n was Nature itself,--and
reverent awe pierced my soul with an instantaneous chill.

I approached the seated woman, and making a respectful obeisance, "O our
common mother," I exclaimed, "what is the subject of thy meditation? Art
thou pondering the future destinies of mankind? As to how it is to
attain the utmost possible perfection and bliss?"

The woman slowly turned her dark, lowering eyes upon me. Her lips moved,
and a stentorian voice, like unto the clanging of iron, rang out:

"I am thinking how I may impart more power to the muscles in the legs of
a flea, so that it may more readily escape from its enemies. The
equilibrium of attack and defence has been destroyed.... It must be
restored."

"What!" I stammered, in reply.--"So that is what thou art thinking
about? But are not we men thy favourite children?"

The woman knit her brows almost imperceptibly.--"All creatures are my
children," she said, "and I look after all of them alike,--and I
annihilate them in identically the same way."

"But good ... reason ... justice...." I stammered again.

"Those are the words of men," rang out the iron voice. "I know neither
good nor evil.... Reason is no law to me--and what is justice?--I have
given thee life,--I take it away and give it to others; whether worms or
men ... it makes no difference to me.... But in the meantime, do thou
defend thyself, and hinder me not!"

I was about to answer ... but the earth round about me uttered a dull
groan and trembled--and I awoke.

August, 1879.

"HANG HIM!"

"It happened in the year 1803," began my old friend, "not long before
Austerlitz. The regiment of which I was an officer was quartered in
Moravia.

"We were strictly forbidden to harry and oppress the inhabitants; and
they looked askance on us as it was, although we were regarded as
allies.

"I had an orderly, a former serf of my mother's, Egor by name. He was an
honest and peaceable fellow; I had known him from his childhood and
treated him like a friend.

"One day, in the house where I dwelt, abusive shrieks and howls arose:
the housewife had been robbed of two hens, and she accused my orderly of
the theft. He denied it, and called upon me to bear witness whether 'he,
Egor Avtamonoff, would steal!' I assured the housewife of Egor's
honesty, but she would listen to nothing.

"Suddenly the energetic trampling of horses' hoofs resounded along the
street: it was the Commander-in-Chief himself riding by w