“Ours is a common misfortune and we will share it together. All that is mine is yours,” she concluded, scanning the faces before her.

All eyes were gazing at her with one and the same expression. She could not fathom whether it was curiosity, devotion, gratitude, or apprehension and distrust⁠—but the expression on all the faces was identical.

“We are all very thankful for your bounty, but it won’t do for us to take the landlord’s grain,” said a voice at the back of the crowd.

“But why not?” asked the princess.

No one replied and Princess Márya, looking round at the crowd, found that every eye she met now was immediately dropped.

“But why don’t you want to take it?” she asked again.

No one answered.