was stolen!" Such caps were still to be found at the
Subotchevs'. Another distinguishing characteristic of the old world
was missing in them; neither Fomishka nor Fimishka were very religious.
Fomishka was even a follower of Voltaire, while Fimishka had a mortal
dread of the clergy and believed them to be possessed of the evil eye.
"As soon as a priest comes into my house the cream turns sour!" she used
to say. They rarely went to church and fasted in the Catholic fashion,
that is, ate eggs, butter, and milk. This was known in the town and did
not, of course, add to their reputation. But their kindness conquered
everybody; and although the Subotchevs were laughed at and called cranks
and blessed ones, still they were respected by everyone. No one cared
to visit them, however, but they were little concerned about this, too.
They were never dull when in each other's company, were never apart, and
never desired any other society.

Neither Fomishka nor Fimishka had ever been ill, and if one or the
other ever felt the slightest indisposition they would both drink some
concoction made of lime-flower, rub warm oil on their stomachs, or drop
hot candle grease on the soles of their feet and the little ailment
would soon pass over. They spent their days exactly alike. They got up
late, drank chocolate in tiny cups shaped like small mortars (tea, they
declared, came into fashion after their time), and sat opposite
one another chatting (they were never at a loss for a subject of
conversation!), or read out of "Pleasant Recreations", "The World's
Mirror", or "Amides", or turned over the leaves of an old album, bound
in red morocco, with gilt edges. This album had once belonged, as the
inscription showed, to a certain Madame Barbe de Kabyline. How and
why it had come into their possession they did not know. It contained
several French and a great many Russian poems and prose extracts, of
which the following reflections on Cicero form a fair example--"The
disposition in which Cicero undertook the office of quaestor may be
gathered from the following: Calling upon the gods to testify to the
purity of his sentiments in every rank with which he had hitherto been
honoured, he considered himself bound by the most sacred bonds to the
fulfilment of this one, and denied himself the indulgence, not only of
such pleasures as are forbidden by law, but refrained even from such
light amusements which are considered indispensable by all." Below
wa