Page 342 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

While they were saddling his horse, Levin again called
up the bailiff, who was handing about in sight, to make it
up with him, and began talking to him about the spring
operations before them, and his plans for the farm.

The wagons were to begin carting manure earlier, so as
to get all done before the early mowing. And the
ploughing of the further land to go on without a break so
as to let it ripen lying fallow. And the mowing to be all
done by hired labor, not on half-profits. The bailiff
listened attentively, and obviously made an effort to
approve of his employer’s projects. But still he had that
look Levin knew so well that always irritated him, a look
of hopelessness and despondency. That look said: ‘That’s
all very well, but as God wills.’
Nothing mortified Levin so much as that tone. But it
was the tone common to all the bailiffs he had ever had.
They had all taken up that attitude to his plans, and so
now he was not angered by it, but mortified, and felt all
the more roused to struggle against this, as it seemed,
elemental force continually ranged against him, for which
he could find no other expression than ‘as God wills.’
‘If we can manage it, Konstantin Dmitrievitch,’ said the
bailiff.
‘Why ever shouldn’t you manage it?’

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