That is why we came in here, not fearing that we would be thrown off the premises (as you just threatened) for the mere reason that we do not ask but demand, and as for the impropriety of a visit at this late hour (though we did not come at a late hour, it was you who made us wait in the lackeys' quarters), that is why, I say, we came, not fearing anything, because we supposed you were precisely a man of common sense, that is, of honor and conscience.
Yes, it's true, we did not come humbly, not like your spongers and fawners, but with our heads high, like free people, and by no means asking, but freely and proudly demanding (do you hear, not asking, but demanding, mark that!).
Directly and with dignity, we put before you a question: do you acknowledge yourself as in the right or in the wrong in the Burdovsky affair?
Do you acknowledge that Pavlishchev was your benefactor and perhaps even saved you from death?
If you do (which is obvious), then do you intend, or do you find it right in all conscience, having obtained millions in your turn, to reward Pavlishchev's needy son, even though he bears the name of Burdovsky?
Yes or no?
If yes, that is, in other words, if there is in you that which you, in your language, call honor and conscience, and which we designate more precisely with the name of common sense, satisfy us and that will be the end of it.
Satisfy us without any requests or gratitudes on our part, do not expect them from us, because you are not doing it for us, but for the sake of justice.
But if you do not want to satisfy us, that is, if your reply is no, we will leave at once, and the affair ceases; but we tell you to your face, in front of all your witnesses, that you are a man of coarse mind and low development; that you dare not and henceforth have no right to call yourself a man of honor and conscience, that you want to buy that right too cheaply.
I have finished.
I have stated the question.
Chase us off the premises now, if you dare.
You can do it, you have the power.
But remember that all the same we demand, and do not ask.
Demand, and do not ask!"
Lebedev's nephew, who had become very excited, stopped.
"Demand, demand, demand, and do not ask! . . ." Burdovsky babbled and turned red as a lobster.
After Lebedev's nephew's words there followed a certain general stir and a murmur even arose, though the whole company had clearly avoided mixing into the affair, with the sole exception of Lebedev, who was as if in a fever. (Strange thing: Lebedev, who was obviously on the prince's side, now seemed to feel a certain satisfaction of family pride after his nephew's speech; at least he looked around at all the public with a certain special air of satisfaction.) "In my opinion," the prince began rather quietly, "in my opinion, Mr. Doktorenko, half of all you have just said is completely right, and I even agree that it is the greater half, and I would be in complete agreement with you, if you hadn't left something out in your words.
Precisely what you left out, I'm not able and am not in a position to say exactly, but something is certainly missing that keeps your words from being wholly fair.
But better let us turn to business, gentlemen. Tell me, why did you publish this article?
Every word of it is slander; therefore, in my opinion, you have done something base."
"Excuse me! ..."
"My dear sir! ..."
"That . . . that . . . that ..." came at once from the agitated visitors' side.
"Concerning the article," Ippolit picked up shrilly, "concerning this article, I've already told you that I and the others disapprove of it!
It was he who wrote it" (he pointed to the boxer, who was sitting next to him), "wrote it indecently, I agree, wrote it illiterately and in the style in which retired officers like him write.
He is stupid and, on top of that, a speculator, I agree, I tell him that right to his face every day, but all the same he was half in his rights: publicity is everyone's lawful right, and therefore also Burdovsky's.
Let him answer for his own absurdities.
As for the fact that I protested earlier on behalf of all concerning the presence of your friends, I consider it necessary, my dear sirs, to explain to you that I protested solely in order to claim our right, but that, in fact, we even welcome witnesses, and earlier, before we came in here, the four of us agreed on that.
Whoever your witnesses may be, even if they're your friends, but since they cannot disagree with Burdovsky's right (because it's obvious, mathematical), it's even better if these witnesses are your friends; the truth will be manifested still more obviously."
"That's true, we agreed on that," Lebedev's nephew confirmed.
"Then why was there such noise and shouting earlier from the very first word, if you wanted it that way!" the prince was astonished.
"And concerning the article, Prince," the boxer put in, terribly anxious to stick in something of his own and feeling pleasantly lively (one might suspect that the presence of the ladies had a visible and strong effect on him), "concerning the article, I confess that I am indeed the author, though my ailing friend, whom I am accustomed to forgive because of his weakness, has just criticized it.
But I did write it and published it in my good friend's magazine, as correspondence.
Only the verses are actually not mine, and actually came from the pen of a famous humorist.
The only one I read it to was Burdovsky, and not all of it at that, and I at once got his agreement to publish it, though you must agree that I could have published it even without his agreement.
Publicity is a universal right, noble and beneficial.
I hope that you yourself, Prince, are progressive enough not to deny that ..."
"I won't deny anything, but you must agree that in your article ..."
"Sharp, you want to say?
But it's a question, so to speak, of the benefit of society, you must agree, and, finally, was it possible to miss such a provocative occasion?
So much the worse for the guilty ones, but the benefit of society comes before all else.
As for certain imprecisions, hyperboles, so to speak, you must also agree that the initiative is important before all else, the goal and intention before all else; what's important is the beneficent example, and after that we can analyze particular cases, and, finally, it's a question of style, a question, so to speak, of a humoristic task, and, finally—everybody writes like that, you must agree!
Ha, ha!"
"But you're on a completely false track!
I assure you, gentlemen," the prince cried, "you published your article on the assumption that I would never agree to satisfy Mr. Burdovsky, and so you
wanted to frighten me for that and be revenged somehow.
But how do you know: maybe I've decided to satisfy Mr. Burdovsky.
I tell you directly now, in front of everyone, that I will satisfy ..."
"Here at last is an intelligent and noble word from an intelligent and most noble man!" the boxer proclaimed.