He took the room wherein the old Man—forty years long in this wise— His housekeeper was wont to scold, Look through the window and kill flies. ’Twas plain—an oaken floor ye scan, Two cupboards, table, soft divan, And not a speck of dirt descried. Onéguine oped the cupboards wide. In one he doth accounts behold, Here bottles stand in close array, There jars of cider block the way, An almanac but eight years old. His uncle, busy man indeed, No other book had time to read. IV Alone amid possessions great, Eugene at first began to dream, If but to lighten Time’s dull rate, Of many an economic scheme; This anchorite amid his waste The ancient _barshtchina_ replaced By an _obrok’s_ indulgent rate:(23) The peasant blessed his happy fate. But this a heinous crime appeared Unto his neighbour, man of thrift, Who secretly denounced the gift, And many another slily sneered; And all with one accord agreed, He was a dangerous fool indeed. [Note 23: The _barshtchina_ was the corvée, or forced labour of three days per week rendered previous to the emancipation of 1861 by the serfs to their lord. The _obrok_ was a species of poll-tax paid by a serf, either in lieu of the forced labour or in consideration of being permitted to exercise a trade or profession elsewhere. Very heavy obroks have at times been levied on serfs possessed of skill or accomplishments, or who had amassed wealth; and circumstances may be easily imagined which, under such a system, might lead to great abuses.] V All visited him at first, of course; But since to the backdoor they led Most usually a Cossack horse Upon the Don’s broad pastures bred If they but heard domestic loads Come rumbling up the neighbouring roads, Most by this circumstance offended All overtures of friendship ended. “Oh! what a fool our neighbour is! He’s a freemason, so we think. Alone he doth his claret drink, A lady’s hand doth never kiss. ’Tis _yes! no!_ never _madam! sir!_”(24) This was his social character. [Note 24: The neighbours complained of Onéguine’s want of courtesy. He always replied “da” or “nyet,” yes or no, instead of “das” or “nyets”—the final s being a contraction of “sudar” or “sudarinia,” i.e. sir or madam.] VI Into the district then to boot A new proprietor arrived, From whose analysis minute The neighbourhood fresh sport derived. Vladimir Lenski was his name, From Gottingen inspired he came, A worshipper of Kant, a bard, A young and handsome galliard. He brought from mystic Germany The fruits of learning and combined A fiery and eccentric mind, Idolatry of liberty, A wild enthusiastic tongue, Black curls which to his shoulders hung. VII