the others are acquired.  Again, if one of them wishes for some career, he must become a soldier:  if he is a sublieutenant, he is the slave of the lieutenant; if he is a lieutenant, he is the slave of the captain, and the captain of the major, and so on up to the emperor, who is nobody’s slave, but who one fine day is surprised at the table, while walking, or in his bed, and is poisoned, stabbed, or strangled.  If he chooses a civil career, it is much the same.  He marries a wife, and does not love her; children come to him he knows not how, whom he has to provide for; he must struggle incessantly to provide for his family if he is poor, and if he is rich to prevent himself being robbed by his steward and cheated by his tenants.  Is this life?  While we, gentlemen, we are born, and that is the only pain we cost our mothers—­all the rest is the master’s concern.  He provides for us, he chooses our calling, always easy enough to learn if we are not quite idiots.  Are we ill?  His doctor attends us gratis; it is a loss to him if we die.  Are we well?  We have our four certain meals a day, and a good stove to sleep near at night.  Do we fall in love?  There is never any hindrance to our marriage, if the woman loves us; the master himself asks us to hasten our marriage, for he wishes us to have as many children as possible.  And when the children are born, he does for them in their turn all he has done for us.  Can you find me many great lords as happy as their slaves?”

“All this is true,” said Gregory, pouring him out another glass of brandy; “but, after all, you are not free.”

“Free to do what?” asked Ivan.

“Free to go where you will and when you will.”

“I am as free as the air,” replied Ivan.

“Nonsense!” said Gregory.

“Free as air, I tell you; for I have good masters, and above all a good mistress,” continued Ivan, with a significant smile, “and I have only to ask and it is done.”

“What! if after having got drunk here to-day, you asked to come back to-morrow to get drunk again?” said Gregory, who in his challenge to Ivan did not forget his own interests,—­“if you asked that?”

“I should come back again,” said Ivan.

“To-morrow?” said Gregory.

“To-morrow, the day after, every day if I liked....”

“The fact is, Ivan is our young lady’s favourite,” said another of the count’s slaves who was present, profiting by his comrade Ivan’s liberality.

“It is all the same,” said Gregory; “for supposing such permission were given you, money would soon run short.”

“Never!” said Ivan, swallowing another glass of brandy, “never will Ivan want for money as long as there is a kopeck in my lady’s purse.”

“I did not find her so liberal,” said Gregory bitterly.

“Oh, you forget, my friend; you know well she does not reckon with her friends:  remember the strokes of the knout.”