endent provincial paper. There were also several
ladies, married and single, and lastly, even Karmazinov who, though he
could not be said to bustle, announced aloud with a complacent air that
he would agreeably astonish every one when the literary quadrille began.
An extraordinary multitude of donors and subscribers had turned up, all
the select society of the town; but even the unselect were admitted, if
only they produced the cash. Yulia Mihailovna observed that sometimes it
was a positive duty to allow the mixing of classes, "for otherwise who
is to enlighten them?"

A private drawing-room committee was formed, at which it was decided
that the fete was to be of a democratic character. The enormous list
of subscriptions tempted them to lavish expenditure. They wanted to do
something on a marvellous scale--that's why it was put off. They were
still undecided where the ball was to take place, whether in the immense
house belonging to the marshal's wife, which she was willing to give up
to them for the day, or at Varvara Petrovna's mansion at Skvoreshniki.
It was rather a distance to Skvoreshniki, but many of the committee were
of opinion that it would be "freer" there. Varvara Petrovna would dearly
have liked it to have been in her house. It's difficult to understand
why this proud woman seemed almost making up to Yulia Mihailovna.
Probably what pleased her was that the latter in her turn seemed almost
fawning upon Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch and was more gracious to him
than to anyone. I repeat again that Pyotr Stepanovitch was always, in
continual whispers, strengthening in the governor's household an idea he
had insinuated there already, that Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch was a man who
had very mysterious connections with very mysterious circles, and that
he had certainly come here with some commission from them.

People here seemed in a strange state of mind at the time. Among the
ladies especially a sort of frivolity was conspicuous, and it could
not be said to be a gradual growth. Certain very free-and-easy notions
seemed to be in the air. There was a sort of dissipated gaiety and
levity, and I can't say it was always quite pleasant. A lax way of
thinking was the fashion. Afterwards when it was all over, people blamed
Yulia Mihailovna, her circle, her attitude. But it can hardly have
been altogether due to Yulia Mihailovna. On the contrary; at first many
people vied with one another in praising the new governor's wife for h