Moreover, though he had long lived in very close relations with the peasants, as their master, mediator, and above all as their adviser (the peasants trusted him, and would often come thirty miles to consult him), he had no definite opinion concerning them. Had he been asked whether he knew the people, he would have been just as much at a loss for a reply as he was for a reply to the question whether he liked them.
Кроме того, хотя он долго жил в самых близких отношениях к мужикам как хозяин и посредник, а главное, как советчик (мужики верили ему и ходили верст за сорок к нему советоваться), он не имел никакого определенного суждения о народе, и на вопрос, знает ли он народ, был бы в таком же затруднении ответить, как на вопрос, любит ли он народ.