Part Seven: Chapter 17

by Leo Tolstoy

　　Stepan Arkadyevitch's affairs were in a very bad way.

　　The money for two-thirds of the forest had all been spentalready, and he had borrowed from the merchant in advance at tenper cent discount, almost all the remaining third. The merchantwould not give more, especially as Darya Alexandrovna, for thefirst time that winter insisting on her right to her ownproperty, had refused to sign the receipt for the payment of thelast third of the forest. All his salary went on householdexpenses and in payment of petty debts that could not be put off.There was positively no money.

　　This was unpleasant and awkward, and in Stepan Arkadyevitch'sopinion things could not go on like this. The explanation of theposition was, in his view, to be found in the fact that hissalary was too small. The post he filled had been unmistakablyvery good five years ago, but it was so no longer.

　　Petrov, the bank director, had twelve thousand; Sventitsky, acompany director, had seventeen thousand; Mitin, who had foundeda bank, received fifty thousand.

　　"Clearly I've been napping, and they've overlooked me," StepanArkadyevitch thought about himself. And he began keeping hiseyes and ears open, and towards the end of the winter he haddiscovered a very good berth and had formed a plan of attack uponit, at first from Moscow through aunts, uncles, and friends, andthen, when the matter was well advanced, in the spring, he wenthimself to Petersburg. It was one of those snug, lucrativeberths of which there are so many more nowadays than there usedto be, with incomes ranging from one thousand to fifty thousandroubles. It was the post of secretary of the committee of theamalgamated agency of the southern railways, and of certainbanking companies. This position, like all such appointments,called for such immense energy and such varied qualifications,that it was difficult for them to be found united in any one man.And since a man combining all the qualifications was not to befound, it was at least better that the post be filled by anhonest than by a dishonest man. And Stepan Arkadyevitch was notmerely an honest man--unemphatically--in the common acceptationof the words, he was an honest man--emphatically--in that specialsense which the word has in Moscow, when they talk of an "honest"politician, an "honest" writer, an "honest" newspaper, an"honest" institution, an "honest" tendency, meaning not simplythat the man or the institution is not dishonest, but that theyare capable on occasion of taking a line of their own inopposition to the authorities.

　　Stepan Arkadyevitch moved in those circles in Moscow in whichthat expression had come into use, was regarded there as anhonest man, and so had more right to this appointment thanothers.

　　The appointment yielded an income of from seven to ten thousand ayear, and Oblonsky could fill it without giving up his governmentposition. It was in the hands of two ministers, one lady, andtwo Jews, and all these people, though the way had been pavedalready with them, Stepan Arkadyevitch had to see in Petersburg.Besides this business, Stepan Arkadyevitch had promised hissister Anna to obtain from Karenin a definite answer on thequestion of divorce. And begging fifty roubles from Dolly, heset off for Petersburg.

　　Stepan Arkadyevitch sat in Karenin's study listening to hisreport on the causes of the unsatisfactory position of Russianfinance, and only waiting for the moment when he would finish tospeak about his own business or about Anna.

　　"Yes, that's very true," he said, when Alexey Alexandrovitch tookoff the pince-nez, without which he could not read now, andlooked inquiringly at his former brother-in-law, "that's verytrue in particular cases, but still the principle of our day isfreedom."

　　"Yes, but I lay down another principle, embracing the principleof freedom," said Alexey Alexandrovitch, with emphasis on theword "embracing," and he put on his pince-nez again, so as toread the passage in which this statement was made. And turningover the beautifully written, wide-margined manuscript, AlexeyAlexandrovitch read aloud over again the conclusive passage.

　　"I don't advocate protection for the sake of private interests,but for the public weal, and for the lower and upper classesequally," he said, looking over his pince-nez at Oblonsky. "Butthey cannot grasp that, they are taken up now with personalinterests, and carried away by phrases."

　　Stepan Arkadyevitch knew that when Karenin began to talk of whatthey were doing and thinking, the persons who would not accepthis report and were the cause of everything wrong in Russia, thatit was coming near the end. And so now he eagerly abandoned theprinciple of free-trade, and fully agreed. Alexey Alexandrovitchpaused, thoughtfully turning over the pages of his manuscript.

