只有退伍士兵说了一句:
"是,老爷."
"那么,好吧,"聂赫留朵夫说,"你们倒说说,要是皇上说把地主的地都拿过来,分给农民......"
"难道真有这样的事吗?"牙齿脱落的老头儿说.
"没有,皇上什么也没有说.这只是我说的:要是皇上说,把地主的地都拿来一交一给农民,你们怎么办?"
"怎么办?把全部土地按人头平分,庄稼人有份,老爷也有份,"砌炉匠忽上忽下地迅速动着眉一毛一,说.
"要不又怎么办?按人头平分好了,"相貌和善,裹白色包脚布的瘸腿老头说.
大家都赞成这个办法,认为它能使人人满意.
"到底怎样按人头分呢?"聂赫留朵夫问."做佣人的也有份吗?"
"绝对不行,老爷,"退伍士兵说,竭力想显出又快乐又有一精一神的样子.
不过,明白事理的高个子农民不同意他的意见.
"既然分,那就该人人有份,大家平分,"他想了想,声音低沉地回答.
"不行,"聂赫留朵夫事先就准备好反驳意见,说."要是大家平分,那些自己不劳动不耕种的人,譬如老爷,听差,厨师,官吏,文书,所有的城里人,就个个都可以领到一份,可以把地卖给有钱人.这样土地就又集中到财主手里.那些靠自己一小块地过活的人,他们生儿育女,人口增加,土地就更加分散.财主又会把缺地的人抓在手里."
"是,老爷,"退伍士兵赶快响应.
"那就得禁止出卖土地,只有自己耕种的人才有地,"砌炉匠怒气冲冲地打断退伍士兵说.
聂赫留朵夫反驳说,谁在为自己耕种,谁在为别人耕种,很难区别.
明白事理的高个子农民提出一个办法,就是大家用合作社方式耕种.
"凡是种地的就分,凡是不种地的就不分,"他用坚决的低音说.
对这种共产主义式方案,聂赫留朵夫也准备好了反对意见.他说,要做到这一点,就得人人有犁,人人有同样的马,谁也不能比谁差,或者马匹,犁,脱粒机和整个农场都是公有的,而要共同经营,还得大家意见一致.
"我们老百姓是死也不会同意的,"怒容满面的老头说.
"这样打架就打不完了,"眼睛含笑的白一胡一子老头说."一娘一儿们准会彼此把眼珠都挖出来."
"再说,土地有肥有瘦,怎么办?"聂赫留朵夫说."凭什么有人可以分到黑土,有人只能分到粘土和砂地呢?"
"那只好把所有的地都划成一小块一小块的,大家平分,"
砌炉匠说.
聂赫留朵夫反对说,问题不在于一个村社分地,而在于各省都要普遍分.要是土地无代价分给农民,那么凭什么有人分到好地,有人只能分到坏地呢?人人都想分到好地.
"是,老爷,"退伍士兵说.
其余的人都不作声.
"因此事情并不象看起来那么简单,"聂赫留朵夫说."这一层不光我们在考虑,许多人都在考虑.有一个叫乔治的美国人想出了一个办法.我同意他的意见."
"反正你是东家,你要怎么办就怎么办.有谁拦着你?你作主就是了,"怒容满面的老头儿说.
这种插话使聂赫留朵夫感到很窘,但他高兴地发现,对这种插话感到不满的,不止他一个人.
"等一下,谢苗大叔,你让他把话说完,"明白事理的农民用威严的低音说.
他这番话使聂赫留朵夫得到了鼓励,他就向他们说明亨利·乔治的单一税方案.
"土地不属于任何人,土地属于上帝,"他讲道.
"对,这话不错,"有几个人同声回答.
