There were plenty of people there, and it was stifling hot. The great room was full of people, drinking and chatting with one another; but the private parlour contained the best youth of Lipka, with the smith and Gregory, the Voyt’s brother, at their head. There were several of the older farmers, too: Ploshka, the Soltys, Klemba, and Adam, cousin to Boryna. Even Kobus, though uninvited, had found means to enter. When Matthew came in, Gregory was speaking very earnestly, and writing with chalk on the table. By the proposed agreement, the Squire promised to give four acres of the Podlesie farm for each one of the forest they made over to him; also to let them have as much more land, to be paid by instalments. Moreover, he was to give them timber on credit for building the huts. All this Gregory set forth, article by article, calculating in figures how the land should be divided, and how much each was to get. “‘A promise is a toy made to give fools joy!’” grumbled Ploshka. “But this—this is a fact, not a promise. He is to sign everything at the notary’s—and do not forget it! So much land for us folk! Each family in Lipka will have an additional holding: think of that, my masters!” The blacksmith here repeated what the Squire had directed him to say. They listened attentively, in silence, looking hard at the white figures on the table, and reflecting. “’Tis all right—a golden opportunity; but will the Commissioner give his consent to it?” asked the Soltys, first to speak, and running his fingers through his shock of hair. “He must!” Gregory thundered. “When our assembly has decided, we shall ask no official’s leave: he cannot help himself! We will have it so!” “Leave or no leave, there’s no need to shout so loud. Will one of you see whether the policeman is not listening, close outside the wall?” “I saw him drinking at the bar this minute,” Matthew affirmed. “And when,” someone asked, “has the Squire said he would sign?” “To-morrow, if ye will,” was the answer. “Let us but accept, he will sign at once, and we can measure the ground out afterwards.” “Then, directly after harvest-home, we might enter into possession?” “And give it proper tilling in autumn?” “Ah! splendid!... How the work will go on then!” All began talking excitedly together. They were full of joy; their eyes shone with the consciousness of success, and they stretched their arms forth as if to seize upon the long-wished-for holdings. Some fell to humming tunes, some to calling on the Jew for vodka, out of sheer gladness. Some talked no little nonsense about the division of the portions they were to have, and everyone had visions of the new lands and riches and happiness that were to be theirs. They were like men drunk: they babbled, they drummed on the table with their fists, on the floor with their feet: the uproar was tremendous. “Ah! then—then the local feast at Lipka will indeed be a grand affair!” “And how many weddings we shall have every Carnival!”