"Well, what of it? Were you not persecuted for establishing a school? In this country all sympathy is always on the side of the fugitive. Imagine for yourself that when Miss Anney forbade her to admit Laskowicz any more, she became indignant. Evidently it seemed to her that Miss Anney did that from fear of the police." "Miss Anney gave indisputable proofs that she does not fear anything." "So I also do not suspect her of fear, nor Pani Otocka. But, instead, I confess to you what I fear. That madman, if he does not personally appear there, will hover about them, and what is more will write letters; all letters now travel undoubtedly through the black cabinets. If I knew where I could find him, I would warn him above all things not to dare to write any more." "I will warn him of that and something else, if I can only meet him." "Since he visited the ladies, he may come to see me. We had, while riding together from Jastrzeb, a discussion which he has not forgiven me." "If he comes here, do you give me carte blanche?" "I would not think of it. Previously I had propounded to you the question whether if, as a result of a personal encounter with you, he was arrested you could take upon your soul his destruction, and you answered 'No.' Now I will ask you differently: If Laskowicz, tracked and pursued as a wild animal, hid in your house, would you not endeavor to hide him or assist him in escaping?" To this Krzycki replied in anger, but without hesitation: "I would help him--the dog's blood." "Ah, you see!" observed Gronski. "You curse, but admit. If they come to me for a contribution--it is all the same whether with or without Laskowicz--I will tell them that I will give for people destitute of bread but will not give for bombs, dynamite, and strike propaganda. I will tell them more: that in collecting contributions for a revolution from people who do not want to give and who give only from fear, they degrade their own citizens." "Perhaps that is of import to them. The more the higher strata become cowardly, the easier it will be for them." "That may be, but in such case they are the full brethren of all those who purposely and of old have debased the community." And Krzycki pondered and said: "With us these things are often done--from above and from below." Gronski glanced at him with a certain surprise as if he did not expect from his lips such a remark. "You are right," he declared; "from above, a continual lowering of great ideals, from below, because at present they are being directly trampled upon." "Bah! There remain yet the solid multitude of country peasantry." "Again you are right," replied Gronski. "Formerly Dabrowski's March[7] was the watchword for a hundred thousand, to-day it is the watchword for ten millions. Blessed be folk-lore!" They remained silent. Gronski for a time walked about the room, taking, according to his custom, the eyeglasses off his nose and replacing them. After which, he said: