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Rh other political economists, no matter how famous they may be: by half a dozen lines on half a dozen pages I see that I shall not find one single fresh thought which belongs to them; they are all borrowed and mutilated. I read only spontaneous works, and only to such a degree as to appreciate their spontaneity." Therefore, it was impossible to make him read Macaulay; after spending a quarter of an hour on different pages, he decided: I know all the originals from which this matter is taken. He read Thackeray's "Vanity Fair" with delight, and he began to read "Pendennis," but he gave it up when he reached the twentieth page. "All this is said in 'Vanity Fair'; apparently there will be nothing more, and so there is no need of reading it. Every book that I read in such a way spares me the necessity of reading hundreds of books," he used to say.

Gymnastics, work that served to increase his strength and reading,—these were Rakhmétof's personal occupations; but after he returned to Petersburg, they took only the fourth part of his time; the rest of his time he spent in helping others, or in things that did not belong to any one in particular, constantly observing the same rule as in reading: not to waste any time on secondary matters and with secondary people, but to occupy himself only with things of essential importance, from which the secondary things and secondary people are influenced, without his interference. For instance, outside of his circle, he used to get acquainted only with people who had influence over others. Whoever was not an authority for several other people could not even begin a conversation with him; he used to say, "I beg you to excuse me," and go away. But in the same way it was impossible for any one with whom he had a desire to become acquainted to avoid him in anywise. He simply used to come to you and say whatever he had to say, with such an introduction as this: "I want to be acquainted with you; it is necessary. If you have no time now, appoint another time." To your trifling business he never paid the least heed, no matter if you were his closest friend, and begged him to help you out of your embarrassment. "I have no time," he would say, and go away. But in important business he used to take a share, when it was necessary, as he expressed it, though no one may have asked his aid. "I