Formerly they had wardships, courts of justice, now they have the district council--not in the form of bribes, but in the form of unearned salary," he said, as hotly as though someone of those present had opposed his opinion.

"Aha! You're in a new phase again, I see--a conservative," said Stepan Arkadyevitch.

" However, we can go into that later.

" "Yes, later.