od in the presence of her
husband, and in order to continue the conversation she began to talk
of the latest news, the killing of Kanesky in the duel.

Ignatius Nikiforovitch expressed his disapproval of the condition of
things which excluded the killing in a duel from the category of
crimes.

His remark called forth Nekhludoff's reply, and a hot discussion
followed on the same subject, neither expressing fully his opinion,
and in the end they were again at loggerheads.

Ignatius Nikiforovitch felt that Nekhludoff condemned him, hating all
his activity, and he wished to prove the injustice of his reasoning.
Nekhludoff, on the other hand, to say nothing of the vexation caused
him by his brother-in-law's interference in his affairs (in the depth
of his soul he felt that his brother-in-law, his sister and their
children, as heirs, had the right to do so), was indignant at the calm
and confident manner of that narrow-minded man who continued to
consider legal and just that which to Nekhludoff was undoubtedly
foolish. This self-confidence irritated him.

"What should the court do?" asked Nekhludoff.

"Sentence one of the duelists, as it would a common murderer, to hard
labor."

Nekhludoff's hands again turned cold, and he continued with warmth:

"Well, what would be then?"

"Justice would be done."

"As if the aim of courts was to do justice!" said Nekhludoff.

"What else?"

"Their aim is to support class interests. Courts, according to my
idea, are only instruments for the perpetuation of conditions
profitable to our class."

"That is an entirely new view," said Ignatius Nikiforovitch, smiling
calmly. "Usually somewhat different aims are ascribed to courts."

"In theory, but not in practice, as I have learned. The only aim of
the courts is to preserve the existing state of things, and for this
reason they persecute and kill all those who are above the common
level and who wish to raise it as well as those who are below it."

"I cannot agree with the view that criminals are executed because they
are above the level of the average. For the most part they are the
excrescence of society, just as perverted, though in a different
manner, as are those criminal types whom you consider below the level
of the average."

"And I know people who are far above their judges."

But Ignatius Nikiforovitch, not accustomed to being interrupted when
speaking, did not listen to Nekhludoff, which was particularly
irritating