“Yes,” said the Vice-Governor. “It is very immoral for women to go about barefoot. It must be stopped.”
“They are poor people,” said some one.
“It is pornography!” said the Vice-Governor savagely.
And every one suddenly believed him. The Vice-Governor said morosely:
“He’s lodged a complaint against us for whipping his instructress. But he is lying; he’s whipped her himself. We have no need of whipping girls—but he does it because he’s a corrupt man.”
Some one made the observation that Trirodov was friends with dangerous sects, at which Kerbakh remarked:
“He now has horses and carriages, but I know a man who knew him when he had only his shirt. It is rather suspicious as to where he got his money.”
Glafira Pavlovna looked at Shabalov and whispered to Doulebov:
“I know he is a patriot, but he has terrible manners.”
Doulebov said: