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Mardary Apollonitch's interest in his estate is of a rather superficial description; not to be behind the age, he ordered a threshing-machine from Butenop's in Moscow, locked it up in a barn, and then felt his mind at rest on the subject. Sometimes on a fine summer day he would have out his racing droshky, and drive off to his fields, to look at the crops and gather corn-flowers.
Mardary Apollonitch Stegunov has no sort of resemblance to Hvalinsky; I hardly think he has ever served under government in any capacity, and he has never been reckoned handsome. Mardary Apollonitch is a little, fattish, bald old man of a respectable corpulence, with a double chin and little soft hands.
'What are you after, young man? what is it? he said, shaking his head. 'Am I a criminal or something, that you stare at me like that? "Whom he loveth he chasteneth"; you know that. A quarter of an hour later I had taken leave of Mardary Apollonitch. As I was driving through the village I caught sight of Vasya. He was walking down the village street, cracking nuts.
Tchuki-tchuk! 'What is it? I asked puzzled. 'Oh, by my order, they're punishing a scamp of a fellow.... Do you happen to remember Vasya, who waits at the sideboard? 'Which Vasya? 'Why, that waited on us at dinner just now. He with the long whiskers. The fiercest indignation could not have stood against the clear mild gaze of Mardary Apollonitch.
Mardary Apollonitch has a multitude of servants, all dressed in the old-fashioned style; in long blue full coats, with high collars, shortish pantaloons of a muddy hue, and yellow waistcoats.
The huts allotted to the peasants there are wretched cramped little hovels; there isn't a tree to be seen near them; there's not a pond even; there's only one well, and that's no good. Could you really find no other place to settle them?... And they say you're taking away the old hemp-grounds, too? 'And what is one to do with this new division of the lands? Mardary Apollonitch made answer.
'There, there, that'll do, get along with you.... 'A capital fellow, pursued Mardary Apollonitch, looking after him, 'I like him very much; there's only one thing he's young yet. But how are you, my dear sir?... What have you been doing? How are you? Let's come out on to the balcony such a lovely evening. We went out on the balcony, sat down, and began to talk.
Mardary Apollonitch's existence is carried on in quite the old style.
In Mardary Apollonitch's stable there are thirty horses of various kinds; he drives out in a coach built on the estate, that weighs four tons. He receives visitors very cordially, and entertains them sumptuously; in other words, thanks to the stupefying powers of our national cookery, he deprives them of all capacity for doing anything but playing preference.
I'm in a regular perspiration: look. And Mardary Apollonitch went off into a series of chuckles. We remained on the balcony. The evening was really exceptionally fine. Tea was served us. 'Tell me, I began, 'Mardary Apollonitch: are those your peasants' huts, out there on the highroad, above the ravine? 'Yes ... why do you ask? 'I wonder at you, Mardary Apollonitch? It's really sinful.
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