ed him.

From this day they became friends, and the "creatures that once were
men," seeing them together, said: "The teacher is friendly with Tyapa
... He wishes his money. Kuvalda must have put this into his head ...
To look about to see where the old man's fortune is ..."

Probably they did not believe what they said. There was one strange
thing about these men, namely, that they painted themselves to others
worse than they actually were. A man who has good in him does not mind
sometimes showing his worse nature.

* * * * *

When all these people were gathered round the teacher, then the reading
of the newspaper would begin.

"Well, what does the newspaper discuss to-day? Is there any
feuilleton?"

"No," the teacher informs him.

"Your publisher seems greedy ... but is there any leader?"

"There is one to-day.... It appears to be by Gulyaeff."

"Aha! Come, out with it. He writes cleverly, the rascal."

"'The taxation of immovable property,'" reads the teacher, "'was
introduced some fifteen years ago, and up to the present it has served
as the basis for collecting these taxes in aid of the city revenue ...'"

"That is simple," comments Captain Kuvalda. "It continues to serve.
That is ridiculous. To the merchant who is moving about in the city,
it is profitable that it should continue to serve. Therefore it does
continue."

"The article, in fact, is written on the subject," says the teacher.

"Is it? That is strange, it is more a subject for a feuilleton..."

"Such a subject must be treated with plenty of pepper...."

Then a short discussion begins. The people listen attentively, as only
one bottle of vodki has been drunk.

After the leader, they read the local events, then the court
proceedings, and, if in the police court it reports that the defendant
or plaintiff is a merchant, then Aristid Kuvalda sincerely rejoices.
If someone has robbed the merchant, "That is good," says he. "Only it
is a pity they robbed him of so little." If his horses have broken
down, "It is sad that he is still alive." If the merchant has lost his
suit in court, "It is a pity that the costs were not double the amount."

"That would have been illegal," remarks the teacher

"Illegal! But is the merchant himself legal?" inquires Kuvalda,
bitterly. "What is the merchant? Let us investigate this rough and
uncouth phenomenon. First of all, every merchant is a mujik. He comes
from