ar fellow!" cried Prince S., with some annoyance, "don't you see
that he is chaffing you? He is simply laughing at you, and wants to make
game of you."

"I thought Evgenie Pavlovitch was talking seriously," said the prince,
blushing and dropping his eyes.

"My dear prince," continued Prince S. "remember what you and I were
saying two or three months ago. We spoke of the fact that in our newly
opened Law Courts one could already lay one's finger upon so many
talented and remarkable young barristers. How pleased you were with
the state of things as we found it, and how glad I was to observe your
delight! We both said it was a matter to be proud of; but this clumsy
defence that Evgenie mentions, this strange argument CAN, of course,
only be an accidental case--one in a thousand!"

The prince reflected a little, but very soon he replied, with absolute
conviction in his tone, though he still spoke somewhat shyly and
timidly:

"I only wished to say that this 'distortion,' as Evgenie Pavlovitch
expressed it, is met with very often, and is far more the general rule
than the exception, unfortunately for Russia. So much so, that if this
distortion were not the general rule, perhaps these dreadful crimes
would be less frequent."

"Dreadful crimes? But I can assure you that crimes just as dreadful,
and probably more horrible, have occurred before our times, and at all
times, and not only here in Russia, but everywhere else as well. And in
my opinion it is not at all likely that such murders will cease to occur
for a very long time to come. The only difference is that in former
times there was less publicity, while now everyone talks and writes
freely about such things--which fact gives the impression that such
crimes have only now sprung into existence. That is where your mistake
lies--an extremely natural mistake, I assure you, my dear fellow!" said
Prince S.

"I know that there were just as many, and just as terrible, crimes
before our times. Not long since I visited a convict prison and made
acquaintance with some of the criminals. There were some even more
dreadful criminals than this one we have been speaking of--men who
have murdered a dozen of their fellow-creatures, and feel no remorse
whatever. But what I especially noticed was this, that the very most
hopeless and remorseless murderer--however hardened a criminal he may
be--still KNOWS THAT HE IS A CRIMINAL; that is, he is conscious that
he has acted wickedly, tho