Page 548 - the-idiot

that they are a source of ruin to humanity, a poison poured
upon the earth to corrupt the springs of life?’
Gavrila Ardalionovitch was in high spirits that evening,
and it seemed to the prince that his gaiety was mingled
with triumph. Of course he was only joking with Lebedeff,
meaning to egg him on, but he grew excited himself at the
same time.
‘Not the railways, oh dear, no!’ replied Lebedeff, with a
mixture of violent anger and extreme enjoyment. ‘Consid-
ered alone, the railways will not pollute the springs of life,
but as a whole they are accursed. The whole tendency of our
latest centuries, in its scientific and materialistic aspect, is
most probably accursed.’
‘Is it certainly accursed? ... or do you only mean it might
be? That is an important point,’ said Evgenie Pavlovitch.
‘It is accursed, certainly accursed!’ replied the clerk, ve-
hemently.
‘Don’t go so fast, 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.