He was sitting by the table under the awning of the steamer and drinking tea, together with Yefim and the receiver of the corn, a provincial clerk--a redheaded, short-sighted gentleman in glasses.

Nervously shrugging his shoulders the receiver was telling in a hoarse voice how the peasants were starving, but Foma paid little attention to his words, looking now at the work below, now at the other side of the river--a tall, yellow, sandy steep shore, whose edges were covered with pine trees.

It was unpeopled and quiet.
"I'll have to go over there," thought Foma.

And as though from a distance the receiver's tiresome, unpleasant, harsh voice fell on his ears: "You wouldn't believe it--at last it became horrible! Such an incident took place! A peasant came up to a certain intelligent man in Osa and brought along with him a girl about sixteen years old.
"'What do you wish ?" "'Here,' he says, 'I've brought my daughter to your Honour.' "'What for ?' "'Perhaps,' he says, 'you'll take her--you are a bachelor.' "'That is, how?
What do you mean ?' "'I took her around town,' he says.

'I wanted to hire her out as a servant--but nobody would have her--take her at least as your mistress!' "Do you understand?
He offered his own daughter--just think of it! A daughter--as a mistress! The devil knows what that is! Eh?
The man, of course, became indignant and began abusing the peasant.