'Not very well. We are a whole community settling together; it would take a long time to make other arrangements. My son Wilhelm does not like farming, and unless I buy him a windmill he will starve or go away from me. I am an old man, sell me your land! Listen,' he whispered, 'I will give you seventy-five roubles an acre. God is my witness, I am offering you more than the land is worth. But you will let me have it, won't you? You are an honest man and a Christian.' Slimak looked with astonishment and pity at the old man, from whose inflamed eyes the tears were pouring down. 'You can't have much sense, sir, to ask me such a thing,' he said. 'Would you ask a man to cut off his hand? What could a peasant do without his land?' 'You could buy twice as much. I will help you to find it.' Slimak shook his head. 'You are talking as a man talks when he digs up a shrub in the woods. "Come," he says, "you shall be near my cottage!" The shrub comes because it must, but it soon dies.' The man with the beard approached and spoke to his father in German. 'So you won't sell me your land?' said the old man. 'I won't.' 'Not for seventy-five roubles?' 'No.' 'And I tell you, you will sell it,' cried the younger man, drawing his father away. They went towards the bridge, talking German loudly. The peasant rested his chin on his hand and looked after them; then his eyes fell on the manor-house, and he returned to the cottage at full speed. 'Jagna,' he cried, 'do you know that the squire has sold his estate?' The gospodyni crossed herself with a spoon. 'In the name of the Father...Are you mad, Josef? Who told you so?' 'Two Germans spoke to me just now; they told me. And, Jagna, they want to buy our land, our own land!' 'You are off your head altogether!' cried the woman. 'Jendrek, go and see if there are any Germans about; your father is talking nonsense.' Jendrek returned with the information that he had seen two men in blue overcoats the other side of the bridge. Slimak sat on the bench, his head drooping, his hands resting limply on his knees. The morning light had turned grey, and made men and objects look dull. The gospodyni suddenly looked attentively at her husband. 'Why are you so pale?' she asked. 'What is the matter?' 'What is the matter? A nice question for a clever woman to ask! Don't you understand that the Germans will take the field away from us if the squire has sold it to them?' 'Why should they? We could pay the rent to them.' The woman tried to talk confidently, but her voice was unsteady. 'You don't know what you're talking about! Germans keep cattle and are sharp after grazing land. Besides, they will want to get rid of me.' 'We shall see who gets rid of whom!' Slimakowa said sharply. She came and stood in front of her husband, with her arms akimbo, gradually raising her voice.