Wednesday, 18 July 1883

*Thursday, 19 July 1883* A long argument with Bojidar about blood, race, prejudice, etc. I regret having expended my eloquence and tired my larynx. All that Bojidar, my aunt, and Dina grasped from it was: she is preaching equality with the servants and the peasants. Fools. I do not deny the inheritance of acquired faculties, nor the transmission of physical qualities and defects — but what I wished to establish is that blood is the same. These imbeciles maintained the contrary. It is evident that if the father is coarse the son may be, and if the father is a superior being the son may inherit those qualities. Yes — but it is useless to recount this here, for I am addressing sensible people of whatever opinion, not simpletons like those around me. And I wasted two hours arguing nonsense and saying amusing things — but for them I was preaching equality with the servants. Fools. To give you a picture of them: they maintained stubbornly that blood was quite different, and that a nobleman is made of a special substance. And I argued. But I must expend my energy somewhere.