Kore. Codes! The question of a man's right to his breath is settled outside of ethics! O, Adrian, brother, be a man to-night and not a preacher! Never in the history of the world has there been a revolution so ripe, so terrible, without a leader to march at its head.
Adr. Humanity has dropped the club. It will drop the gun. Even the soldiers are throwing it down. And shall I pick it up——
Kore. Only for a day! Petrizoff alone stands between us and the army. Vitelkin, the next in power, is ready to join us. But he is suspected already, and must soon resign—or be poisoned. If we remove Petrizoff now thirty regiments will come to us with Vitelkin, and others will follow until the Czar is without an army. In a month—a fortnight—the revolutionists will be masters of the nation——
Adr. Masters of the nation! [Walks away, and returns, much calmer, to Korelenko] If it is true that only the life of Petrizoff stands between the revolutionists and triumph, he can not long be the sole barrier. He must see his folly and change his——
Kore. [Furious] Were he to turn angel now, he should die for his past sins!
Adr. [Sadly] I see. We should unfetter the avenging lion, not loosen the dove of peace, with Petrizoff's death.
Kore. I did not mean that. You know it was the anger of a moment. [Kneeling] For the last time I beg you—in the name of all that redeems man from the beast——
Adr. [Very pale] Rise, Korelenko. Heal ye first yourselves. Out of your differences, your divisions, you make your master. If for one day enmity should sleep, if for one day every lover of freedom should love his neighbor, in that day the oppressor would fall. Rise! I will not do it.
Kore. [Springing up] You will!
Adr. Will?