PRECIPICE, The, by Ivan Aleksindro vitch Gonchar6f, had for its chief purpose, even more distinctly than (0b16moP (q.v.), to pre sent the eternal struggle between the East and the West — the contrast between the lethargy or indolence of the Russian and the enterpris ing spirit of European energy. The protag onist of the story suffers not so much from con stitutional laziness as from vacillation, from lack of resolution. Raisky had a good educa tion and served for a time as a civil chinovnik at Saint Petersburg; but left his position as casually as he had accepted it. He had great ability as an artist but he never had the patience to finish the innumerable sketches that he be gan. He might have been a talented musician but his masters could not induce him to practise. He had no ambition and if he found nothing to interest him in reading he would lie all day in bed as if exhausted by hard labor. He owns a pretty estate on the banks of the mighty Volga and thither he goes to visit his Aunt Tatiana, who has managed it for him with re markable ability. There the action of the story unfolds, especially connecting itself with a high bluff (Obruif) overlooking the wide stream, gliding peacefully between its overgrown banks, with here and there a bush-covered island.
The bluff, or precipice, was once the scene of a murder and was believed to be haunted by a ghost. .It occurs to Raisky to make the place the scene of a novel and he writes at it in his usual desultory way, not realizing that the pas sion and the dramatic color which he is seeking to impart to his imaginary characters are all about him. He finds hunself interested in
Viera, the elder of the two young girls reputed to be his aunt's grandnieces, but in reality her grandchildren, the daughters of her own illegiti mate child. Viera is under the almost hypnotic influence of Mark Volokof, a political suspect, interned in the village and enjoying an evil repute as a thief and monster of iniquity. Volokof can hardly be regarded as a type of revolutionist like Turgenief's Bazirof. He is an exceptional character, somewhat overdrawn in his moral obliquity, but not impossible. In spite of Viera's appeal to Raisky to save her from this human wolf, Volok6f succeeds in his dastardly purpose; but the girl finds an un expected sympathy in Aunt Tatiana, whose own tragic story is revealed, bringing redemption to both of them. Raisky, finding his love for Viera hopeless through his own fault, throws aside his unfinished novel and goes to Italy to take up sculpture as a consolation. The minor characters are admirably drawn and the sub ordinate strands of the romance are woven in with skill against a charming background of the Volga.