The boys, after the manner of their kind, were bad hands at compliment; but they managed to express in their best Russian their thanks for the extreme kindness which they had received.
The days went on after the count's arrival much as they had done before, except that the boys now took to horse exercise, accompanying their host as he rode round his estate, and visited the various villages upon it.
The houses in these villages astonished the boys.

Built of mud, of one story only and flat-roofed, they each occupied a large extent of ground; for here whole families lived together.

As the sons grew up and married, instead of going into separate houses, and setting up life on their own account, they brought their wives home, as did their children when their turn came also to marry, so that under one roof resided as many as four generations, counting some forty or fifty souls altogether.
Each village had its headman, who settled all disputes, but against whose decision, if it failed to give satisfaction, there was an appeal to the master.

The serfs worked, the count told the boys, without pay, but they had so many days in each month when they cultivated the land which was common to the village.

They could, the count said, be sold, but in point of fact never were sold except with the land.
"It's a bad system, and I wish that they were as free is your laborers are in England." "Of course our people cannot be sold," Jack said, "but after all there's not so much difference in that respect, for if an estate changes hands, they work for the new owner just as yours do." "Yes, but your laborers cannot be killed or even flogged by their masters with impunity." "No, I should think not," Jack exclaimed.