‘With your permission,’ remarked Rudin, coolly, ‘the matter is very simple. You do not believe in the value of general propositions—you do not believe in convictions?’
‘I don’t believe in them, I don’t believe in anything!’
‘Very good. You are a sceptic.’
‘I see no necessity for using such a learned word. However——’
‘Don’t interrupt!’ interposed Darya Mihailovna.
‘At him, good dog!’ Pandalevsky said to himself at the same instant, and smiled all over.
‘That word expresses my meaning,’ pursued Rudin. ‘You understand it; why not make use of it? You don’t believe in anything. Why do you believe in facts?’
‘Why? That’s good! Facts are matters of experience, every one knows what facts are. I judge of them by experience, by my own senses.’
‘But may not your senses deceive you? Your senses tell you that the sun goes round the earth,... but perhaps you don’t agree with Copernicus? You don’t even believe in him?’
Again a smile passed over every one’s face, and all eyes were fastened on Rudin. ‘He’s by no means a fool,’ every one was thinking.