Here they pressed closer to him, for a sudden hubbub had filled the great room: the panes were shaking with it, and the music had ceased. Someone went out and returned to tell them with a laugh what had taken place. Dominikova had come in with a stick for her sons, and caused a dreadful disturbance. She would have beaten and driven them home; but they had stood up to her, and made her leave the tavern; and now Simon was drinking to his heart’s content, and Andrew, completely muddled, was howling up the chimney. They cared to hear no more, for now Gregory set to expound his plan. It was for the village to be reconciled with the Squire and then barter each acre of the forest for four acres of the Podlesie land! The possibility of such a solution equally surprised and delighted them; and Gregory went on to tell them how a similar agreement had been made with a village near Plotsk, of which he had read in the papers. “Good for us peasants!—Jew, more vodka!” Ploshka called out through the door. “Aye, for every three acres of forest, exactly twelve of cornland!” “And for ten, a big holding!” “But he ought to let us have some faggots besides for firing!” “And an acre of meadow-land each by the wood-skirts into the bargain!” “And some timber for building also!” Everyone had a fresh condition to add. “And a horse apiece too,” Matthew sneered, “with a cart and a cow!” “Be quiet!” cried Gregory.—“And now the farmers must meet, then see the Squire, and say what they wish to have. It may be that he will come to terms.” Here Matthew cut in. “That he will not, unless the knife be at his throat. He needs money now: the Germans will give it him any day. Whereas, ere our people have scratched their heads and agreed on one single point, and ere their wives too have given their advice, a month will pass by, and the Squire will by then have sold the land and turned his back on us, having money to await the result of the lawsuit. Gregory’s plan is good; but, to my mind, it needs setting upside-down to work well.” “Say on then, Matthew, and advise us.” “Not to talk—not to take counsel—but to act! ... as we did for the forest!” “To act is possible sometimes, and sometimes not,” Gregory muttered. “I tell you it is possible ... not by the same means, but to the same end.—Let us go tell the Germans not to venture on purchasing Podlesie!” “Are they such fools—to fear us and obey?” “If they refuse, we tell them they shall not either sow or build ... nor move one step beyond their fields. Will they have no fear, think ye? Why, they would be like a fox that we smoke out of its earth.” But here Gregory burst out: “As there’s a God in heaven, such threats will get us put in prison once more!”