"Of course not," assented his reverence, "how could the mandatar think of selling your labour?--ridiculous!"
"Owe forest labour to their count," said Taras, meditatively. "If there is no clause to limit the place, the Count may be within the law if he says: 'Having no forest at Zulawce of my own now, I sell the labour which is due to me.'"
"Of course," cried the pope, "he has lost his forest, poor man, shall he lose his profit besides?--ridiculous!"
"If he has no forest, he cannot expect us to work in it," objected Stephen, doggedly.
"Naturally not," affirmed his reverence; "even a child can see that! Where is the forest you are to work in?--ridiculous!"
"There is no lack of forest at Prinkowce," said Taras.
"No, no, plenty of it," declared the pope; "why, the place is covered with woods, partly beech, partly pine. And, after all, I suppose it may be pretty equal to you whether you do the work here or----"
"All honour to your reverence," broke in the judge, angrily; "but this is just nonsense; your judgment, I fear, is awry with your schnaps."
And the amiable man adopted even this opinion, owning humbly "it was Avrumko, that miserable Jew, with his tempting supply ..."
But the men went their way none the wiser for their shepherd's willingness to solve their difficulty. Simeon upon this attempted to reason with the judge, suggesting their applying to the magistrates for decision. It was not without a real struggle with himself that old Stephen at last gave in.