LIPA (shaking her head, weeping)

No, Savva, you don’t understand.  Oh, Lord!  Oh, Lord!

KONDRATY

You have no God, that’s the reason you don’t understand; You have only reason, and pride, and malice.  That’s why you don’t understand.  Ah, Mr. Savva, you wanted to ruin me too.  And I tell you as a Christian—­it would have been better if you had never been born.

SAVVA

Oh, fiddlesticks!  Whom do you think you can hoodwink?  Do you think I have turned blind?

KONDRATY (turning away with a wave of his hand)

You can shout as much as you like.

FRIAR

Mr. Savva, you mustn’t shout, you mustn’t.  We have already attracted the attention of the crowd.  They are looking at us.

SAVVA (laying his hand on Kondraty’s shoulder and speaking in a low voice) Look here, I understand.  Of course, in the presence of people—­but you understand, don’t you, Kondraty?  You are a clever man, a very bright man.  You understand that all this is nonsense.  Just consider, brother, consider a moment.  Didn’t they carry the ikon away?  Then where is the miracle?

KONDRATY (twisting himself free from Savva’s grasp, shaking his head and speaking aloud) Then you don’t understand?  No, you don’t understand.  What of it?

SAVVA (in a whisper)

Listen, remember our talk.

KONDRATY (aloud)

Don’t whisper to me.  I have nothing to hide from anybody.  How do you think miracles happen anyhow?  Say, you are a smart man too, and yet you can’t comprehend a simple matter like this.  Why, it’s all your work, all your doing, isn’t it?  You gave me the machine.  You planned the explosion.  Your orders have been carried out.  And yet the ikon is untouched; it’s whole.  That’s all I have to say.  It’s the plain, simple statement of fact.  Yet you come here with your arguments and try to get away from those facts by mere reasoning.

LIPA (looking around in a paroxysm of excitement)

How simple it is!  And how terrible!  O Lord, O Lord!  And to think that it was I who did it, I, with my own hands!  O my God! (She falls on her knees, turning her eyes toward heaven)

SAVVA (looking at her savagely, then at Kondraty)

Well!

KONDRATY (drawing back in fright)

Why are you staying here?  Why haven’t you left already?

SAVVA (shouting)

What a ——­ fool you are!

KONDRATY (paling)

Lower, lower, I say.  Don’t talk like that, or I’ll shout.

SAVVA (turning quickly toward Speransky)

What are you staring at with your mouth wide open?  You are a philosopher.  You, you are a philosopher.  Can you understand the stupidity of these people?  They think it’s a miracle. (Laughs) They think it’s a miracle.