Sergey Ivanovitch would have said something, but Pestsov

interrupted him in his rich bass. He began warmly contesting the

justice of this view. Sergey Ivanovitch waited serenely to

speak, obviously with a convincing reply ready.

"But," said Sergey Ivanovitch, smiling subtly, and addressing

Karenin, "One must allow that to weigh all the advantages and

disadvantages of classical and scientific studies is a difficult

task, and the question which form of education was to be

preferred would not have been so quickly and conclusively decided

if there had not been in favor of classical education, as you

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expressed it just now, its moral--disons le mot--anti-nihilist

influence."

"Undoubtedly."

"If it had not been for the distinctive property of

anti-nihilistic influence on the side of classical studies, we

should have considered the subject more, have weighed the

arguments on both sides," said Sergey Ivanovitch with a subtle

smile, "we should have given elbow-room to both tendencies. But

now we know that these little pills of classical learning possess

the medicinal property of anti-nihilism, and we boldly prescribe

them to our patients.... But what if they had no such medicinal

property?" he wound up humorously.

At Sergey Ivanovitch's little pills, everyone laughed; Turovtsin

in especial roared loudly and jovially, glad at last to have

found something to laugh at, all he ever looked for in listening

to conversation.

Stepan Arkadyevitch had not made a mistake in inviting Pestsov.

With Pestsov intellectual conversation never flagged for an

instant. Directly Sergey Ivanovitch had concluded the

conversation with his jest, Pestsov promptly started a new one.

"I can't agree even," said he, "that the government had that aim.

The government obviously is guided by abstract considerations,

and remains indifferent to the influence its measures may

exercise. The education of women, for instance, would naturally

be regarded as likely to be harmful, but the government opens

schools and universities for women."

And the conversation at once passed to the new subject of the

education of women.

Alexey Alexandrovitch expressed the idea that the education of

women is apt to be confounded with the emancipation of women, and

that it is only so that it can be considered dangerous.

"I consider, on the contrary, that the two questions are

inseparably connected together," said Pestsov; "it is a vicious

circle. Woman is deprived of rights from lack of education, and

the lack of education results from the absence of rights. We

must not forget that the subjection of women is so complete, and

dates from such ages back that we are often unwilling to

recognize the gulf that separates them from us," said he.




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