Anton.—­Man, you are talking nonsense.

Doctor.—­Man, you are talking like a nincompoop, and not like a man.  You have plenty of words in your mouth, but you lack strength—­you cannot face facts.  Who would dare say:  You have no right to defend yourself?

Anton (after a while).—­Good-bye.

Doctor.—­Where are you going?

Anton.—­I return to the city.

Doctor.—­Are you with me or against me?

Anton.—­I am an honest man.

A servant (enters).—­A messenger brought this letter from Miliszewski.

Doctor.—­Give it to me.  Go (tears the envelop and reads) “Pretwic is dead.” (After a while) Ah—­

Anton.—­Before I go I must answer your question as to why I am going.  I have served you faithfully.  I served you like a dog because I believed in you.  You knew how to use me, or perhaps to use me up.  I knew that I was a tool, but I did not care for that, because—­But now—­

Doctor.—­You give up the public affair?

Anton.—­You do not know me.  What would I do if I were to give up my ideas?  And then, do you think that you personify public affairs?  I will not give up because I have been deceived by you.  But I care about something else.  I was stupid to have cared for you, and I regret now that I must tell you that you have heaped up the measure and used badly the strength which is in you.  Oh, I know that perhaps it would be better for me not to tell you this, perhaps to hold with you would mean a bright future for such a man as I, who have hardly the money to buy food for my wife and children.  But I cannot.  Before God, I cannot!  I am a poor man and I shall remain poor, but I must at least have a clear conscience.  Well, I loved you almost as much as I loved my wife and children, but from to-day you are only a political number—­for friendship you must look to some one else.  You know I have no scruples; a man rubs among the people and he rubs off many things; but you have heaped up the measure.  May I be hanged if I do not prefer to love the people than pound them!  They say that honesty and politics are two different things.  Elsewhere it may be so, but in our country we must harmonize them.  Why should they not go together?  I do not give up our ideas, but I do not care for our friendship because the man who says he loves humanity, and then pounds the people threateningly on their heads—­that man is a liar; do you understand me?

Doctor.—­I shall not insist upon your giving me back your friendship, but you must listen to me for the last time.  If there shall begin for me an epoch of calamity, it will begin at the moment when such people as you begin to desert me.  The man who was killed was in my way to happiness—­he took everything from me.  He came armed with wealth, good name, social position, and all the invincible arms which birth and fortune give.  With what arms could I fight him?  What could I oppose to such might?  Nothing except the arms of a new man—­that