A tall man with a bony face said plaintively, spreading his hands:
"I, too, love and respect the Czar; I'm heartily thankful to him for the manifesto. I'm ready to shout 'Hurrah' as much as you please; and offer up prayers of gratitude. But to smash windows from patriotism and break bones—what's that?"
"Such barbarism, beastliness in our age!" said a stout lady. "Oh, those people, how horribly cruel they are!"
From a corner came a firm assured voice:
"All the work of the police, no doubt of it!"
"But what for?"
All were silent for a minute.
"I know," thought Klimkov.
From the corner came the same assured voice:
"They're preparing a counter-revolution in Russian fashion. You just take a close look at those in command of the patriotic demonstrators—disguised police, agents of the Department of Safety."