ival. After the soup came the same rooster, fried with feathers,
and cakes made of cheese-curds, bountifully covered with butter and
sugar. Although the taste of it all was poor, Nekhludoff kept on
eating, being absorbed in the thoughts which relieved him of the
sadness that oppressed him on his return from the village.

After dinner Nekhludoff with difficulty seated the superserviceable
clerk, and in order to make sure of himself and at the same time to
confide to some one the thoughts uppermost in his mind, told him of
his project and asked his opinion. The clerk smiled, as though he had
been thinking of the same thing, and was very glad to hear it, but in
reality did not understand it, not because Nekhludoff did not express
himself plainly enough, but because, according to this project,
Nekhludoff deprived himself of advantages for the benefit of others,
whereas the truth that every man strives to obtain advantages at the
expense of others, was so firmly rooted in the clerk's mind, that he
thought that he misunderstood Nekhludoff when the latter said that the
entire income of the land was to go into the community's treasury.

"I understand. So you will draw the interest on the capital?" he said,
becoming radiant.

"No, no. I transfer the land to them entirely."

"In that case you will get no income?" asked the clerk and he ceased
to smile.

"I relinquish that."

The clerk sighed deeply, then began to smile again. Now he understood.
He understood that Nekhludoff's mind was not entirely sound, and he
immediately tried to find a way of profiting by Nekhludoff's project,
and endeavored to so construe it that he might turn it to his own
advantage.

When, however, he understood that there was no such opportunity, he
ceased to take interest in the projects, and continued to smile only
to please his master. Seeing that the clerk could not understand him,
Nekhludoff dismissed him from his presence, seated himself at the
ink-stained table and proceeded to commit his project to paper.

The sun was already descending behind the unfolding lindens, and the
mosquitos filled the room, stinging him. While he was finishing his
notes, Nekhludoff heard the lowing of cattle in the village, the
creaking of the opening gates and the voices of the peasants who were
coming to meet their master. Nekhludoff told the clerk not to call
them before the office, that he would go and meet them at any place in
the village, and gulping down