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 his philosophy arose from the poverty of his nature, while Katavasof thought that the incoherence of Levin's ideas arose from a lack of mental discipline. But Katavasof's lucidity was agreeable to Levin, and Levin's fecundity of undisciplined ideas was agreeable to Katavasof, and they both liked to meet and discuss together.

Levin had read several passages from his treatise to Katavasof, who had liked them. The evening before Katavasof, happening to meet Levin at a public lecture, told him that the celebrated scholar, Professor Metrof, whose article had pleased Levin, was in Moscow, and was greatly interested in what he had heard of Levin's work. He was to be at Katavasof's house the next day at eleven o'clock, and would be delighted to make Levin's acquaintance.

"Delighted to see you, batyushka," said Katavasof, receiving Levin in his reception-room. "I heard the bell, and wondered if it could be time And now what do you think of the Montenegrins? It looks to me like war."

"What makes you think so?" asked Levin.

Katavasof in a few words told him the latest news, and then, taking him into his library, introduced him to a short, thick-set, and very pleasant-looking man: it was Metrof. The conversation for a short time turned on politics, and on the views held by the high authorities in Petersburg in regard to the recent elections. Metrof, in regard to this, quoted some significant words spoken by the emperor and one of the ministers, which he had heard from a reliable source. Katavasof had heard from an equally reliable source that the emperor had said something quite different. Levin tried to imagine to himself the conditions in which the words in either case might have been said, and the conversation on this theme came to an end.

"Well! here is the gentleman who is writing a book on the natural condition of the laborer in relation to the soil," said Katavasof. "I am not a specialist, but it pleases me as a naturalist that he does not consider the human race outside of zoölogical laws, but recognizes