Page 348 - ANNA KARENINA

Anna Karenina

if there’s a good crop you shall have half a rouble for every
acre.’
‘Humbly thankful. We are very well content, sir, as it
is.’

Levin got on his horse and rode towards the field
where was last year’s clover, and the one which was
ploughed ready for the spring corn.
The crop of clover coming up in the stubble was
magnificent. It had survived everything, and stood up
vividly green through the broken stalks of last year’s
wheat. The horse sank in up to the pasterns, and he drew
each hoof with a sucking sound out of the half-thawed
ground. Over the ploughland riding was utterly
impossible; the horse could only keep a foothold where
there was ice, and in the thawing furrows he sank deep in
at each step. The ploughland was in splendid condition; in
a couple of days it would be fit for harrowing and sowing.
Everything was capital, everything was cheering. Levin
rode back across the streams, hoping the water would have
gone down. And he did in fact get across, and startled two
ducks. ‘There must be snipe too,’ he thought, and just as
he reached the turning homewards he met the forest
keeper, who confirmed his theory about the snipe.

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