taken. For example, the question of higher education for women should be regarded as dangerous, yet the government opens the public lectures and the universities to women."
And the conversation immediately leaped to the new theme of the education of women.
Alekseï Aleksandrovitch expressed the thought that the education of women was too much confused with the question of the emancipation of women, and could be considered dangerous only from that point of view.
"I believe, on the contrary, that these two questions are intimately connected," said Pestsof. "It is a vicious circle! Woman is deprived of rights because she is deprived of education, and her lack of education comes from the absence of rights. Let us not forget that the bondage of woman is so ancient, so interwoven with our customs, that we are very often incapable of understanding the legal abyss that separates her from us."
"You speak of rights," said Sergyeï Ivanovitch, as soon as he had a chance to put in a word;" is it a right to fulfil the functions of juror, of municipal counselor, of president of the tribunal, of public functionary, of member of parliament?" ....
"Without doubt."
"But if women can exceptionally fill these functions, then it seems to me we make a mistake in using the word rights. It would be fairer to say duties. Every one agrees that in fulfilling the functions of a juror, of town counselor, of telegraph employer, we are fulfilling a duty. Let us say, then, that women are seeking for duties, and legitimately enough; in this case we may sympathize with their desire to take part in man's work."
"That is perfectly fair," affirmed Alekseï Aleksandrovitch; "the question, I suspect, consists in deciding whether they are capable of fulfilling these duties."
"They will be, certainly, as soon as they have been generally educated," said Stepan Arkadyevitch. "We see it ...."
"And the proverb?" asked the old prince, whose little, scornful eyes shone as he listened to this conver-
