murderer?" inquired the other.--"See here, no matter who
it is, such chastisement without trial is not to be tolerated. Let us go
and defend him."

"But it is not a murderer who is being beaten."

"Not a murderer? A thief, then? Never mind, let us go, let us rescue him
from the mob."

"It is not a thief, either."

"Not a thief? Is it, then, a cashier, a railway employee, an army
contractor, a Russian Maecenas, a lawyer, a well-intentioned editor, a
public philanthropist?... At any rate, let us go, let us aid him!"

"No ... they are thrashing a correspondent."

"A correspondent?--Well, see here now, let's drink a glass of tea
first."

July, 1878.

TWO BROTHERS

It was a vision....

Two angels presented themselves before me ... two spirits.

I say angels ... spirits, because neither of them had any garments on
their naked bodies, and from the shoulders of both sprang long, powerful
wings.

Both are youths. One is rather plump, smooth of skin, with black curls.
He has languishing brown eyes with thick eyelashes; his gaze is
ingratiating, cheerful, and eager. A charming, captivating countenance a
trifle bold, a trifle malicious. His full red lips tremble slightly. The
youth smiles like one who has authority,--confidently and lazily; a
sumptuous garland of flowers rests lightly on his shining hair, almost
touching his velvet eyebrows. The spotted skin of a leopard, pinned with
a golden dart, hangs lightly from his plump shoulders down upon his
curving hips. The feathers of his wings gleam with changeable tints of
rose-colour; their tips are of a brilliant red, just as though they had
been dipped in fresh, crimson blood. From time to time they palpitate
swiftly, with a pleasant silvery sound, the sound of rain in springtime.

The other is gaunt and yellow of body. His ribs are faintly discernible
at every breath. His hair is fair, thin, straight; his eyes are huge,
round, pale grey in colour ... his gaze is uneasy and strangely bright.
All his features are sharp-cut: his mouth is small, half open, with
fish-like teeth; his nose is solid, aquiline; his chin projecting,
covered with a whitish down. Those thin lips have never once smiled.

It is a regular, terrible, pitiless face! Moreover, the face of the
first youth,--of the beauty,--although it is sweet and charming, does
not express any compassion either. Around the head of the second are
fastened a few empty, broken ears of grain intertwined with