Chapter 9

           

           UntilPrinceAndrewsettledinBoguchárovoitsownershadalwaysbeenabsentees,anditspeasantswereofquiteadifferentcharacterfromthoseofBaldHills.Theydifferedfromtheminspeech,dress,anddisposition.Theywerecalledsteppepeasants.TheoldprinceusedtoapproveofthemfortheirenduranceatworkwhentheycametoBaldHillstohelpwiththeharvest.ortodigpondsandditches,buthedislikedthemfortheirboorishness.

           PrinceAndrew’slaststayatBoguchárovo,whenheintroducedhospitalsandschoolsandreducedthequitrentthepeasantshadtopay,hadnotsoftenedtheirdispositionbuthadonthecontrarystrengthenedinthemthetraitsofcharactertheoldprincecalledboorishness.Variousobscurerumorswerealwayscurrentamongthem:atonetimearumorthattheywouldallbeenrolledasCossacks;atanotherofanewreligiontowhichtheywerealltobeconverted;thenofsomeproclamationoftheTsar’sandofanoathtotheTsarPaulin1797(inconnectionwithwhichitwasrumoredthatfreedomhadbeengrantedthembutthelandownershadstoppedit),thenofPeterFëdorovich’sreturntothethroneinsevenyears’time,wheneverythingwouldbemadefreeandso“simple”thattherewouldbenorestrictions.RumorsofthewarwithBonaparteandhisinvasionwereconnectedintheirmindswiththesamesortofvaguenotionsofAntichrist,theendoftheworld,and“purefreedom.”

           InthevicinityofBoguchárovowerelargevillagesbelongingtothecrownortoownerswhoseserfspaidquitrentandcouldworkwheretheypleased.

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