"土地都是公有的,人人享有同等权利.土地有好有坏,人人都想得到好地.那么,该怎样分才公平呢?该这么办:凡是分到好地的人就该按地价付钱给没有土地的人,"聂赫留朵夫自问自答."但究竟谁应该付钱给谁,很难确定;再说村社公益事业也需要筹款.因此得这么办:凡是分到土地的人,都要按地价付钱给村社作各种用途.这样就公平合理了.你想要土地,就得付钱,好地多付些,坏地少付些.你不要土地,就不用出钱,公益金就由拿到土地的人替你付."
"这样可合理了,"砌炉匠动动眉一毛一说."谁的地好,谁就多出钱."
"那乔治倒是个有头脑的人,"相貌端正,一胡一子鬈曲的老头说.
"但价钱要大家出得起才好,"高个儿农民声音低沉地说,显然已预见到下一步的问题.
"价钱不能定得太贵,也不能太便宜......要是太贵,人家付不起,就会亏空;要是太便宜,相互买卖,就会拿土地做生意.我在这里就是要把这件事办好."
"这话很对,这话有理.行,这样办很好,"农民们说.
"他的头脑行,"肩膀宽阔,头发鬈曲的老头又说."那个乔治!想出来的主意多好."
"那么,要是我希望弄到一块地,该怎么办?"管家笑嘻嘻地说.
"要是有空地,您就自己拿去种吧,"聂赫留朵夫说.
"你要地干什么?没有地你也够饱的了,"眼睛含笑的老头说.
会议到此结束.
聂赫留朵夫把他的建议又说了一遍,但并不要他们当场答复,而是劝他们同大伙商量商量,再来给他答复.
农民们说他们会去同大伙商量,然后再给他答复.他们同东家告了别,心情激动地走了.他们响亮的说话声,久久地从大路上传来,越来越远.但村子里农民们的谈话声从河上传来,一直到深晚.
第二天,农民们没有干活,都在讨论东家的建议.全村分成两派:一派认为东家的建议对他们有利,没有危险;另一派认为其中有诈,但不知道诈在哪里,因此疑虑重重.不过到第三天,大家都同意东家的建议,走来向聂赫留朵夫宣布整个村社的决定.在接受东家建议上,有个老太婆的一番话起了作用.她说东家在考虑他的灵魂,他这样做是为了拯救灵魂.老头儿们同意她的话,这就打消了对东家行为有诈的忧虑.聂赫留朵夫在巴诺伏逗留期间施舍了不少钱,这也证实老太婆的解释有道理.不过,聂赫留朵夫在这里施舍钱财,起因是他第一次看到本地农民贫穷和困苦的程度,大为震惊,因此虽然知道施舍是不合理的,还是忍不住散发了一些钱.目前他手头的钱特别多,因为收到了去年出售库兹明斯科耶树林的钱,还有出卖农具的定金.
老百姓听说东家对求告的人都给了钱,顿时就有许多人从附近各村赶来求他帮助,其中主要是妇女.他简直不知道该怎么办,该按什么原则行一事,该周济谁,该给多少.他觉得既然他有的是钱,就应该周济那些确实很穷的求告者.不过,有求必应却是没有意思的.摆脱这种困境的唯一办法就是一走了事.他就赶紧离开这地方.
在巴诺伏逗留的最后一天,聂赫留朵夫来到正屋,清理房子里的杂物.在清理时,他在姑一妈一那个配着狮头铜环的红木旧衣柜底下一抽一屉里找到许多信件,里面夹一着一张几个人合拍的照片,上面有索菲雅姑一妈一,玛丽雅姑一妈一,做大学生时的他和卡秋莎.卡秋莎显得纯洁,娇一嫩,美丽,生气勃勃.从正房的杂物中,聂赫留朵夫只取走了信件和这张照片.其余的东西都让给了磨坊主.磨坊主通过笑嘻嘻的管家的介绍,以十分之一的价钱买下这些东西,包括巴诺伏的正屋和全部家具.
聂赫留朵夫回想他在库兹明斯科耶时怎样舍不得放弃财产,感到奇怪:他怎么会有这样的思想.现在他越来越感到放下包袱的轻松愉快,并且象旅行家发现新大一陆那样觉得新鲜.
