as
always being brought up, with a more or less painful bump, when I
attempted to elucidate the institutions of this land of liberty. He
seemed to have it firmly fixed in his brain that, although Count Tolstoy
worked in the fields "like one of us poor brethren," he really did no
work whatever.

Thus did I obtain a foretaste of the views held by the peasant class
upon the subject of Count Tolstoy's scheme of reformation, since this
man was a peasant himself from one of the neighboring villages, and an
average representative of their modes of thought.

At last we reached the stone gateposts which mark the entrance to the
park of Yasnaya Polyana (Clearfield), and drove up the formerly splendid
and still beautiful avenue of huge white birch-trees, from whose ranks
many had fallen or been felled. The avenue terminated near the house in
hedges of lilacs and acacias.

Most of the family were away in the fields, or bathing in the river. But
we were cordially received, assured that our visit was well timed and
that there were no guests, and were installed in the room of the count's
eldest son, who was at his business in St. Petersburg.

Then I paid and dismissed the beaming Vanka, whose name chanced to be
Alexei, adding liberal "tea-money" for his charming manners and
conversation. My sympathy with the hardship of being unable to procure
books had moved me so deeply that I had already asked the man for his
address, and had promised to send him a complete set of the count's
"Tales" from Moscow.

We parted with the highest opinion of each other. Alas! a day or two
later one of the count's daughters happened to inquire how much I had
paid for the carriage, probably in consequence of former experiences,
and informed me that I had given just twice as much as any cabman in
Tula would have been glad to take. (The boredom of those policemen must
have been relieved by another smile--behind our backs.) Then I repeated
my conversation with that delicately conscientious _izvostchik_,
nurtured on the "Tales," and mentioned my promise. Even the grave count
was forced to laugh, and I declared that I should be afraid to send the
set of books, for fear of the consequences.

When we were ready, being unfamiliar with the house, we asked the maid
to conduct us to the countess. She took this in its literal sense, and
ushered us into the bedroom where the countess was dressing, an
introduction to country life which was certainly informal enoug