Or else he would say:
"Have you ever seen such a flood? The rye has just begun to flower and it comes pouring down. Half of the hay is rotten already, and the rain still spouts and spurts. Is Golovliovo far from here? The Bloodsucker has long since gathered in his crops, and here we're stuck. We'll have to feed our cattle on rotten hay this winter."
Arina Petrovna listened in silence to his stupid complaints, but at times her patience gave way and she said:
"Well, keep on sitting there with your arms folded."
Instantly Pavel Vladimirych would flare up.
"What would you advise me to do? Transfer the rain to Golovliovo?"
"I'm not talking about the rain, but in general."
"No 'in general,' please. Why don't you tell me straight out what you think I should do? Shall I change the climate? There's Golovliovo. When Golovliovo needs rain, it rains. When Golovliovo doesn't need rain, then it doesn't rain. And everything grows there, while here, the very opposite. Well, we'll see what you'll have to say when there isn't anything to eat."
"Then such will be the Lord's will."
"All right, then such will be the Lord's will. But you say 'in general' as if that were an explanation."