Savva. When you told me all that, my eyes were
suddenly opened, and I began to love everything. Do you understand? I
began to love it all. These walls--formerly I didn't notice them;
now I am sorry for them--so sorry, I could cry. And the books and
everything--each brick, each piece of wood to which man has applied
his labor. Let's admit that it's poor stuff. Who says it's good? But
that's why I love it--for its defects, its imperfections, its crooked
lines, its unfulfilled hopes. For the labor and the tears. And all who
hear you talking, Savva, will feel as I do, and will begin to love all
that is old and dear and human.

SAVVA

I have nothing to do with you.

LIPA

Nothing to do with us? With whom then have you to do? No, Savva, you
don't love anyone. You love only yourself and your dreams. He who
loves men will not take away from them all they have. He will not
regard his own wishes more than their lives. Destroy everything!
Destroy Golgotha! Consider: _(with terror)_ destroy Golgotha! The
brightest, the most glorious hope that ever was on earth! All right,
you don't believe in Christ. But if you have a single drop of nobility
in your nature, you must respect and honor His noble memory. He was
also unhappy. He was crucified--crucified, Savva. You are silent? Have
you nothing to say?

SAVVA

Nothing.

LIPA

I thought--I thought--if you succeeded in carrying out your plot--I
thought I'd kill you--that I'd poison you like some noxious beast.

SAVVA

And if I don't succeed--

LIPA

You are still hoping?

SAVVA

And if I don't succeed, I'll kill you.

LIPA _(advancing a step toward him)_

Kill me! Kill me! Give me a chance to suffer for the sake of Christ.
For the sake of Christ and for the sake of the people.

SAVVA

Yes. I'll kill you.

LIPA

Do you suppose I didn't think of it? Do you suppose I didn't think of
it? Oh, Lord, to suffer for Thee! Is there higher happiness than that?

SAVVA _(with a contemptuous gesture, pointing at Lipa)_

And that's a human being! That's one counted among the best! That's
the kind in which they take pride! Ah me, how poor you are in good
people!

LIPA

Insult! Mock! That's the way it has always been. They have always
heaped insults upon us before they killed us.

SAVVA

No, I don't mean to insult you. How can I insult you? You are simply
a silly woman. There have been many such in the past. There are many
such to-day. You are simply a foolish, ins