“All countries are in the same condition for a man who desires to attract to himself the attention of the authorities—_vous m’entendez_! But that is not all! I have my personal _amour-propre_.... _Sacrebleu!_ I have my internal policy; I have my prerogatives! I wish to introduce my view—_sapristi!_ I wish that people should act in harmony with my views, not in contradiction to them. It is my right; if you like to put it so, it is my caprice. You lay a responsibility on me; you demand of me this and that ... allow me, too, to have my caprice. I hope that this does not amount to any monstrous pretentiousness on my part?” “But the law, monseigneur? How can you reconcile caprices with the law?” “La loi! Parlez moi de ça! nous en avons quinze volumes, mon cher!”[33] Here our conversation broke off. Although the administrative theory expressed in the last exclamation of my interlocutor was quite new to me, still I acknowledge frankly that the coolness with which he spoke of the law pleased me. Monseigneur Maupas had often said to me, “In case of need, _mon cher_, even the law can alter,” but he said it softly, as if afraid that any one should hear. And now suddenly—this clearness, this daring, this _élan_—how could one fail to be charmed by them! The Cossacks are a bold race altogether, and inclined to see enemies where we, people of an older civilisation, see only protection and surety. These people are absolutely fresh, and are free from all those prejudices which burden the life of a Western. They look upon the so-called “moral duties” with the most easy-going cheerfulness, but, on the other hand, no one can compare with them in matters of physical exertion; and as for their activity at table, with the bottle, with women—there they are undoubtedly the first warriors in the whole world. I, for instance, have never once seen my amphytrion drunk, although the quantity of liquor consumed by him before my eyes is, indeed, hardly credible. Never once did he lay down his arms before the enemy, and all the effect that wine ever produced on him consisted in a change of colour and a certain extra animation in romancing. [Illustration: “I CANNOT REMEMBER HOW THE CEREMONY WAS PERFORMED.” ]