"Aha, Byron! . . . Byron is a steam engine producing a rebellious energy; a lord who was dissatisfied in England and dissatisfied in Venice with Suiciolla, for although he had a warm climate and money he was bored. He is a rebel-individualist, a strong, passionate monster; a lord who is always seething with fury and using all the forces of his wonderful talent to spite his enemies. He slapped England's face with masterpieces. He is a mighty protestant out of boredom and in his own personal interest." "And Shelley?" "Shelley again, is a divine lingo for the public of Saturn; he is the poet of the elements and not for us mortals." Glogowski became silent and went to pour himself some tea. "We are still listening; at least, I am waiting with impatience for you to continue your very interesting exposition," exclaimed Janina. "Very well, but I am going to skip over a great many immortals so as to finish sooner." "You can continue on the condition that you'll do so without tinkling the bells and beating the tambourine." "Kotlicki, keep quiet! You are a miserable philistine, a typical representative of your base species and you are denied a voice when human beings are speaking!" "Gentlemen, please quit your arguing, for I can't sleep," pitifully pleaded Mimi. "Yes, yes, it isn't at all amusing!" added Majkowska with a mighty yawn. Wawrzecki began again to fill the glasses. Glogowski moved close to Janina and began enthusiastically to expound to her his theory. "Ibsen makes a strange impression on me; he foreshadows someone mightier than himself who is yet to come; he is like the light of dawn before the rising sun. And as regards the newest, over-praised and over-advertised Germans: Suderman and Company they are merely a loud prating about small things; much ado about nothing. They wish to convince the world for instance that it is unnecessary to wear suspenders with your trousers, because you can sometimes wear them without suspenders." "So we have finally got to the point where there are no more left to dispose of," interposed Kotlicki. "One got a whack over the head, another a jab in the ribs, a third a very polite kick and so forth . . ." "No, my dear sir, I still remain!" rejoined Glogowski, with a comical bow. "We demolished vast edifices for the sake of a soap bubble." "Perhaps, but since even in soap bubbles the sun is reflected . . ." "Therefore, let us have another drink of brandy!" exclaimed Topolski, who had been silent up till now. "Throw out all that argumentation to the dogs! . . . Let us drink and quit thinking!" chimed in Wawrzecki. "That last statement is an epitome of yourself, Wawrzecki!" remarked Glogowski. "Let us drink and love one another!" proposed Kotlicki, rousing himself and tinkling his glass against the bottle. "To that I will agree, as I am Glogowski, I will agree, for love alone is the soul of the world!"