for us, the study of the natural sciences has been complicated with false and fatal doctrines, which are the bane of our time."
Sergyeï Ivanovitch was going to reply, but Pestsof interrupted him in his deep voice. He began heatedly to demonstrate the incorrectness of this statement. Koznuishef calmly waited his chance to speak, evidently feeling that it would be a victorious rejoinder.
"But," said he, smiling shrewdly, and addressing Alekseï Aleksandrovitch, "it cannot be denied that it is a difficult matter completely to balance all the advantages and disadvantages of the two systems of science, and that the question which is preferable could not be decided so quickly and definitely if there were not on the side of the classical civilization that advantage which you just called the moral—disons le mot—the anti-nihilistic influence."
"Undoubtedly."
"If it were not for this advantage of the anti-nihilistic influence wielded by classic education, we should rather hesitate, we should weigh the arguments of both sides," said Sergyeï Ivanovitch, with his shrewd smile. "We should give scope to both tendencies. But now we know that in classical education lies the medical power of anti-nihihsm and we boldly administer it like a pill to our patients But are we perfectly sure of the healing properties of these pills?" he said in conclusion, pouring out his Attic salt.
Sergeï Ivanovitch's "pills" made every one laugh, Turovtsuin more boisterously and heartily than the rest; for he had been on the lookout for something amusing to laugh at ever since the conversation began.
Stepan Arkadyevitch had made no mistake in counting on Pestsof. Pestsof never allowed an intellectual conversation to flag for a moment. Koznuishef had hardly finished with his jest when Pestsof began again:—
"One cannot even agree with this idea," said he, "that morality has this aim. Morality is evidently controlled by general considerations and remains indifferent to the influences of the measures which may be
