At times they struck me, but this I could not stand, and in such cases I did not spare my fists. Though people admire strength, still one cannot gain esteem and attention through his fists, and I would have had to bear many beatings were it not that at one of my quarrels a friend of Mikhail's, one Gavriel Kostin, interfered. He was a young metal pourer, very handsome and respected by the whole factory. Six men had come up to me and their looks boded ill for my back. But he stood next to me and said: "Why do you provoke a man, comrades? Is he not as much a worker as the rest of us? You do wrong, and against yourselves. Our strength lies in close friendship." He said these few words, but he said them so well and so simply, as if he were talking to children. The friends of Mikhail always made use of every incident to spread their ideas. Kostin embarrassed my opponents and the words touched my heart also. I began to talk. "I did not become a monk," I said, "to have much to eat, but because my soul was starved. I have lived and I have seen that everywhere labor is endless and hunger common; that everywhere there is swindle and fraud, bitterness and tears, brutality and every kind of darkness of the soul. By whom was this arranged? Where is our righteous and wise God? Does He see the infinite and eternal martyrdom of the people?" A crowd collected about me and listened earnestly to my words. I finished and there was silence. Finally, the head model-maker, Kriokof, said to Kostin: "That monk there sees things deeper than you and your comrades. He has taken hold of the root of the matter." It pleased me to hear these words. Kriokof slapped me on my shoulder and said: "You have spoken well, brother, but all the same cut your hair by a yard. Such a mane catches the dirt and looks funny." And some one called out: "And is in the way in a fight." They were joking. Evidently their wrath had passed. Where there is laughter, there is man; the animal is gone. Kostin took me aside. "Be careful with such words, Matvei," he said. "You can get into prison for them." I was astonished. "What!" "In prison," he laughed. "Why?" "For criticizing." "Are you joking?" "Ask Mikhail," he said. "I have to go to work now." He went away. CHAPTER XXIV I was very much astonished at his words. I could hardly believe them, but in the evening Mikhail confirmed them. All evening he told me about the cruel persecutions. It seemed that for such speeches as I had made thousands of people suffered death, were sent to Siberia and to the mines; yet, though the slaughter of Herod was in no way diminishing, the faithful were ever increasing in numbers. Something grew and became clear in my soul, and the speeches of Mikhail and his comrades took on another meaning, for, first of all, if a man was ready to give up his freedom and even his life for his faith, it meant that he was a sincere believer, and he resembled the early martyrs who followed the laws of Christ.