ubtly engineered, precisely that decision which the senate
subsequently handed down in this suit.

Despite his comparative youth, rather well-known jurists gave heed to
his opinions--true, a little loftily. None of those who knew Ramses
closely doubted that he would make a brilliant career, and even Ramses
himself did not conceal his confidence in that toward thirty-five he
would knock together a million, exclusively through his practice as a
civil lawyer. His comrades not infrequently elected him chairman of
meetings and head of the class, but this honour Ramses invariably
declined, excusing himself with lack of time. But still he did not
avoid participation in his comrades' trials by arbitration, and his
arguments--always incontrovertibly logical--were possessed of an
amazing virtue in ending the trials with peace, to the mutual
satisfaction of the litigating parties. He, as well as Yarchenko, knew
well the value of popularity among the studying youths, and even if he
did look upon people with a certain contempt, from above, still he
never, by as much as a single movement of his thin, clever, energetical
lips, showed this.

"Well, Gavrila Petrovich, no one is necessarily dragging you into
committing a fall from grace," said Ramses in a conciliatory manner,
"What is all this pathos and melancholy for, when the matter as it
stands is altogether simple? A company of young Russian gentlemen
wishes to pass the remnant of the night modestly and amicably, to make
merry, to sing a little, and to take internally several gallons of wine
and beer. But everything is closed now, except these very same houses.
ERGO! ..."

"Consequently, we will go merry-making to women who are for sale? To
prostitutes? Into a brothel?" Yarchenko interrupted him, mockingly and
inimically.

"And even so? A certain philosopher, whom it was desired to humiliate,
was given a seat at dinner near the musicians. But he, sitting down,
said: 'Here is a sure means of making the last place the first.' And
finally I repeat: If your conscience does not allow you, as you express
yourself, to buy a woman, then you can go there and come away,
preserving your innocence in all its blossoming inviolability."

"You overdo it, Ramses," objected Yarchenko with displeasure. "You
remind me of those bourgeois, who, while it is still dark, have
gathered to gape at an execution and who say: we have nothing to do
with this, we are against capital punishment, this is all