spitals as she is," I said. "Oh, for the
sake of a girl like that one might not only go into the Zemstvo,
but even wear out iron shoes, like the girl in the fairy tale. And
Misuce? What a sweet creature she is, that Misuce!"

Byelokurov, drawling out "Er--er," began a long-winded disquisition
on the malady of the age--pessimism. He talked confidently, in a
tone that suggested that I was opposing him. Hundreds of miles of
desolate, monotonous, burnt-up steppe cannot induce such deep
depression as one man when he sits and talks, and one does not know
when he will go.

"It's not a question of pessimism or optimism," I said irritably;
"its simply that ninety-nine people out of a hundred have no sense."

Byelokurov took this as aimed at himself, was offended, and went
away.

III

"The prince is staying at Malozyomovo, and he asks to be remembered
to you," said Lida to her mother. She had just come in, and was
taking off her gloves. "He gave me a great deal of interesting news
. . . . He promised to raise the question of a medical relief centre
at Malozyomovo again at the provincial assembly, but he says there
is very little hope of it." And turning to me, she said: "Excuse
me, I always forget that this cannot be interesting to you."

I felt irritated.

"Why not interesting to me?" I said, shrugging my shoulders. "You
do not care to know my opinion, but I assure you the question has
great interest for me."

"Yes?"

"Yes. In my opinion a medical relief centre at Malozyomovo is quite
unnecessary."

My irritation infected her; she looked at me, screwing up her eyes,
and asked:

"What is necessary? Landscapes?"

"Landscapes are not, either. Nothing is."

She finished taking off her gloves, and opened the newspaper, which
had just been brought from the post. A minute later she said quietly,
evidently restraining herself:

"Last week Anna died in childbirth, and if there had been a medical
relief centre near, she would have lived. And I think even
landscape-painters ought to have some opinions on the subject."

"I have a very definite opinion on that subject, I assure you," I
answered; and she screened herself with the newspaper, as though
unwilling to listen to me. "To my mind, all these schools, dispensaries,
libraries, medical relief centres, under present conditions, only
serve to aggravate the bondage of the people. The peasants are
fettered by a great chain, and you do not break the chain, but only
add