.
You have plenty of words in your mouth, but you lack strength--you
cannot face facts. Who would dare say: You have no right to defend
yourself?

Anton (after a while).--Good-bye.

Doctor.--Where are you going?

Anton.--I return to the city.

Doctor.--Are you with me or against me?

Anton.--I am an honest man.

A servant (enters).--A messenger brought this letter from Miliszewski.

Doctor.--Give it to me. Go (tears the envelop and reads) "Pretwic is
dead." (After a while) Ah--

Anton.--Before I go I must answer your question as to why I am going.
I have served you faithfully. I served you like a dog because I
believed in you. You knew how to use me, or perhaps to use me up. I
knew that I was a tool, but I did not care for that, because--But
now--

Doctor.--You give up the public affair?

Anton.--You do not know me. What would I do if I were to give up my
ideas? And then, do you think that you personify public affairs? I
will not give up because I have been deceived by you. But I care about
something else. I was stupid to have cared for you, and I regret now
that I must tell you that you have heaped up the measure and used
badly the strength which is in you. Oh, I know that perhaps it would
be better for me not to tell you this, perhaps to hold with you would
mean a bright future for such a man as I, who have hardly the money to
buy food for my wife and children. But I cannot. Before God, I cannot!
I am a poor man and I shall remain poor, but I must at least have a
clear conscience. Well, I loved you almost as much as I loved my wife
and children, but from to-day you are only a political number--for
friendship you must look to some one else. You know I have no
scruples; a man rubs among the people and he rubs off many things; but
you have heaped up the measure. May I be hanged if I do not prefer to
love the people than pound them! They say that honesty and politics
are two different things. Elsewhere it may be so, but in our country
we must harmonize them. Why should they not go together? I do not give
up our ideas, but I do not care for our friendship because the man who
says he loves humanity, and then pounds the people threateningly on
their heads--that man is a liar; do you understand me?

Doctor.--I shall not insist upon your giving me back your friendship,
but you must listen to me for the last time. If there shall begin for
me an epoch of calamity, it will begin at the moment when such people
as y