, clever youth, and soon discovered that even a scribe
had a great many opportunities of extorting money from the ignorant
public.

These opportunities Alexei Petrovitch used with great ability,
and became known as one of the most accomplished bribe-takers
(vzyatotchniki) in the district. His position, however, was so very
subordinate that he would never have become rich had he not fallen upon
a very ingenious expedient which completely succeeded. Hearing that a
small proprietor, who had an only daughter, had come to live in the town
for a few weeks, he took a room in the inn where the newcomers lived,
and when he had made their acquaintance he fell dangerously ill. Feeling
his last hours approaching, he sent for a priest, confided to him that
he had amassed a large fortune, and requested that a will should be
drawn up. In the will he bequeathed large sums to all his relations, and
a considerable sum to the parish church. The whole affair was to be kept
a secret till after his death, but his neighbour--the old gentleman with
the daughter--was called in to act as a witness. When all this had been
done he did not die, but rapidly recovered, and now induced the old
gentleman to whom he had confided his secret to grant him his daughter's
hand. The daughter had no objections to marry a man possessed of such
wealth, and the marriage was duly celebrated. Shortly after this the
father died--without discovering, it is to be hoped, the hoax that had
been perpetrated--and Alexei Petrovitch became virtual possessor of
a very comfortable little estate. With the change in his fortunes he
completely changed his principles, or at least his practice. In all his
dealings he was strictly honest. He lent money, it is true, at from ten
to fifteen per cent., but that was considered in these parts not a very
exorbitant rate of interest, nor was he unnecessarily hard upon his
debtors.

It may seem strange that an honourable man like the General should
receive in his house such a motley company, comprising men of decidedly
tarnished reputation; but in this respect he was not at all peculiar.
One constantly meets in Russian society persons who are known to
have been guilty of flagrant dishonesty, and we find that men who are
themselves honourable enough associate with them on friendly terms. This
social leniency, moral laxity, or whatever else it may be called, is the
result of various causes. Several concurrent influences have tended to
lower