you are none the less, bound to
treat her with humanity. Why did you come here tonight so insolently?
'Give us our rights, but don't dare to speak in our presence. Show us
every mark of deepest respect, while we treat you like the scum of
the earth.' The miscreants have written a tissue of calumny in their
article, and these are the men who seek for truth, and do battle for the
right! 'We do not beseech, we demand, you will get no thanks from
us, because you will be acting to satisfy your own conscience!'
What morality! But, good heavens! if you declare that the prince's
generosity will, excite no gratitude in you, he might answer that he is
not, bound to be grateful to Pavlicheff, who also was only satisfying
his own conscience. But you counted on the prince's, gratitude towards
Pavlicheff; you never lent him any money; he owes you nothing; then what
were you counting upon if not on his gratitude? And if you appeal to
that sentiment in others, why should you expect to be exempted from
it? They are mad! They say society is savage and inhuman because it
despises a young girl who has been seduced. But if you call society
inhuman you imply that the young girl is made to suffer by its censure.
How then, can you hold her up to the scorn of society in the newspapers
without realizing that you are making her suffering, still greater?
Madmen! Vain fools! They don't believe in God, they don't believe in
Christ! But you are so eaten up by pride and vanity, that you will end
by devouring each other--that is my prophecy! Is not this absurd? Is it
not monstrous chaos? And after all this, that shameless creature will
go and beg their pardon! Are there many people like you? What are
you smiling at? Because I am not ashamed to disgrace myself before
you?--Yes, I am disgraced--it can't be helped now! But don't you jeer at
me, you scum!" (this was aimed at Hippolyte). "He is almost at his last
gasp, yet he corrupts others. You, have got hold of this lad "--(she
pointed to Colia); "you, have turned his head, you have taught him to
be an atheist, you don't believe in God, and you are not too old to be
whipped, sir! A plague upon you! And so, Prince Lef Nicolaievitch,
you will call on them tomorrow, will you?" she asked the prince
breathlessly, for the second time.

"Yes."

"Then I will never speak to you again." She made a sudden movement to
go, and then turned quickly back. "And you will call on that atheist?"
she continued, pointing to