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Stepan Arkadyevitch had not chosen his political opinions or his

views; these political opinions and views had come to him of

themselves, just as he did not choose the shapes of his hat and

coat, but simply took those that were being worn. And for him,

living in a certain society-owing to the need, ordinarily

developed at years of discretion, for some degree of mental

activity-to have views was just as indispensable as to have a

hat. If there was a reason for his preferring liberal to

conservative views, which were held also by many of his circle,

it arose not from his considering liberalism more rational, but

from its being in closer accordance with his manner of life. The

liberal party said that in Russia everything is wrong, and

certainly Stepan Arkadyevitch had many debts and was decidedly

short of money.