Chapter 10

           

           SoonafterhisadmissiontotheMasonicBrotherhood,PierrewenttotheKievprovince,wherehehadthegreatestnumberofserfs,takingwithhimfulldirectionswhichhehadwrittendownforhisownguidanceastowhatheshoulddoonhisestates.

           WhenhereachedKievhesentforallhisstewardstotheheadofficeandexplainedtothemhisintentionsandwishes.Hetoldthemthatstepswouldbetakenimmediatelytofreehisserfs—andthattillthentheywerenottobeoverburdenedwithlabor,womenwhilenursingtheirbabieswerenottobesenttowork,assistancewastobegiventotheserfs,punishmentsweretobeadmonitoryandnotcorporal,andhospitals,asylums,andschoolsweretobeestablishedonalltheestates.Someofthestewards(thereweresemiliterateforemenamongthem)listenedwithalarm,supposingthesewordstomeanthattheyoungcountwasdispleasedwiththeirmanagementandembezzlementofmoney,someaftertheirfirstfrightwereamusedbyPierre’slispandthenewwordstheyhadnotheardbefore,otherssimplyenjoyedhearinghowthemastertalked,whilethecleverestamongthem,includingthechiefsteward,understoodfromthisspeechhowtheycouldbesthandlethemasterfortheirownends.

           ThechiefstewardexpressedgreatsympathywithPierre’sintentions,butremarkedthatbesidesthesechangesitwouldbenecessarytogointothegeneralstateofaffairswhichwasfarfromsatisfactory.

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