facility, but then he repents and oftentimes weeps.  I have seen Russian officials kill themselves rather than march against the people, or through remorse for slaughter committed.  The German in the service of the Czar feels no scruples, nor laments his conduct.  He kills coldly, with the minuteness and exactitude with which he does everything.  The Russian is a barbarian who strikes and regrets; German civilization shoots without hesitation.  Our Slav Czar, in a humanitarian dream, favored the Utopian idea of universal peace, organizing the Conference of The Hague.  The Kaiser of culture, meanwhile, has been working years and years in the erection and establishment of a destructive organ of an immensity heretofore unknown, in order to crush all Europe.  The Russian is a humble Christian, socialistic, democratic, thirsting for justice; the German prides himself upon his Christianity, but is an idolator like the German of other centuries.  His religion loves blood and maintains castes; his true worship is that of Odin;—­only that nowadays, the god of slaughter has changed his name and calls himself, ’The State’!”

Tchernoff paused an instant—­perhaps in order to increase the wonder of his companions—­and then said with simplicity: 

“I am a Christian.”

Argensola, who already knew the ideas and history of the Russian, started with astonishment, and Julio persisted in his suspicion, “Surely Tchernoff is drunk.”

“It is true,” declared the Russian earnestly, “that I do not worry about God, nor do I believe in dogmas, but my soul is Christian as is that of all revolutionists.  The philosophy of modern democracy is lay Christianity.  We Socialists love the humble, the needy, the weak.  We defend their right to life and well-being, as did the greatest lights of the religious world who saw a brother in every unfortunate.  We exact respect for the poor in the name of justice; the others ask for it in the name of charity.  That only separates us.  But we strive that mankind may, by common consent, lead a better life, that the strong may sacrifice for the weak, the lofty for the lowly, and the world be ruled by brotherliness, seeking the greatest equality possible.”

The Slav reviewed the history of human aspirations.  Greek thought had brought comfort, a sense of well-being on the earth—­but only for the few, for the citizens of the little democracies, for the free men, leaving the slaves and barbarians who constituted the majority, in their misery.  Christianity, the religion of the lowly, had recognized the right of happiness for all mankind, but this happiness was placed in heaven, far from this world, this “vale of tears.”  The Revolution and its heirs, the Socialists, were trying to place happiness in the immediate realities of earth, like the ancients, but making all humanity participants in it like the Christians.