"What have you heard?" asked the count.
"That Russia is starving, while the papers report a surplus in the treasury."
"That, unfortunately, is true."
"That your thinking people are in despair."
"Also true."
"That a revival of the Reign of Terror is to be feared."
"Equally true."
"That all Russia hopes the war will be lost, because only in that way can the present state of things be brought to an end."
"True again."