antediluvian knowledge. Some of her cures were considered miraculous; among others, that of the district judge, whom, by determined treatment, she had saved after a violent attack of _delirium tremens_, a malady common to almost all men in that wild country. In a word, Olga was in great favor with the peaceful citizens of Talutorovsk. The hatred of the police towards her was all the greater for that reason. Her proud and independent disposition would not permit her to submit to the stupid and humiliating exigencies of the representatives of the Government. Those representatives, barbarous and overbearing as they were, considered every attempt to defend personal dignity a want of respect toward themselves—nay, a provocation, and neglected no occasion of taking their revenge. There was always a latent war between Olga and her guardians, a war of the weak, bound hand and foot, against the strong, armed at all points; for the police have almost arbitrary power over the political prisoners who are under their surveillance. In this very unequal struggle, however, Olga did not always come off the worst, as often happens in the case of those who, proud, daring, and fearing nothing, are always ready to risk everything for the merest trifle. One of these conflicts, which lasted four days and kept the whole of the little town in a state of excitement by its dramatic incidents, was so singular that it deserves to be related. Olga had sent from her parents a parcel of books, which, in her position, was a gift indeed. She went to the _Ispravnik_ to get them, but met with an unforeseen obstacle. Among the books sent to her was a translation of the “Sociology” of Herbert Spencer, and the _Ispravnik_ mistook it for a work on _Socialism_, and would not on any account give it up to her. In vain Olga pointed out to him that the incriminated book had been published at St. Petersburg with the license of the Censorship; that sociology and socialism were very different things, etc. The _Ispravnik_ was stubborn. The discussion grew warm. Olga could not restrain some sharp remarks upon the gross ignorance of her opponent, and ended by telling him that his precautions were utterly useless, as she had at home a dozen books like that of Herbert Spencer. “Oh! you have books like this at home, have you?” exclaimed the _Ispravnik_. “Very well; we’ll come and search the house this very day.” “No,” exclaimed Olga, in a fury; “you will do nothing of the kind; you have no right, and if you dare to come I will defend myself.” With these words she left the place, thoroughly enraged. War was declared, and the rumor spread throughout the town, and everywhere excited a kind of timorous curiosity. Directly Olga reached her home she shut herself up and barricaded the door. The _Ispravnik_, on his side, prepared for the attack. He mustered a band of policemen, with some _poniatye_, or citizen-witnesses, and sent them to the enemy’s house.