　　"Oh, by the way," said Stepan Arkadyevitch, "I wanted to askyou, some time when you see Pomorsky, to drop him a hint that Ishould be very glad to get that new appointment of secretary ofthe committee of the amalgamated agency of the southern railwaysand banking companies." Stepan Arkadyevitch was familiar by nowwith the title of the post he coveted, and he brought it outrapidly without mistake.

　　Alexey Alexandrovitch questioned him as to the duties of this newcommittee, and pondered. He was considering whether the newcommittee would not be acting in some way contrary to the viewshe had been advocating. But as the influence of the newcommittee was of a very complex nature, and his views were ofvery wide application, he could not decide this straight off, andtaking off his pince-nez, he said:

　　"Of course, I can mention it to him; but what is your reasonprecisely for wishing to obtain the appointment?"

　　"It's a good salary, rising to nine thousand, and my means..."

　　"Nine thousand!" repeated Alexey Alexandrovitch, and he frowned.The high figure of the salary made him reflect that on that sideStepan Arkadyevitch's proposed position ran counter to the maintendency of his own projects of reform, which always leanedtowards economy.

　　"I consider, and I have embodied my views in a note on thesubject, that in our day these immense salaries are evidence ofthe unsound economic assiette of our finances."

　　"But what's to be done?" said Stepan Arkadyevitch. "Suppose abank director gets ten thousand--well, he's worth it; or anengineer gets twenty thousand--after all, it's a growing thing,you know!"

　　"I assume that a salary is the price paid for a commodity, and itought to conform with the law of supply and demand. If thesalary is fixed without any regard for that law, as, forinstance, when I see two engineers leaving college together, bothequally well trained and efficient, and one getting fortythousand while the other is satisfied with two; or when I seelawyers and hussars, having no special qualifications, appointeddirectors of banking companies with immense salaries, I concludethat the salary is not fixed in accordance with the law of supplyand demand, but simply through personal interest. And this is anabuse of great gravity in itself, and one that reacts injuriouslyon the government service. I consider..."

　　Stepan Arkadyevitch made haste to interrupt his brother-in-law.

　　"Yes; but you must agree that it's a new institution of undoubtedutility that's being started. After all, you know, it's agrowing thing! What they lay particular stress on is the thingbeing carried on honestly," said Stepan Arkadyevitch withemphasis.

　　But the Moscow significance of the word "honest" was lost onAlexey Alexandrovitch.

　　"Honesty is only a negative qualification," he said.

　　"Well, you'll do me a great service, anyway," said StepanArkadyevitch, "by putting in a word to Pomorsky--just in the wayof conversation...."

　　"But I fancy it's more in Volgarinov's hands," said AlexeyAlexandrovitch.

　　"Volgarinov has fully assented, as far as he's concerned," saidStepan Arkadyevitch, turning red. Stepan Arkadyevitch reddenedat the mention of that name, because he had been that morning atthe Jew Volgarinov's, and the visit had left an unpleasantrecollection.

　　Stepan Arkadyevitch believed most positively that the committeein which he was trying to get an appointment was a new, genuine,and honest public body, but that morning when Volgarinov had--intentionally, beyond a doubt--kept him two hours waiting withother petitioners in his waiting room, he had suddenly feltuneasy.

　　Whether he was uncomfortable that he, a descendant of Rurik,Prince Oblonsky, had been kept for two hours waiting to see aJew, or that for the first time in his life he was not followingthe example of his ancestors in serving the government, but wasturning off into a new career, anyway he was very uncomfortable.During those two hours in Volgarinov's waiting room StepanArkadyevitch, stepping jauntily about the room, pulling hiswhiskers, entering into conversation with the other petitioners,and inventing an epigram on his position, assiduously concealedfrom others, and even from himself, the feeling he wasexperiencing.

　　But all the time he was uncomfortable and angry, he could nothave said why--whether because he could not get his epigram justright, or from some other reason. When at last Volgarinov hadreceived him with exaggerated politeness and unmistakable triumphat his humiliation, and had all but refused the favor asked ofhim, Stepan Arkadyevitch had made haste to forget it all as soonas possible. And now, at the mere recollection, he blushed.