flame was the root of the
mischief, for, after all, it is not like a chignon, which will fit any
woman's head. But there is nothing of which it is more difficult to
convince a woman than of this; on the contrary, anyone who cares to
encourage the delusion in her will always be sure to meet with success.
And people vied with one another in encouraging the delusion in Yulia
Mihailovna. The poor woman became at once the sport of conflicting
influences, while fully persuaded of her own originality. Many clever
people feathered their nests and took advantage of her simplicity during
the brief period of her rule in the province. And what a jumble there
was under this assumption of independence! She was fascinated at the
same time by the aristocratic element and the system of big landed
properties and the increase of the governor's power, and the democratic
element, and the new reforms and discipline, and free-thinking and stray
Socialistic notions, and the correct tone of the aristocratic salon and
the free-and-easy, almost pot-house, manners of the young people that
surrounded her. She dreamed of "giving happiness" and reconciling
the irreconcilable, or, rather, of uniting all and everything in
the adoration of her own person. She had favourites too; she was
particularly fond of Pyotr Stepanovitch, who had recourse at times to
the grossest flattery in dealing with her. But she was attracted by him
for another reason, an amazing one, and most characteristic of the
poor lady: she was always hoping that he would reveal to her a regular
conspiracy against the government. Difficult as it is to imagine such
a thing, it really was the case. She fancied for some reason that there
must be a nihilist plot concealed in the province. By his silence at one
time and his hints at another Pyotr Stepanovitch did much to strengthen
this strange idea in her. She imagined that he was in communication with
every revolutionary element in Russia but at the same time passionately
devoted to her. To discover the plot, to receive the gratitude of the
government, to enter on a brilliant career, to influence the young "by
kindness," and to restrain them from extremes--all these dreams existed
side by side in her fantastic brain. She had saved Pyotr Stepanovitch,
she had conquered him (of this she was for some reason firmly
convinced); she would save others. None, none of them should perish,
she should save them all; she would pick them out; she would sen