ples of three-quarters of the globe into hopeless slavery; you will
lose, perhaps for ever, the opportunity of democracy; you will establish
the grossest kind of militarism for all time. Why do you think Germany
is going to listen to you? What sign has she ever shown that she would?
When have her people ever turned away or shown horror at any of the
beastly things her rulers have been doing in this war?... What about
your own Revolution? Do you believe in it? Do you treasure it? Do you
want it to last? Do you suppose for a moment that, if you bow to
Germany, she won't instantly trample out your Revolution and give you
hack your monarchy? How can she afford to have a revolutionary republic
close to her own gates? What is she doing at this moment? Piling up
armies with which to invade you, and conquer you, and lead you into
slavery. What have you done so far by your Revolutionary orders? What
have you done by relaxing discipline in the army? What good have you
done to any one or anything? Is any one the happier? Isn't there
disorder everywhere--aren't all your works stopping and your industries
failing? What about the eighty million peasants who have been liberated
in the course of a night? Who's going to lead them if you are not? This
thing has happened by its own force, and you are sitting down under it,
doing nothing. Why did it succeed? Simply because there was nothing to
oppose it. Authority depended on the army, not on the Czar, and the army
was the people. So it is with the other armies of the world. Do you
think that the other armies couldn't do just as you did if they wished.
They could, in half an hour. They hate the war as much as you do, but
they have also patriotism. They see that their country must be made
strong first before other countries will listen to its ideas. But where
is your patriotism? Has the word Russia been mentioned once by you since
the Revolution? Never once.... 'Democracy,' 'Brotherhood'--but how are
Democracy and Brotherhood to be secured unless other countries respect
you.... Oh, I tell you it's absurd!... It's more than absurd, it's
wicked, it's rotten...."

Poor boy, he was very near tears. He sat down suddenly, staring blankly
in front of him, his hands clenched.

Rozanov answered him, Rozanov flushed, his fat body swollen with food
and drink, a little unsteady on his legs, and the light of the true
mystic in his pig-like eyes. He came forward into the middle of the
circle.

"That's