, Lebedeff; you are much milder in the morning," said
Ptitsin, smiling.

"But, on the other hand, more frank in the evening! In the evening
sincere and frank," repeated Lebedeff, earnestly. "More candid, more
exact, more honest, more honourable, and... although I may show you my
weak side, I challenge you all; you atheists, for instance! How are you
going to save the world? How find a straight road of progress, you men
of science, of industry, of cooperation, of trades unions, and all the
rest? How are you going to save it, I say? By what? By credit? What is
credit? To what will credit lead you?"

"You are too inquisitive," remarked Evgenie Pavlovitch.

"Well, anyone who does not interest himself in questions such as this
is, in my opinion, a mere fashionable dummy."

"But it will lead at least to solidarity, and balance of interests,"
said Ptitsin.

"You will reach that with nothing to help you but credit? Without
recourse to any moral principle, having for your foundation only
individual selfishness, and the satisfaction of material desires?
Universal peace, and the happiness of mankind as a whole, being the
result! Is it really so that I may understand you, sir?"

"But the universal necessity of living, of drinking, of eating--in
short, the whole scientific conviction that this necessity can only be
satisfied by universal co-operation and the solidarity of interests--is,
it seems to me, a strong enough idea to serve as a basis, so to speak,
and a 'spring of life,' for humanity in future centuries," said Gavrila
Ardalionovitch, now thoroughly roused.

"The necessity of eating and drinking, that is to say, solely the
instinct of self-preservation..."

"Is not that enough? The instinct of self-preservation is the normal law
of humanity..."

"Who told you that?" broke in Evgenie Pavlovitch.

"It is a law, doubtless, but a law neither more nor less normal than
that of destruction, even self-destruction. Is it possible that
the whole normal law of humanity is contained in this sentiment of
self-preservation?"

"Ah!" cried Hippolyte, turning towards Evgenie Pavlovitch, and looking
at him with a queer sort of curiosity.

Then seeing that Radomski was laughing, he began to laugh himself,
nudged Colia, who was sitting beside him, with his elbow, and again
asked what time it was. He even pulled Colia's silver watch out of his
hand, and looked at it eagerly. Then, as if he had forgotten everything,
he stretched h