even in the least
conceal it. All their incongruous life is here, on the palm of my hand,
with all its cynicism, monstrous and coarse injustice; but there is in
it none of that falsehood and that hypocrisy before people and before
one's self, which enmesh all humanity from top to bottom. Consider, my
dear Lichonin, how much nagging, drawn out, disgusting deception, how
much hate, there is in any marital cohabitation in ninety-nine cases
out of a hundred. How much blind, merciless cruelty--precisely not
animal, but human, reasoned, far-sighted, calculated cruelty--there is
in the sacred maternal instinct--and behold, with what tender colours
this instinct is adorned! Then what about all these unnecessary,
tom-fool professions, invented by cultured man for the safeguarding of
my nest, my bit of meat, my woman, my child, these different overseers,
controllers, inspectors, judges, attorneys, jailers, advocates, chiefs,
bureaucrats, generals, soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of titles
more. They all subserve human greed, cowardice, viciousness, servility,
legitimised sensuality, laziness-beggarliness!--yes, that is the real
word!--human beggarliness. But what magnificent words we have! The
altar of the fatherland, Christian compassion for our neighbor,
progress, sacred duty, sacred property, holy love. Ugh! I do not
believe in a single fine word now, and I am nauseated to infinity with
these petty liars, these cowards and gluttons! Beggar women! ... Man is
born for great joy, for ceaseless creation, in which he is God; for a
broad, free love, unhindered by anything,--love for everything: for a
tree, for the sky, for man, for a dog, for the dear, benign, beautiful
earth,--oh, especially for the earth with its beatific motherhood, with
its mornings and nights, with its magnificent everyday miracles. But
man has lied himself out so, has become such an importunate beggar, and
has sunk so low! ... Ah, Lichonin, but I am weary!"

"I, as an anarchist, partly understand you," said Lichonin
thoughtfully. It was as though he heard and yet did not hear the
reporter. Some thought was with difficulty, for the first time, being
born in his mind. "But one thing I can not comprehend. If humanity has
become so malodorous to you, then how do you stand--and for so long,
too,--all this,--" Lichonin took in the whole table with a circular
motion of his hand,--"the basest thing that mankind could invent?"

"Well, I don't even know myself," sa