Анна Кареніна

Chapter 27

           

           ThisdidnotinterestLevin,butwhenhehadfinished,Levinwentbacktohisfirstposition,and,addressingSviazhsky,andtryingtodrawhimintoexpressinghisseriousopinion:

           “Thatthestandardofcultureisfalling,andthatwithourpresentrelationstothepeasantsthereisnopossibilityoffarmingonarationalsystemtoyieldaprofitthat’sperfectlytrue,”saidhe.

           “Idon’tbelieveit,”Sviazhskyrepliedquiteseriously;“allIseeisthatwedon’tknowhowtocultivatetheland,andthatoursystemofagricultureintheserfdayswasbynomeanstoohigh,buttoolow.Wehavenomachines,nogoodstock,noefficientsupervision;wedon’tevenknowhowtokeepaccounts.Askanylandowner;hewon’tbeabletotellyouwhatcrop’sprofitable,andwhat’snot.”

           “Italianbookkeeping,”saidthegentlemanofthegraywhiskersironically.“Youmaykeepyourbooksasyoulike,butiftheyspoileverythingforyou,therewon’tbeanyprofit.”

           “Whydotheyspoilthings?Apoorthrashingmachine,oryourRussianpresser,theywillbreak,butmysteampresstheydon’tbreak.AwretchedRussiannagthey’llruin,butkeepgooddray-horsestheywon’truinthem.Andsoitisallround.Wemustraiseourfarmingtoahigherlevel.”

           “Oh,ifoneonlyhadthemeanstodoit,NikolayIvanovitch!It’sallverywellforyou;butforme,withasontokeepattheuniversity,ladstobeeducatedatthehighschoolhowamIgoingtobuythesedray-horses?”

           “Well,that’swhatthelandbanksarefor.”

           “Togetwhat’sleftmesoldbyauction?No,thankyou.

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