intelligent and talented man would have no superiority over the
stupid and incompetent.

"I stuck to my point, and went on maintaining that convictions are
stronger than any talent, though, frankly speaking, I could not
have defined exactly what I meant by conviction or what I meant by
talent. Most likely I simply talked for the sake of talking.

"'Take you, for example,' said the lawyer. 'You are convinced at
this moment that your fiancée is an angel and that there is not a
man in the whole town happier than you. But I tell you: ten or
twenty minutes would be enough for me to make you sit down to this
table and write to your fiancée, breaking off your engagement.

"I laughed.

"'Don't laugh, I am speaking seriously,' said my friend. 'If I
choose, in twenty minutes you will be happy at the thought that you
need not get married. Goodness knows what talent I have, but you
are not one of the strong sort.'

"'Well, try it on!' said I.

"'No, what for? I am only telling you this. You are a good boy and
it would be cruel to subject you to such an experiment. And besides
I am not in good form to-day.'

"We sat down to supper. The wine and the thought of Natasha, my
beloved, flooded my whole being with youth and happiness. My happiness
was so boundless that the lawyer sitting opposite to me with his