! I have discovered the great principle
of its purpose! I have solved the sacred formula of the iron grate!
I demand of you--swear to me by the cold iron of its squares that
henceforth you will confess to me without shame or fear all your deeds,
your errors and doubts, all the secret thoughts of your soul and the
dreams and desires of your body!"

"We swear! We swear! We swear! Save us! Reveal to us the truth! Take our
sins upon yourself! Save us! Save us!" numerous exclamations resounded.

I must mention the sad incident which occurred during that same lecture.
At the moment when the excitement reached its height and the hearts had
already opened, ready to unburden themselves, a certain youth, looking
morose and embittered, exclaimed loudly, evidently addressing himself to
me:

"Liar! Do not listen to him. He is lying!"

The indulgent reader will easily believe that it was only by a great
effort that I succeeded in saving the incautious youth from the fury of
the audience. Offended in that which is most precious to a human being,
his faith in goodness and the divine purpose of life, my women admirers
rushed upon the foolish youth in a mob and would have beaten him
cruelly. Remembering, however, that there was more joy to the pastor in
one sinner who repents than in ten righteous men, I took the young man
aside where no one could hear us, and entered into a brief conversation
with him.

"Did you call me a liar, my child?"

Moved by my kindness, the poor young man became confused and answered
hesitatingly:

"Pardon me for my harshness, but it seems to me that you are not telling
the truth."

"I understand you, my friend. You must have been agitated by the intense
ecstasy of the women, and you, as a sensible man, not inclined to
mysticism, suspected me of fraud, of a hideous fraud. No, no, don't
excuse yourself. I understand you. But I wish you would understand me.
Out of the mire of superstitions, out of the deep gulf of prejudices and
unfounded beliefs, I want to lead their strayed thoughts and place them
upon the solid foundation of strictly logical reasoning. The iron grate,
which I mentioned, is not a mystical sign; it is only a formula, a
simple, sober, honest, mathematical formula. To you, as a sensible man,
I will willingly explain this formula. The grate is the scheme in which
are placed all the laws guiding the universe, which do away with chaos,
substituting in its place strict, iron, inviolable order