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Levin, who had meanwhile been putting his gun away in the

cupboard, was just going out of the door, but catching the

merchant's words, he stopped.

"Why, you've got the forest for nothing as it is," he said. "He

came to me too late, or I'd have fixed the price for him."

Ryabinin got up, and in silence, with a smile, he looked Levin

down and up.

"Very close about money is Konstantin Dmitrievitch," he said with

a smile, turning to Stepan Arkadyevitch; "there's positively no

dealing with him. I was bargaining for some wheat of him, and a

pretty price I offered too."

"Why should I give you my goods for nothing? I didn't pick it up

on the ground, nor steal it either."

"Mercy on us! nowadays there's no chance at all of stealing. With

the open courts and everything done in style, nowadays there's no

question of stealing. We are just talking things over like

gentlemen. His excellency's asking too much for the forest. I

can't make both ends meet over it. I must ask for a little

concession."