Besides, he was wearing his steward's badge. In a ringing voice he
declaimed:

"To the local governesses of the Fatherland from the poet at the fete:

"Governesses all, good morrow,
Triumph on this festive day.
Retrograde or vowed George-Sander--
Never mind, just frisk away!"

"But that's Lebyadkin's! Lebyadkin's!" cried several voices. There was
laughter and even applause, though not from very many.

"Teaching French to wet-nosed children,
You are glad enough to think
You can catch a worn-out sexton--
Even he is worth a wink!"

"Hurrah! hurrah!"

"But in these great days of progress,
Ladies, to your sorrow know,
You can't even catch a sexton,
If you have not got a 'dot'."

"To be sure, to be sure, that's realism. You can't hook a husband
without a 'dot'!"

"But, henceforth, since through our feasting
Capital has flowed from all,
And we send you forth to conquest
Dancing, dowried from this hall--
Retrograde or vowed George-Sander,
Never mind, rejoice you may,
You're a governess with a dowry,
Spit on all and frisk away!"

I must confess I could not believe my ears. The insolence of it was so
unmistakable that there was no possibility of excusing Liputin on
the ground of stupidity. Besides, Liputin was by no means stupid. The
intention was obvious, to me, anyway; they seemed in a hurry to create
disorder. Some lines in these idiotic verses, for instance the last,
were such that no stupidity could have let them pass. Liputin himself
seemed to feel that he had undertaken too much; when he had achieved
his exploit he was so overcome by his own impudence that he did not even
leave the platform but remained standing, as though there were something
more he wanted to say. He had probably imagined that it would somehow
produce a different effect; but even the group of ruffians who had
applauded during the reading suddenly sank into silence, as though they,
too, were overcome. What was silliest of all, many of them took the
whole episode seriously, that is, did not regard the verses as a lampoon
but actually thought it realistic and true as regards the governesses--a
poem with a tendency, in fact. But the excessive freedom of the verses
struck even them at last; as for the general public they were not only
scandalised but obviously offended. I am sure I am not mistaken as to
the impression. Yulia Mihailovna said a