things into her own hands and told him to buy the cow and rent the
field at once. Merciful Jesu! what a hard woman! What would she drive
him to next? He would really have to put up sheds and make farm carts!

Intelligent and even ingenious as Slimak was, he never dared to do
anything fresh unless driven to it. He understood his farm work
thoroughly, he could even mend the thrashing-machine at the
manor-house, and he kept everything in his head, beginning with the
rotation of crops on his land. Yet his mind lacked that fine thread
which joins the project to the accomplishment. Instead of this the
sense of obedience was very strongly developed in him. The squire, the
priest, the Wojt, his wife were all sent from God. He used to say:

'A peasant is in the world to carry out orders.'

The sun was sinking behind the hill crest when he drove his horses on
to the highroad, and he was pondering on how he would begin his
bargaining with Grochowski when he heard a guttural voice behind him,
'Heh! heh!'

Two men were standing on the highroad, one was grey-headed and
clean-shaven, and wore a German peaked cap, the other young and tall,
with a beard and a Polish cap. A two-horse vehicle was drawn up a
little farther back.

'Is that your field?' the bearded man asked in an unpleasant voice.

'Stop, Fritz,' the elder interrupted him.

'What am I to stop for?' the other said angrily.