Book 2 Chapter 7 The Disinherited

Nekhludoff spoke clearly, and the peasants were intelligent, but
they did not and could not understand him, for the same reason
that the foreman had so long been unable to understand him.

They were fully convinced that it is natural for every man to
consider his own interest. The experience of many generations had
proved to them that the landlords always considered their own
interest to the detriment of the peasants. Therefore, if a
landlord called them to a meeting and made them some kind of a
new offer, it could evidently only be in order to swindle them
more cunningly than before.

"Well, then, what are you willing to rent the land at?" asked
Nekhludoff.

"How can we fix a price? We cannot do it. The land is yours, and
the power is in your hands," answered some voices from among the
crowd.

"Oh, not at all. You will yourselves have the use of the money
for communal purposes."

"We cannot do it; the commune is one thing, and this is another."

"Don't you understand?" said the foreman, with a smile (he had
followed Nekhludoff to the meeting), "the Prince is letting the
land to you for money, and is giving you the money back to form a
capital for the commune."

"We understand very well," said a cross, toothless old man,
without raising his eyes. "Something like a bank; we should have
to pay at a fixed time. We do not wish it; it is hard enough as
it is, and that would ruin us completely."