with his after-dinner coffee." Merezhkovsky has written a book on
Gorky under the title of "The Future Kham."--_Translator_.]

Elisaveta said reproachfully:

"What a word--_Kham_!"

Piotr smiled in a nervous and aggrieved manner, and asked:

"You don't like it?"

"I don't like it," said Elisaveta calmly.

With her habitual subjection to the thoughts and moods of her elder
sister, Elena said:

"It is a rude word. I feel a reminiscence of a once helpless serfdom
in it."

"Nevertheless this word is now sufficiently literary," said Piotr,
with a vague smile. "And why shouldn't one use it? It's not the word
that matters. We have seen countless instances with our own eyes of
the progress of the spiritual bossiak[4] who is savagely indifferent
to everything, who is hopelessly wild, malicious, and drunken for
generations to come. He will crush everything--science, art,
everything! A good characteristic specimen of a _kham_ is your
Stchemilov, with whom, Elisaveta, you sympathize so strongly. He's a
familiar young fellow, a handsome flunkey."

[Footnote 4: Bossiak literally means "a barefooted one," but may be