to want it in any case?"

"In the first place, I certainly do think it impossible, and in the
second, it's hardly worthwhile wanting such a thing."

"But why, my dear sir?" Kollomietzev asked; the polite tone was intended
to soothe Sipiagin, who sat very uneasily on his chair.

"Because in twenty or thirty years your landed gentry won't be here in
any case."

"What makes you think so?"

"Because by that time the land will fall into the hands of people in no
way distinguished by their origin."

"Do you mean the merchants?"

"For the most part probably the merchants."

"But how will it happen?"

"They'll buy it, of course."

"From the gentry?"

"Yes; from the gentry."

Kollomietzev smiled condescendingly. "If you recollect you said the very
same thing about factories that you're now saying about the land."

"And it's quite true."

"You will no doubt be very pleased about it!"

"Not at all. I've already told you that the people won't be any the
better off for the change."

Kollomietzev raised his hand slightly. "What solicitude on the part of
the people, imagine!"

"Vassily Fedotitch!" Sipiagin called out as loudly as he could, "they
have brought you some beer! Voyons, simeon!" he added in an undertone.

But Kollomietzev would not be suppressed.

"I see you haven't a very high opinion of the merchant class," he began
again, turning to Solomin, "but they've sprung from the people."

"So they have."

"I thought that you considered everything about the people, or relating
to the people, as above criticism!"

"Not at all! You are quite mistaken. The masses can be condemned for a
great many things, though they are not always to blame. Our merchant
is an exploiter and uses his capital for that purpose. He thinks that
people are always trying to get the better of him, so he tries to get
the better of them. But the people--"

"Well, what about the people?" Kollomietzev asked in falsetto.

"The people are asleep."

"And would you like to wake them?"

"That would not be a bad thing to do."

"Aha! aha! So that's what--"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen!" Sipiagin exclaimed imperatively. He felt that
the moment had come to put an end to the discussion, and he did put
an end to it. With a slight gesture of his right hand, while the elbow
remained propped on the table, he delivered a long and detailed speech.
He praised the conservatives on the one hand and approved of the
liberals on the other, giving the pr