sort with our enemies; but as for men of our own stamp, as for the people, we are continually entering into relations with them.'
'Stay, stay, stay, stay!' Paklin in his turn interposed. 'In the first place: as for enemies, let me remind you of Goethe's lines:
Wer den Dichter will versteh'n
Muss im Dichter's Lande gehn . . .
but I say
Wer die Feinde will versteh'n
Muss im Feinde's Lande gehn. . .
To avoid one's enemies, not to know their manners and habits, is ridiculous! Ri . . . di . . . cu . . . lous! . . . Yes! yes! If I want to shoot a wolf in the forest I have to know all his holes! . . . Secondly, you talked just now of entering into relations with the people. . . My dear soul! In 1862 the Poles went "into the forest"; and we are going now into the same forest; that's to say, to the people, who are just as dark and obscure to us as any forest!'
'Then what's to be done, according to you?'
'The Hindoos fling themselves under the wheels of Juggernaut,' Paklin went on gloomily; 'it crushes them, and they die in bliss. We too have our Juggernaut. . . It crushes us indeed, but gives us no bliss.'
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