society is still more uniform than the buildings."

"You astonish me: how is that?"

"Listen. There is, of course, in every government town a governor. These
do not always resemble each other; but as soon as any one of them
appears, police and secretaries immediately become active, merchants and
tradesmen bow, and the gentry draw themselves up, with, however, some
little awe. Wherever the governor goes, he is sure to find Champagne,
the wine so much patronized in the province, and every body drinks a
bumper to the health of the '_father of the province_.' Governors
generally are well-bred, and sometimes very proud. They like to give
dinner-parties, and benevolently condescend to play a game of whist with
rich brandy-contractors and landowners."

"That's a common thing," remarked Ivan Vassilievitsch.

"Do not interrupt me. Besides the governor, there is in nearly every
government town the governor's lady. She is rather a peculiar personage;
generally brought up in one of the two capitals, and spoiled with the
cringing attentions of her company. On her husband's first entry into
office, she is polite and affable; later, she begins to feel weary of
the ordinary provincial intrigues and gossips; she gets accustomed to
the slavish attentions she receives, and lays claim to them. At this
period she surrounds herself with a parasitical suite; she quarrels with
the lady of the vice-governor; she brags of St. Petersburg; speaks with
disdain of her provincial circle, and finally draws upon herself the
utmost universal ill-feeling, which is kept up till the day of her
departure, when all goes into oblivion, every thing is pardoned, and
every body bids her farewell with tears."

"Two persons do not form the whole society of a town," interrupted again
Ivan Vassilievitsch.

"Patience, brother, patience! Certainly there are other persons besides
the two I have just spoken of: there is the vice-governor and his lady;
several presidents, with their respective ladies, and an innumerable
crowd of functionaries serving under their leadership. The ladies are
ever quarreling in words, while their husbands do the same thing upon
foolscap. The presidents, for the most part, are men of advanced age and
business-like habits, with great crosses hanging from their necks, and
are, during the day time, to be seen out of their courts only on
holidays. The government attorney is generally a single man, and an
enviable match. The superior officer